Anyone like their job and not want to retire?

[CaseyJones]

Am I the only person here who is happier working full time (at a job they really like) than they would be if they were working part-time or not at all? I am new to the forum and don't want to clutter it with a redundant thread, but I just couldn't find this topic anywhere. I bring this up based solely on my own experience and personality. I've gotten to know myself a lot better over the years (I am 38 now).

For a few years I had the opportunity to work only 2 or 3 days per week and earn as much as I make now working 40 hours. Even though the type of work was similar, I am much happier working full time (10 hrs x 4 days/week) than I was working part time. I know that this comes from my personality - I am not a workaholic, but I like to be busy with a task or project at hand every day. If I had the option to stop going to work but keep my salary, I would not consider that for a second. I guess part of it is that I am lucky enough to currently have a low-stress job that I like very much. And it's true that might not always be the case. And it's also true I have never tried to fill my week with volunteer work to remain busy.

For me, the attraction of financial independence is not the ability to retire early, but the ability to not have to worry if I lost my job some day. (Although I am an optimistic person who doesn't actually worry about that much.)

[dragoncar]

No you are not the only one but you are in the minority here.

I like my job but still want to retire or at least do it less

[2527]

I can't say I like my job as much as you do.  But I think right now I am happier with it than I would be without it, even though I could retire today based on finances.  Although I go to work every day, financial independence allows me to live my life in a pretty serene way, which I like.

[krenwren]

I love my job, I just work at it too many hours of the week.  My goal is to get down to a normal work week (3 13 hour days) in the few years before retirement.  I can definitely see myself working in this field for as long as I can perform well.  It's very rewarding. 

[Peony]

I would like to know what these enjoyable occupations are. Not being snarky, but genuinely curious. Anyone care to say?

[krenwren]

I would like to know what these enjoyable occupations are. Not being snarky, but genuinely curious. Anyone care to say?

I am an acute care nurse practitioner.  I work in a cardiac surgery ICU.  Very demanding and fast paced.  Was a nurse for years then got my MSN about ten years ago to sit for my boards.  Have loved every minute of the career.

[starguru]

I am a software engineer and love what I do.  That might change as I get older; Im 36 now.

[Emilyngh]

I think I do. 

I'm a professor.    I love the actual responsibilities of my job (teaching, research, etc).   I also work at a small not-so-competitive school, so I find the work load to be light.   Now that I've been here a few years, I'm working only about 30 hours a week for about 26-30 weeks of the year.   Over the summer, I can apply for funding to get paid extra to mentor students doing another 6-8 weeks of research if I choose (which is really laid back, generally doesn't require too many hours considering the pay, is bonus to our family budget, and that I can choose when/if to do).

Like I said, I love the actual responsibilities of my job and really love the work-life balance (almost like being partially retired already).   This is enhanced by the fact that my spouse stays at home with our daughter, resulting in a very free life already.

The only big negative are the politics where I am.   People spend more time fighting (sometimes over legitimate concerns, often really only over egos) than working.   It has really begun to wear on me.   My current strategy is to really separate myself from it (both mentally and to literally leave the situation).   The reality is that I do generally have the ability to do this if I can just mentally have the strength.   If this improves or I find a good way to cope, I do not imagine wanting to retire even when FI.   But, I can also see myself just getting sick of it after a while.   We'll see.

[projekt]

I like working but I also like changing what I am doing. If I were FI, I would probably go into yet another industry and see what I can do. Maybe I would do something political, or learn machining and metalworking. The possibilities are endless. I would also work less and prioritize things like practicing the french horn and piano.

[Le Dérisoire]

I envy you! I would love to like my job as much as you do.

The problem is not that I don't like my job. I like it. The problem is all the things I CAN'T do while I'm at my job.

Don't you want to devote your life to something else that one single thing? A 40 hours a week job takes the vast majority of your time that's not already taken by your basic needs (sleeping, eating, hygiene, etc.).

I cannot think of any activity that I would like to devote 40 hours a week of my time until I'm 65 years old. But there's a long list of things I would like to devote some time, but don't have time to if I work 40 hours a week: learn modern theoretical physic, sail to Antartica by myself, speak spanish and russian, travel the silk road like they did 700 years ago, read more philosophy, spend a lot of time with my future children, train more, learn mechanics, be good at repairing or building stuff, read the bible, quran and the torah, live in Bolivia for a year... and it goes on and on and on...

Don't you have that feeling that you're wasting what your short life has to offer because you have to do the same thing over and over again every morning? I do. Don't tell me your work is always different every day (like my coworkers always say), unless it allows you to do everything in the above paragraph, and more.

I'm not trying to be a jerk. I really want to understand why a lot of people genuinely like to devote so much time to one single activity.

[Aloysius_Poutine]

^different strokes... Some people just find they're happier when they are engaged in productive, structured work, for whatever reason. I am one of those people. I don't love my current job, but I can see myself working at something until the day I die.

[olivia]

I like my job, and if I got a windfall today I'm not sure I would quit immediately.  I'd like to be FI first and foremost for the security, and that way if I find I do want to do something else, or retire early, I can.

[citrine]

I love my job and I really don't "work".  I have my own massage therapy business and do about 10 hours hands on and another 5 hours with laundry and administrative.  I don't plan on giving that up unless I get hurt.

[Random]

I am in the non profit conservation field, love the mission and end result, thouh the day to day is, well, work.  I'm at the point where I could retire if I wanted to.  I have one very motivating project in the wings.  If it gets legs, I am both feet in for a few more years.  If not, might find a graceful glide path out.

[ace1224]

me.  i'm a quality control chemist.  i love going to work.  i want f u money in case i don't ever love going to work.  i don't see that happening any time soon, but its nice to be prepared.

[Albert]

I'm an industrial research chemist and I like my job most of the time. I might not do it if I suddenly had 10 million in the bank, but I also can't think of any other job/position I'd like better. Who knows how long it will last, but I've been involved in chemical research in some capacity for 18 years (1st year of undergrad) and not bored yet!

[ace1224]

I'm an industrial research chemist and I like my job most of the time. I might not do it if I suddenly had 10 million in the bank, but I also can't think of any other job/position I'd like better. Who knows how long it will last, but I've been involved in chemical research in some capacity for 18 years (1st year of undergrad) and not bored yet!

man i think i'd like research even more than my job now! i did a lot of undergrad work in microbiology for a pharma company and it was super cool.  i wish they had been hiring when i graduated.

[Jamesqf]

Chalk up another one not interested in retiring.  I do software development - fairly technical stuff, out on the "bleeding edge" of science.  I do average less than 40 hours/week (though some weeks I may put in a lot more), and work from home & set my own hours.

I've always been more interested in FI for the independence part.  I can work at the sort of things I enjoy, and if there's too much BS, I can quit.

[MrsPete]

I like my job.
I don't want any other job.

But when I've reached the goals I've set for myself, I will leave it and not miss it.  In addition to my career, I have a wealth of interests and hobbies, which I believe will more than fill my time in retirement. 

[ace1224]

I envy you! I would love to like my job as much as you do.

The problem is not that I don't like my job. I like it. The problem is all the things I CAN'T do while I'm at my job.

Don't you want to devote your life to something else that one single thing? A 40 hours a week job takes the vast majority of your time that's not already taken by your basic needs (sleeping, eating, hygiene, etc.).

I cannot think of any activity that I would like to devote 40 hours a week of my time until I'm 65 years old. But there's a long list of things I would like to devote some time, but don't have time to if I work 40 hours a week: learn modern theoretical physic, sail to Antartica by myself, speak spanish and russian, travel the silk road like they did 700 years ago, read more philosophy, spend a lot of time with my future children, train more, learn mechanics, be good at repairing or building stuff, read the bible, quran and the torah, live in Bolivia for a year... and it goes on and on and on...

Don't you have that feeling that you're wasting what your short life has to offer because you have to do the same thing over and over again every morning? I do. Don't tell me your work is always different every day (like my coworkers always say), unless it allows you to do everything in the above paragraph, and more.

I'm not trying to be a jerk. I really want to understand why a lot of people genuinely like to devote so much time to one single activity.

i can say that for me its probably because i abhor change.  i like the status quo i like knowing exactly what's going to happen, exactly what is required of me and how much energy i have to expend to do it. 
i dislike traveling, and i don't really have any hobbies other than reading, which i get to do a lot of here at work while things are testing.  i have a general dislike of being outdoors unless its on a lounge chair at the beach.  if i lived somewhere tropical i'd probably want to FIRE but i don't want to move there because my whole life is here. 
long story short, i'm boring and i'm down with it

[j90]

I am a software engineer and love what I do.  That might change as I get older; Im 36 now.

So am I, but I only love my profession... when doing it non-professionally :). Personal web development projects are so much more fun than my day job, unfortunately.

[NV Teacher]

I love my job.   It's challenging and many days I feel like my students have sucked all the life out of me, but I'm not ready to retire nor can I afford to retire.  At some point I'll decide that I can't do it anymore and that I'm done.  My plan is to have enough money stashed away that I can just walk out and not look back.

[Noodle]

Another job-liker here! I work in the education arm of an arts/humanities non-profit. I have been mustachian-esque for a long time, so that I can afford to work at what I like and not just to pay expenses. Plus non-profit funding can be unstable and work conditions can change quickly...so it makes the job much more enjoyable to know that I've got money banked to handle unforeseen circumstances.

Don't you have that feeling that you're wasting what your short life has to offer because you have to do the same thing over and over again every morning? I do. Don't tell me your work is always different every day (like my coworkers always say), unless it allows you to do everything in the above paragraph, and more.

I'm not trying to be a jerk. I really want to understand why a lot of people genuinely like to devote so much time to one single activity.

I think some people just like depth, while others prefer breadth. I really enjoy the chance to build working relationships and projects over time, and see something grow. Bouncing from one interest to another as mentioned above sounds as miserable to me as sticking with a few things probably would be for someone else. Luckily Mustachianism has room for both!

[CaseyJones]

OK, as the original poster, I will answer the question posed as to what I do that is so much fun. I have been a researcher in forestry/plant sciences most of my career, although now I am mainly in vegetation monitoring. There are several things I like about it: 1) the quest for knowledge as a researcher, 2) the statistical/mathematical side of it which keeps my brain in shape, 3) the fact that I get to go outdoors in nature, often on the days I choose to go, 4) the satisfaction of being able to do a job well. Of course there are downsides to any job, but right now the only one I can think of that I would like a higher salary (profound, I know).

Interestingly, I have observed and compared people working as researchers/scientists to those working in management or other areas, all within the same organization. Those in management are basically counting the days and years to retirement, particularly when they have less than say 5-10 years left. But a fair number of the researchers (not a majority, but a good number) keep working far beyond the point when they could comfortably retire. And some keep coming in to work on a volunteer basis after they retire. Sort of reminds me of old professors who kept coming back to teach just because they loved doing it.

[brewer12345]

Maybe people like OP are just wired different than I am.  I have worked for 12 man small shops, midsized firms, gubmint-type organizations, partnerships, mega public companies, etc.  Every single job has something I chafe against.  I am panting and drooling to get done with my current job to relieve the pain.  Many of my jobs have been intellectually stimulating, but that is never enough with all the BS that goes along with it.

[Gray Matter]

My answer to this question has changed.  A few years ago (I'm 42), I thought I'd work forever, though perhaps not full-time and not in the same job (currently in the corporate world, would like to transition to non-profit or teaching).  Now, my personal life has gotten a little crazy (sick parent, husband out of country for nine months, kids with various struggles) and I am having a hard time fitting work in around the edges.  Plus I'm feeling burned out.  For the first time in my life, I can imagine not working at all.

I was never the type to want to work more than 40 hours (with all the interesting things there are to do in the world, I don't want to dedicate too much time to work).  But I also struggle with part-time work--I find that information is often passed along and decisions made through informal channels and when you're not there, you become less influential.  Perhaps it's just the type of work I'm doing (middle management); it's not set up for part-time.

I suspect when the craziness dies down (please tell me it will!), my apathy towards work will wane.  I do find I do better (i.e. am happier) with structure and external accountability, so some sort of work would likely be beneficial even when the day comes when I can afford to retire.

[chasesfish]

Maybe people like OP are just wired different than I am.  I have worked for 12 man small shops, midsized firms, gubmint-type organizations, partnerships, mega public companies, etc.  Every single job has something I chafe against.  I am panting and drooling to get done with my current job to relieve the pain.  Many of my jobs have been intellectually stimulating, but that is never enough with all the BS that goes along with it.

+1 - This is the unfortunate part about most of our jobs.  I love the core functions of my job, what I don't like is all the BS involved, which is increasing every month.  Its very frustrating when our long-term results should matter more than all the interim BS.

[stripey]

I doubt I will ever change careers or retire. I It can be fast-paced but incredibly satisfying. There are definitely much easier ways to make money (despite the general opinion out there). I get to teach, which I found out initially much to my own surprise I enjoyed. I would just like to get down to 40 hours a week or less (however out-of-hours on call will probably always be in addition to that).

[Jamesqf]

This is the unfortunate part about most of our jobs.  I love the core functions of my job, what I don't like is all the BS involved...

Trouble is, there's a certain amount of BS involved in a lot of the non-work things I might want to do.  As for instance if I want to travel to foreign countries, I have to put up with the BS of passports, TSA, airlines, etc.

[Nords]

Am I the only person here who is happier working full time (at a job they really like) than they would be if they were working part-time or not at all? I am new to the forum and don't want to clutter it with a redundant thread, but I just couldn't find this topic anywhere. I bring this up based solely on my own experience and personality. I've gotten to know myself a lot better over the years (I am 38 now).
For a few years I had the opportunity to work only 2 or 3 days per week and earn as much as I make now working 40 hours. Even though the type of work was similar, I am much happier working full time (10 hrs x 4 days/week) than I was working part time. I know that this comes from my personality - I am not a workaholic, but I like to be busy with a task or project at hand every day. If I had the option to stop going to work but keep my salary, I would not consider that for a second. I guess part of it is that I am lucky enough to currently have a low-stress job that I like very much. And it's true that might not always be the case. And it's also true I have never tried to fill my week with volunteer work to remain busy.
For me, the attraction of financial independence is not the ability to retire early, but the ability to not have to worry if I lost my job some day. (Although I am an optimistic person who doesn't actually worry about that much.)

Almost everybody likes their job when they start it. 

But then the industry changes, or the workplace environment changes, or they start a family, or they have a medical crisis, or your body will no longer tolerate the physical impact of the job or... you get the idea.

It could be a simple as someday wanting to do your own thing instead of being told what to do-- and having few alternatives because you "need" the money. 

Imagine being paid your salary for 3-6 months while you didn't have to go to the office and instead figured out what you wanted to do with your life.  On your first day back in the workplace you might have a few things you'd want to change.  You might elect to change them by not going to the workplace anymore.

[LauraG]

I like my work (policy analyst). I get satisfaction from feeling productive, I enjoy the social and intellectual interaction, and I'm generally a happier person with a more structured schedule. But I want financial independence in case I ever lost my job or my feelings about it changed. I strongly doubt I'll retire as soon as I'm FI. For one thing, I think I do more good for the world in my job (and having extra income to donate to charities) than I would volunteering my time someplace(s).

[jrhampt]

Maybe people like OP are just wired different than I am.  I have worked for 12 man small shops, midsized firms, gubmint-type organizations, partnerships, mega public companies, etc.  Every single job has something I chafe against.  I am panting and drooling to get done with my current job to relieve the pain.  Many of my jobs have been intellectually stimulating, but that is never enough with all the BS that goes along with it.

This sums it up for me.

[rocklebock]

I work in a specialized library field. I still love the field but do not love my management job. After FI, I'll stay in the profession but will certainly no longer spend 10-20 hours/week in meetings.

[dcheesi]

My job is pretty nice, and I'm in no hurry to retire. What I want right now is the security to not worry about job loss, etc., and possibly to support my girlfriend well enough to risk leaving her safe corporate job (which she hates).

My only problem is location; gf and family are both associated with my hometown a couple of hours away, and pretty much everyone (including myself) agrees that it's a nicer place to live than where I am now (though the CoL is a bit lower here). If I ever did leave my job, that would probably be the reason.

[acroy]

Congrats Casey, sounds like you have attained or are close to SWAMI-hood (Satisfied Working Advanced Mustachian Individual.

I have enough (or near enough) to 'early retire', but I like it here. I generally work 50hrs a week, though it's generally light enough I have some personal time on the Web and such ;)

In return for a nice paycheck, my employer expects me to manage a few good people, run some very expensive interesting machines, work with (mostly) interesting people from all over the world on (mostly) interesting products. Not too shabby! My boss & co-workers are some of the most respected & well-educated in their field - Really impressive huge brains. Side benefits include a total of 36 paid days off per year - 7 weeks, 50% 401k match, reasonable health care, etc.

Honestly what would I do that would be more interesting? I've not found a good answer yet. It stretches my brain, I keep on learning, it keeps me busy and disciplined. If you are in the same boat -enjoy it and soak it up !

[SnackDog]

I have a fabulous job with a wonderful employer (Fortune 15) and have lived on four continents while having marvelous compensation and benefits for me and spouse.  We joke at work that most of us would do the job for free because it is so cool to  discover new things all the time. We are currently in Lain America but hope to eke a couple more fun postings, possibly in Thailand or Indonesia. Neither of us likes spending money at all so our finances have always been excellent. If I retire with a big enough account we may splurge on a couple naughty indulgences (Steinway for him and vulgur convertible hot rod for me) but that's it - rest goes to charity. We may both teach at a small college in California for a few years after retiring.

A mentor of mine in college followed a similar path. He returned to science after 30 years in industry and taught in exchange for lab space at a well known private university.