Anybody like their job?

[setab]

I'm just wondering if anybody here actually liked their job when they were working. If so, why retire? I can see leaving a job you hate, but why not find something you like to do and stay with it? Just curious.

Setab

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I liked it when the pay was so good I could giggle and forget about working with morons just by looking at the spreadsheet I linked to the current stock price of my company.

When the quality of the idiots continued to increase (decrease?) while the stock price went down, it was a lot less enjoyable.

 

[brewer12345]

I like my job fine right now, but its a lot of hours and there are other things in life. I've also had plenty of jobs that started out good and then turned into siht. Plenty of reasons for moving on at some point in the future.

 

[Andre1969]

I'm kind of ambivalent about my job. Don't hate it, but don't love it. Honestly though, even if there was a job I loved, once I got to the FI part of the equation I'd still retire, simply because there are better things to do with my time than work at a job, no matter how rewarding it might be.

 

[Calgary_Girl]

I'm kind of ambivalent about my job.  Don't hate it, but don't love it.  Honestly though, even if there was a job I loved, once I got to the FI part of the equation I'd still retire, simply because there are better things to do with my time than work at a job, no matter how rewarding it might be.

That's how I feel also. The job is a means to an end.....

 

[sgeeeee]

I'm just wondering if anybody here actually liked their job when they were working.  If so, why retire?  I can see leaving a job you hate, but why not find something you like to do and stay with it?  . . .

Hi Setab,

I think what you say makes a lot of sense. The problem most people face is that jobs change and evolve over time . . . and so do they.

If your job was static, you would likely become bored and lose interest. If you gain greater responsibility, the job changes -- and it has to keep changing for you to avoid boredom. But not all of those changes are as satisfying as you would like. If you work in a large company, sometimes the changes have nothing to do with your growth, and sometimes they are not pleasant changes.

People's interests also change over time. Working with a group of people to achieve business goals may be very rewarding and satisfying at some point in life, and seem very unimportant relative to other interests at another point.

If you like your work and don't have other interests that the work is keeping you from, then continuing to work seems like a no-brainer. But you might still want to achieve financial independance in case the day ever comes when your job is no longer so rewarding or you find other interests that are more important to you.

 

[HFWR]

After a nice holiday break, it's back to the "killing floor"...

Sometimes, I get a little bored, but going to work is never one of the solutions!

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Why not find something you like to do and stay with it?

I did! I call it "NOT WORKING!"

 

[setab]

I hear you all, but I also read of all the time some of you spend managing your assets and portfolios. To me, that seems like "work." Although given my assets, that job would only be part time for me.

setab

 

[azanon]

I'm just wondering if anybody here actually liked their job when they were working.  If so, why retire?  I can see leaving a job you hate, but why not find something you like to do and stay with it?  Just curious.

Setab,

I like my job in the sense that one likes a job, but..... its still a job*  I enjoy, far more, using my time for other things, like tennis, working out, pc games, travelling, watching sports, hiking, even sleeping!   When the day comes that I know with very strong confidence that i no longer need the money, I will quit my job and do these other things full time.  

With tax-advantaged saving vehichles like IRAs and 401(k)s, it just makes the most sense to me to sacrifice a bit today, for a lot more gain in the future in the form of FIRE.  I know i'm not promised tomorrow, but i'm thinking optimistically.

Azanon

Definitions:
job = a task that is generally unpleasant enough that one typically receives some form of compensation for doing said task.

 

[azanon]

I hear you all, but I also read of all the time some of you spend managing your assets and portfolios. To me, that seems like "work."

Possible troll?

 

[setab]

No troll intended. It just seems to me that some of you spend a lot of time managing money. To me, that would fit your definition of job. That kind of activity is just not my thing. I just don't want to trade one job for another, even though I would be glad to get rid of a job to do something I really want to do.

setab

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I spend a couple of hours a week thinking about it, and a couple of hours a year making changes.

Hardly onerous.

I spent more time in aggregate trying to figure out what piece of crap from a cafeteria machine I was going to eat at 7pm when I had to work late. It was usually the jimmy dean sausage biscuits by the way.

 

[brewer12345]

No troll intended.  It just seems to me that some of you spend a lot of time managing money.  To me, that would fit your definition of job.  That kind of activity is just not my thing.  I just don't want to trade one job for another, even though I would be glad to get rid of a job to do something I really want to do.

setab

In my case, it happens to be my profession. However, if I decide that I don't want to be bothered managing my money, setting up an index/etf portfolio would take all of 30 minutes and would need about 15 minutes of my time every year to rebalance.

 

[REWahoo]

I hear you all, but I also read of all the time some of you spend managing your assets and portfolios. To me, that seems like "work."

One man's work is another man's fun. Ask any gynecologist.

 

[setab]

One man's work is another man's fun. Ask any gynecologist.
Exactly! I'm just trying to decide whether I fit the "retire now" profile even if I don't want to spend a lot of time looking at portfolios, withdrawal percentages, etc. I know myself too well. I just wouldn't do it.

setab

 

[Dawg52]

I'm just wondering if anybody here actually liked their job when they were working. 
Setab

No.  :

 

[Spanky]

first day of work after 3 weeks of vacation in which a few days were spent trading penny stocks. It was time consuming but also exciting.

The bottom line is that attitude detemines whether you like your work or job.

 

[brewer12345]

One man's work is another man's fun.  Ask any gynecologist.

Exactly!  I'm just trying to decide whether I fit the "retire now" profile even if I don't want to spend a lot of time looking at portfolios, withdrawal percentages, etc.  I know myself too well.  I just wouldn't do it.

setab

I think that you are getting the wrong idea. AFAIK, most FIREd folks don't spend all their time fretting about finances; they spend it doing whatever they enjoy doing. We talk about the financial aspect here because it helps people make their decision, not because that;s what retirees will be spending all their time thinking about.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

One man's work is another man's fun. Ask any gynecologist.

Yeah, but you've gotta look at the sick ones too..

Dont get me started on Kathy Bates' gynie.

 

[justin]

I spent around 8 hours during my time off last week setting up my index fund portfolio allocations. It is complicated because I have many different accounts at a few different places with different funds at each place and varying tax treatment for some accounts. Now that it is all said and done, there's not much left to do except change the monthly auto-invest option from one fund to another based on my already determined allocation plan. Next December, I may rebalance and tweak the allocation percentages, but nothing time consuming will be required.

I do check my portfolio returns almost every day, but that is for pleasure, not to actually guide my investing. Like checking sports scores.

 

[brewer12345]

I spent around 8 hours during my time off last week setting up my index fund portfolio allocations.  It is complicated because I have many different accounts at a few different places with different funds at each place and varying tax treatment for some accounts.  Now that it is all said and done, there's not much left to do except change the monthly auto-invest option from one fund to another based on my already determined allocation plan.  Next December, I may rebalance and tweak the allocation percentages, but nothing time consuming will be required. 

Funny. I manage my MIL's IRA in a similar fashion. I set it up a year and a half or so ago, and then checked up at the end of 2004 and 2005. The check-up/rebalance for 2005 took about 20 minutes and consisted of calculating a few percentages and making one trade. Didn't seem to hurt the 8.4% return the account generated for the year.

 

[starwarrior]

I did love my job. The peers were very professional in their work and did not interfere in other peoples business.

My decision to retire was based on my own life goals. I made the decision to retire and when the day came I was gone. No regrets.

I retired at age 55. DW witnessed the good life I was enjoying and decided to retire too. The only work we do now is for us.

Life is good.

 

[uncledrz]

Set
Now that I'm working part time, work is actually enjoyable.  The one reason that I would go full time quit/retire is that it would allow me the 2-3 months at a time that is needed to travel to a place and really get a sense of it, as opposed to just visiting.  Can't do that now.

 

[SteveR]

After doing almost the same thing day in and day out for 32 years I will be more than happy to hang it all up and find a different path to take for the rest of my life. Dealing with employee issues, managment issue, company issues and regulations takes its toll after that many years. I have had several people ask me about going solo but I am toasty in this business; burned around the edges! I look forward to the day when I can dump all my work files and walk out the door to a different life.

While the current job is not all that bad currently, I know it can suck in a hurry in this business so I continue as long as I can while I want for DW to get her pension in, which means less than two years to go. I don't hate the job, I just am not excited about it. It is mundane and boring most of the day. I have picked and trained good people so they do the bulk of the real work as it should be. So I do my job knowing that there is an end in sight.