What's your primary motivation for working

Did not see the golden handcuffs answer as an option...not so much working with a sucky job with pay...just too young to leave the systems as they were written!
 
I actually loved my job, even after FI, until mega-corp asked me to start a specialist group. Was a big deal (no budget, no request denied) for a year or two. When it became excess overhead, I, as a good employee, decided to save them a few bucks per year. I thank them for the shove. If I never left the old job, I`d still be at the old job, and I wouldn`t even think about leaving without a pine box around me.

Life is good if you are given a reason to enjoy it.
 
"I am very well paid and that makes my job worthwhile. 6.74% (345 votes)"

I'm in the minority, obviously. If I were not well paid now, I would not continue to w*rk. If I had not been well paid in the past, I wouldn't be able to make that choice.
 
I used to like my job but the fun went out of it a long time ago. Now it's a case of being very well paid to do something that is unchallenging and tiring (long hours). If I had more than a few years to go, I'd take a pay cut to look for something more interesting.
 
Tigger said:
LifeHacker.com is running on a poll on why people are working and whether they love their job.
Click to expand...
For about the first 10 years I was working for the fun of it, and for another couple years because I was well paid, and for the last eight years we were [-]ignorant[/-] afraid of where the Navy would send my (also active duty) spouse if I left active duty.

I think the "Why are you working?" question has to be answered every morning when the alarm clock rings...
 
Just finished totaling my 2010 numbers. $22k net for 300 hours of playing on the water. The rest of the time I play on the water. I'm OK with that
 
I like my job. My primary motivations for still working are 1) to be able to retire early - therefore volunteer more 2) to enjoy life.
 
From time to time, I enjoyed my job over the years.... but wages and benefits are the only reason I work.
 
I only work enough to:

1. avoid being called a slacker by DW
2. make enough $ to avoid tapping into retirement savings
3. buy toys I wouldn't buy if I was fully retired
 
I am pleasantly surprised by the poll results. 26% said that they didn't like their job. Almost 48% said they loved or liked their job. The rest said they found it worthwhile, important, or liked the flexibility.

In my early career, I loved the work I did and felt I was adequately paid. In later years, I worked for the money, but liked my job.
 
I work to pay for all the expenses of my family...

I enjoy the job, so that is good... if I did not enjoy I would find another.... I have done that twice before...
 
Fireup2020 said:
Did not see the golden handcuffs answer as an option...not so much working with a sucky job with pay...just too young to leave the systems as they were written!
Click to expand...


Roger that....but I'm gettin' closer every day! :cool: In fact, lemmee see here....ummm....I believe I have exactly 2 years, 20 days. Or.....750 days!
 
This is where my mind starts spinning around. DH is retiring end of this year and I plan to retire the year after. I still like my job. However, I am nowhere nearly as motivated to be excellent at it as I was for the first 30 years. Leaving would mean that somebody younger and more motivated would replace me.

So....my altruistic motive is to retire for the good of the kids. ;) That way I can dismiss the fact that I still enjoy the job. The What I did today thread keeps my mind feeling generous.
 
At different points over the years I could have honestly checked any/all of those boxes. But I believe that while I quite infrequently made any major contributions to society, at least once a week I made major improvements to at least some individual's life. I'm not sure I could have done that job without knowing that. A shame that, at the moment, only 6% of the respondents feel that their work is important.
 
Ronstar said:
I only work enough to:

[-]1. avoid being called a slacker by DW[/-]
2. make enough $ to avoid tapping into retirement savings
3. buy toys I wouldn't buy if I was fully retired
Click to expand...

+1

I also like my work, most of the time that is. I get access to some late technologies, expensive software and tools that I would not want to buy with my own dimes if I were to play with that stuff as a hobby, which I still like to do.

My 1099-work that I do at home allows me to buy new computer equipment as business expenses, and downgrade the older equipment as hand-me down for personal use.

And because I already pay for my own health insurance, have no 401k contribution, the marginal pay for my part-time work is a lot higher per hour than what I used to get from my megacorp paycheck.

Fun aside, it is difficult to say no to money. :blush:
 
A little surprised by the poll results. After reading this site for about a year I assumed most people hate their jobs? Most of my career I really enjoyed my work. I think a large part of that enjoyment was knowing I was being well paid to do it.
 
I continue to work for retiree health benefits, only 610 more days!

I am very well paid and that makes my job worthwhile. 6.7% (485 votes)
 
If you pay attention to the posts here at this forum, you will see that most do not really hate their jobs but their work environment. There are so many threads here about workers at all different grades becoming disgusted with corporate slogans and dumb policies. I surely hope CEOs and HR executives learn from this.

Ah, forget it. Dilbert's cartoons are so well known, yet when bosses read that, they always think the pointy haired guys are the bosses above them.
 
My only motivation for working was money. I actually liked my job up until the last couple of years. They laid off a lot of people and I ended up with 2 people's workload. Even that might have been tolerable if my manager had acknowledged or appreciated it. Instead, she gave me a just average annual review. It eliminated any possibility of promotion - and didn't even mention the workload. It was the lowest review I ever got.

So the last 2 years were not good. They got 2 weeks notice from me, no more.

The only satisfaction I got at the end was to talk to another manager who I knew well, and tell her what had been going on. She was appalled by some of the information I gave her - it was gratifying to see.
 
I'm content as it passes time with fair vacation time and pay. I was a boss until last year, then moved to a project management role. I enjoy the limited babysitting time now.

Employers have been using the rough times to treat employees poorly. Once things improve, many employees will not tolerate such treatment. A little respect goes a long way MegaCorp.

Now, I just need something to entertain me for 10 - 12 years. If the market is good (8-9% returns) for the next 8 years, I'll pull the plug, perhaps a career change to get out of the house on a semi-full time basis.
 
NW-Perhaps but I suspect in today's complex work environment it is very difficult to separate one's "job" from the environment i which it is performed. In my case most of my job was relating and communicating with other execs, subordinates, etc. Certainly well paid jobs usually have a very high communication/interaction component to them.
 
Danmar said:
NW-Perhaps but I suspect in today's complex work environment it is very difficult to separate one's "job" from the environment i which it is performed. In my case most of my job was relating and communicating with other execs, subordinates, etc. Certainly well paid jobs usually have a very high communication/interaction component to them.
Click to expand...

Totally agree. It's all about relationships. Organizational culture is very powerful. It's great if you can shape it.
 
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