Do you enjoy your job? Or can't wait until you don't have to work?

kds10
kds10 Posts: 452 Member
in Chit-Chat
I don't mind my job, it is not my dream job by any means, but I work close to home, make decent pay, good benefits, etc.

I like the routine of work...I like when I go to bed knowing that there is somewhere I have to be in the morning. Yeah I have the odd day where it is nice out and I think shoot I would rather go for a hike, etc.

It amazes me how many people whine about work, whine about getting up in the morning to go to work or TGIF. Last week someone was going on about retirement and how they are not going to waste any more time at work because you never know...and I always hesitate to say well I don't mind going to work, it gives me purpose and I like the social aspect of it too, because if I do I get a look like I am weird:(

Sometimes when I think about retirement I think it most be boring some days! I am about 15 years away from retirement and honestly I am in no rush. I kind of like the fact that I have a number of years left.

I think part of it is I am such a "routine oriented" person that work gives me that structure and routine that I like.

I have the feeling that once I am retired I am going to have to keep busy doing something else because I think it will be challenging for me to not have that day to day work routine anymore.
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Replies

  • Pour_Decisions
    Pour_Decisions Posts: 1,053 Member
    edited February 2019
    I work because I need to pay my bills and live and prepare for the future. If I were to hit the lottery with enough money to live comfortably forever, I would definitely NOT work. I can get in all other sorts of routines besides work if I had money and time.
  • Pour_Decisions
    Pour_Decisions Posts: 1,053 Member
    kds10 wrote: »

    I have the feeling that once I am retired I am going to have to keep busy doing something else because I think it will be challenging for me to not have that day to day work routine anymore.

    There are so many other things to keep busy with, it doesn't have to be work. You can travel, volunteer, go to gym, get massages, get your nails hair done, work on home projects, spend time with family, friends. The possibilities are endless in my mind. In fact I HATE that work takes up all the time that I could be spending doing things I would enjoy more.
  • _BlahBlah_BlackSheep_
    _BlahBlah_BlackSheep_ Posts: 2,148 Member
    My current position didn't exist before and is still evolving (I've been here 6 months). I like that it is varied, which keeps it interesting because every day is a little different. It challenges me because there's so much to learn. I work with great people and I don't have to deal with the public. However, if I didn't have to work, I could find many other things to do with my time.
  • CoffeeAndContour
    CoffeeAndContour Posts: 1,466 Member
    I love my job, but wish the world was less evil and that people like me weren’t needed.
  • MonkeyMel21
    MonkeyMel21 Posts: 2,396 Member
    I love my profession and like my job a lot. Where I work now is laid back and not very challenging. I have a lot of downtime and read a lot and waste time on the internet, lol. Every once in a while I think about applying for a more challenging position within my scope of practice but then I have all the fears of "what if I'm not good enough". I do not spend my days wishing I didn't have to go to work, but I really would prefer to work less than full time hours and be able to spend more time at home or doing more active things like hiking or fitness related things.

    I do look forward to retirement, though think I may work per diem or part time just to give me something to do. But that is far, far away. I don't have a lot of hobbies so I see my retirement being spent at the YMCA in the mornings with all the other elderly there doing a work out class then sitting around the free coffee chatting.

  • Reckoner67
    Reckoner67 Posts: 3,344 Member
    I like my job but I’m not built for the 9-5 life. I do it because I’m good at what I do and it provides for my family, but if I were to win the lottery I’d spend my days chopping wood to heat my off-grid cabin somewhere
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,739 Member
    Even with the upheaval we've had since the beginning of the year (and I HATE change and upheaval), I like my job. We're a pretty good humored, non PC group.

    I'm not sure what I would do with myself if I didn't work. I'd probably become even more obsessed with exercising (so I can eat more). :)
  • bojack5
    bojack5 Posts: 2,859 Member
    I love what i do. Its not work to me.....its like doing something you enjoy very much and getting paid for it. Doesnt mean there arent hard days or some stress, but its like somebody that loves golf......they can get so frustrated with their game at any given time, but they would never think about giving it up, and would do it as much as possible.
  • Taz6o5
    Taz6o5 Posts: 3,441 Member
    I agree with @Pour_Decisions .

    I work with a few coworkers who are retire . They work a few hours a week .

    I like my job , and I have growth to move up if I wanted too.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    I enjoy my job. I love science and medicine and helping people is rewarding. The ER is always exciting. But, I love my off days more. Lol.
  • kali31337
    kali31337 Posts: 1,048 Member
    I love my job as it's super rewarding but it's also infuriating. Too much woo at the moment. Get vaccinated folks and I most likely won't have to have investigate your disease...
  • GemstoneofHeart
    GemstoneofHeart Posts: 865 Member
    Yes I hear you on the routine. I absolutely need it to function. I couldn’t be a realtor or something that doesn’t have a set schedule.

    To address your first question though: yes, I DO like my job! I truly enjoy what I do even though there are problems like any company or job. I have never dreaded going into work in the morning. I truly believe a lot of that has to do with my boss and the people i work with. I have a great boss who is supportive. I manage a team of project managers and I hope that the majority of those who report to me could say the same thing about me. I always have tried to live by “if you take care of your employees, they will take care of your customers”. It really makes the culture at my office a great place to work!
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    I am 65, retired 5 years ago and hated it, bored, restless. I went back to work part time. Now I am beginning to enjoy retirement, guess I got into more stuff as the years went by. I cant just sit at home. I cut my work hours back to a few every other day, go to gym in the mornings, got into yoga, volunteer 1 day a week, sit with my husband at Mcdonalds a couple days a week, lunch with friends, watch young and restless and bold and beautiful, I think you just have to find stuff to do, if I am out with people I am happy. I have a friend I walk on trail with and go to Tues movies, yep, you have to get a life.
  • honeybee__12
    honeybee__12 Posts: 15,688 Member
    I'm retired now but when I was working I loved my job.
    I was basically personal assistant to my then husband and office manager at the family company.
    I got mega satisfaction helping to keep everything going.
    It felt like a team and at the time,
    it was successful and exciting.
    Being retired isn't always awesome,
    sometimes just plain boring.
  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,371 Member
    I love my job, not so crazy about getting up in the morning though. I'm eligible to retire now but planning on sticking around for a few more years. Working becomes a whole lot easier when you know you can pack it in any day.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    I feel very similarly about routines and having a schedule and purpose for each weekday. I really like it.
    I also like the routine and process of getting up and ready for work and driving to a physical office. A lot of companies are going to flexible and remote and such...I'm old school I guess because I just wanna be there Mon-Fri, 8-5 or 9-5 and then go home. My husband works from home and I feel like I would NOT be happy doing that, personally.

    I loved working at all of my retail jobs when I was 16 to mid-20s, and I honestly only started working in office positions because I felt it was expected of me (especially post-college). I actually struggled for several years with working 8-5 and mostly sitting. I quit several jobs and found gigs managing retail shops again and loved that but it was around the mid 2000s and recession so ultimately I went in a different direction. But I HATED my first "professional" office position where I stayed for about 5 years and was pretty miserable. I would get so tense driving to work and I was unhappy ALL day every Sunday thinking about returning to work on Monday morning. That wasn't good.

    Now I work in a small company and genuinely like my job and feel that it is a great fit for me professionally. It has taken me a long time (years!) to feel that way about any job outside of retail. I never get those Sunday blues anymore. Of course I have times when I think, "ugh, annoying client meeting tomorrow" but it's just not the same and I feel very lucky.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    kali31337 wrote: »
    Get vaccinated folks and I most likely won't have to have investigate your disease...

    Amen
  • amorfati601070
    amorfati601070 Posts: 2,890 Member
    Not really, it has its moments though. I need to work though even if I don’t enjoy it and didn’t have to I would still do it. It gives me some grounding and structure in my life and I get extremely depressed when I have nothing to do or not busy. Need to feel productive and I like I’m contributing to something.
  • busyPK
    busyPK Posts: 3,788 Member
    My current job is alright. Perks are I work 1 mile from my house, casual environment, great salary, no more than 40 hours per week, small company where everyone knows everyone and unlimited sick time. Cons are everyone is 10+ years (more than 20+ years) older than me so having common interests and making friends isn't happening. I've been in this field for 12 years and some days I want more of a challenge, however at this stage in my life (3 young kids, single mom) I don't want to give up the perks of the location so I can spend as much time with my children as possible when I'm not at work. Regarding retirement, that is YEARS away for me, but I'm a homebody and look forward to focusing my time on other aspects than work and raising children when that time comes.
  • cdlee4
    cdlee4 Posts: 507 Member
    edited February 2019
    No but lately i've been thinking i should do what i love. Soooo, i wonder if anyone would pay me to go around and kick off all the icky ice and snow that builds up on your car right behind the wheels. I get such a high from kicking that *puppies* off
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I like my job...I'm also a TGIF guy and like my time off to do my thing and play with the kids, go camping and fishing, etc.

    Retirement for me is a long way off, and I don't think about it much. If things continue as they are, retirement should be a pretty good time...lots of travel, golf, etc. My guess is that I'll probably work part time somewhere fun...maybe REI or something.
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,033 Member
    I love my job but also look forward to retirement. This isn't because I am tired of working. I just want to travel more.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    It's not my eventual career path, but I like my job. It helps me keep my life structured, and it's pretty stress-free.
    A lot of times I think people complain because they think it's expected, and in some ways, it builds a kind of comraderie.
  • SirMxyzptlk
    SirMxyzptlk Posts: 841 Member
    JustPassingTime wrote: »
    Just don't retire

    Disagree. I retired a while ago and started doing a new business of my own. Doesn't take a a lot of time and I get to travel, so it's been a great retirement for me. And yeah, I enjoy what I do.
  • Mean_Spice
    Mean_Spice Posts: 279 Member
    edited February 2019
    I really like my job. Not so much because of the career field do, but more because of the affect it has on our customers. I work IT at a military hospital and get to see the positive results we have on the nation's war fighters every day. Rock-a-bye Baby is played on the overhead every time a baby is delivered here, both of mine were born in military hospitals (Fort Ord, CA and Heidelberg Germany). Like @TheRoadDog I am retiring soon (end of April). Bucket list is to visit every National Park in the continental USA.
  • Bullet_with_Butterfly_Wings
    Bullet_with_Butterfly_Wings Posts: 5,545 Member
    I do enjoy my job very much, especially the people I work with. We have fun while we work :)
  • TheRoadDog
    TheRoadDog Posts: 11,788 Member
    Mean_Spice wrote: »
    I really like my job. Not so much because of the career field do, but more because of the affect it has on our customers. I work IT at a military hospital and get to see the positive results we have on the nation's war fighters every day. Rock-a-bye Baby is played on the overhead every time a baby is delivered here, both of mine were born in military hospitals (Fort Ord, CA and Heidelberg Germany). Like @TheRoadDog I am retiring soon (end of April). Bucket list is to visit every National Park in the continental USA.

    My wife wants to visit every National Park in Continental USA also.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited February 2019
    This content has been removed.
  • CoffeeAndContour
    CoffeeAndContour Posts: 1,466 Member
    FeelinFooFoo wrote: »
    CoffeeAndContour wrote: »
    I love my job, but wish the world was less evil and that people like me weren’t needed.

    What is your job? I think I remember you said about it before but I forget now.

    I love my job also. (Mental health) I find it very fulfilling role for me, and at the start of my career I also find it very exciting and challenging. But at same time, I will be more than ready to retire when I'm at that age. I think I'l deserve a rest and just go on holidays for a while ! But yeah, I would busy myself with little projects, gardening and hobbies, and more holidays!

    Child Psychology. I work with special needs kids and children who have been victims of sexual abuse, then the occasional family session if the situation calls for it. I also do adhd coaching part time.

    I agree that it is very rewarding but at the same time the situation is not. Thank you for the work you do. It’s challenging and sometimes can wear heavily but I think we both agree it’s a fair cost to pay. When you retire you can show me how to not kill everything that’s green.

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