Are you supposed to like what you do?

angelxsss

Do you think you're supposed to find something you enjoy to do for a living, or do you think it's more about just finding something that doesn't suck your soul out of your body and pays the bills?

Carillon_Campanello

Option 1 - Sometimes you do what you want to do (may include doing what you have to do).
Option 2 - Sometimes you do what you have to do (may include doing what you want to do).
If you want the lights to stay on, option 2.
Parts in parenthesis are strictly situational and in 99% of cases (number completely guesstimated) you'll be doing something that sucks your soul most days of the week.

Despite that grim reality I hope you have a nice day.

cwolfman13

In an ideal world, we'd all love what we do. As it is, I don't think that's usually the case. If I was truly doing what I wanted to do career wise, it's more likely that not that I would be struggling financially...it would also be burdensome for my family.

I don't love what I do, nor do I hate it...I couldn't imagine getting up and going to something that I loathed. For the most part, my employer is great and very flexible with many things...they pay relatively well and I don't really have any financial burdens. Bills are paid, food is on the table, we have a decent enough home (though certainly not posh living) and we have disposable income for vacations and travel. Our only real debt is our mortgage and a small car payment on my car...wife's is paid off and mine will be soon. All in all, I'm in a pretty good place and my family is taken care of which is my number one priority.

_John_

I got selected by one of my undergraduate college professors to "collect" adult largemouth bass for a grant. For one summer I "worked" from about 5 AM to 3 PM every thurs-sat, and got paid for it. I actually got to put this "experience" on my grad. school applications.

That will always be the pinnacle of my working career.

Riffraft1960

I work to live, not live to work. I do what brings me the most money so I can do other things outside of work.

browneyedgirl749

I love what I do. It's the political bs that happens in the office that I don't like.

toned_thugs_n_harmony

i love what i do and can promise even if my paycheck wasn't so big, i'd still be doing it.

TheRoadDog

It would be nice to love what I do. I wanted to be a Chef, but taking care of my family was more important. I have worked at what I am good at. I make a fair amount of money and was able to take care of my wife and daughters and also put away a lot of money for retirement. Now, as I am only 2 years from retirement, I realize that, in my case, this was the right decision. My girls are all grown up and successful. My wife never wanted for anything. I will retire in two years, move to Vegas, and enroll in Culinary School. I didn't give up on my dream, I just postponed it for 40 years. Knowing my family was taken care of made me happy.

AdamAthletic

I found a unique way to target this problem.

I earn too much with my main job to quit but, it bores the life out of me.

So, I started doing my personal training more as a second job and getting heavily involved in health and fitness around the community that I live.
Started a couple of community projects and devoted my time to that.

Which, makes my mundane - boring job manageable because I have things to look forward to afterwards!

maybe1pe

I actually took a job thinking I would hate it but it would pay the bills. But I actually love it. If I hadn't just tried it I never would have guessed this is a profession I love.

angelxsss

How do you figure out what's going to make you happy? My plan A is basically out the window and I have no plan B and no idea what a possible plan B would even be.

JeromeBarry1

Always be curious. Always be learning. Always be flexible.

FreyasRebirth

I think people are better off pursuing what they are good at, rather than what they think they'd like. It would not be a fun place to be if you were terrible at a job you thought you'd love. Whether or not you always like a job you are good at, you probably stand a higher chance of being recognized for doing it well.

synchkat

You spend a lot of your life working so you might as well enjoy it. Probably one of the reasons there's so many miserable people in the world is because they hate what they do for a living and dread having to have their soul slowing sucked out.

Start thinking of what things make you happy and you are happy doing then you'll find a plan b

KassLea22

Finding a job that I loved changed my happiness level astronomically. I think you should find something that you're interested in and pursue that. Normally in my experience with the people I know, most people have a passion and they have something they love doing. I would hate getting up every day and going to a job where I wasn't fulfilled or doing something meaningful.

Whoever I have met a few people who were genuinely content working minimum-wage and making enough to pay the rent and buy clothes and stuff. Not saying there's anything wrong with minimum wage jobs but I thought it was odd that they didn't want to do anything else....

Timshel_

angelxsss wrote: »

Do you think you're supposed to find something you enjoy to do for a living, or do you think it's more about just finding something that doesn't suck your soul out of your body and pays the bills?

Both really. I had plenty of jobs that I did for $$ that I was really, REALLY good at, but it wasn't like they were a calling for me in life. I didn't feel personal fulfillment, but had personal satisfaction in what I did. It is about leveraging your skills to find things to maximize what is important to you. For most starting out, that is plain ol' hard cash and things. So you find something you can do that makes you money. Nice thing about getting older is, you need and want less so you can pick and choose a bit more in what you do.