Do you like your work?

[DrSweden]

I know many people here strive towards FI. Some people want retire but some want the freedom of beinge able to quit. I really like this article on MMM about SWAMI

http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/04/30/weekend-edition-retire-in-your-mind-even-if-you-love-your-job/

My goal is to be a SWAMI in 10 years time. Being good at my job and enjoy it. They will not being able to force me to do things I don'nt want because I don't need the job. They will need me since I work in a field with to few doctors.


So do you like your work and want to become a SWAMI? I have no idea how I will feel about working later on in Life. Hopefully I will like it as much as I do now.

[2Birds1Stone]

I plan on SWAMI status in ~7 years. I like my job right now. As I move up the ladder it should only get more interesting, while being less of a cut and dry 9-5 role as well. At that point if I want to get out of the corporate world I could work as a consultant on contract.

I think the idea of "work" is going to change drastically over the next 10 years due to technology and automation.

[patrickza]

I love 50% of my job and loath the other 50%. I'm pretty much FI for the lifestyle I have, but not the lifestyle I want, so I don't have full SWAMI status yet. 3 more years should do it, it's an enviable position to be in once you get there I'd imagine.

[pbkmaine]

I was a SWAMI the last few years I worked. It was awesome - I got to dictate the terms of what I would and would not do. I still do some projects for my company 5 hours per week.

[Friar]

After moving roles in January my job is 100 times better than the one I was previously doing and I actually enjoy the work now. But even the best jobs will come with some annoyances. Having to support a project that isn't as interesting as another, being expected to work overtime, being concerned about salary reviews etc.

Being FI gives you much more leverage on tasks that you don't want to do, without the risk of not being able to support yourself if you decline.

Would I continue to work in my current position if I was FI now? Probably. But I would want to be able to pick what exactly my role was.

Also, I'd probably move into consulting. Without the need for job security I may as well get paid more to do the job I currently do and accept the risk of being laid off because it wouldn't matter.

[steveo]

I intend to quit. I think my job is okay but I would rather not work.

[RunHappy]

I love my job the majority of the time. I hate the paperwork and bureaucracy that goes along with it, but I work in tech and love the hands-on part.

My goal is to achieve FI with semi-ER.  Meaning enough money so I don't have to work, but semi-ER because I plan to switch to part-time consulting.  For me this means pick up 1-2 contracts a year that last no more than 4-6 months total, leaving me the other part of the year to just....be.

[o2bfree]

I like my work, for the most part, and I really like my workplace. Great people, great products, and my company has integrity and treats people like human beings. It's the sort of place where many have stayed for 20, 25, 35, even 40 years. But I would like to work fewer hours. Three 8-hour days would be perfect.

[ash7962]

I like what I do (sometimes I even love it), but hate the job.  I'm a software dev most of the time, and 1 week out of 6 I'm in more of an IT/user support role.  I have enjoyed both roles, and I already plan on working on my own software dev projects once I quit forever.  The IT side I'm not as excited about, but its definitely some side work I wouldn't mind picking up if necessary, or if a friend or family member asks, once I've quit the full time job.

[dude]

I intend to quit. I think my job is okay but I would rather not work.

+1, though year by year, I'm liking my job less and less.

[gReed Smith]

There are times when I am working on only one or two projects, and they are interesting or challenging, that I enjoy work.  If I were FIRE, I would like it more because I could call the shots or say FU and walk away.

[fb132]

I love my job, but I still want to be FI, because you never know what the future might bring.

[Mississippi Mudstache]

So do you like your work?

No. But denial is a powerful thing, and I try to use it to my advantage to convince myself that I don't hate that every waking moment for five days a week must be carefully crafted around the 10 hours a day that I spend at a job that I'd rather not have.

[Patrick A]

I love my job and line of work, but I also love many other things that I sacrifice by spending so much time at work.

I might end up as a SWAMI, part-time or full, but the main goal is to hit FI ASAP for the flexibility it provides.  That way I can continue to do the work that interests me, say no to things, and also have the discretion and power to decide that I want to go MTB for 6 hours instead of work because the weather is nice.

[Patrick A]

Also, do you like your work is an interesting question.

Before settling into a career I did a year of ski bumming (working for big resort for the free pass and skiing literally every day, my job also had me on skis all day).  I have loved skiing for my entire life but after 110+ days on snow in a single season (most of them being 7+ hours because it was also my work) I realized that no matter how much you love something doing it too much can be NOT fun. 

Variety is the spice of life.  Everything in moderation. 

[Lanthiriel]

I got really lucky when I switched jobs about a year and a half ago and found a company that actually is comfortable with me just working my 8-5. It also has basically an unlimited leave policy, so I'll take about five weeks off this year. The work is interesting/varied enough, the people are pleasant and reasonable, I have a GREAT boss (and am lined up to take her job if she leaves, so I'm not in imminent danger of getting a terrible one any time soon), and I feel valued. That said, they do not support part-time work, and my job is kind of hard to do part-time anyway because you are sort of on-call around the technical people's schedule. My hope is to do freelance technical writing/editing after I FIRE so that I can keep my skills fresh just in case, but dictate when and how much I work.

I was approached recently to interview at a different company after a friend left them; they were offering 50% more pay, but I knew from my friend that the work environment was awful. Long hours, unreasonable expectations, very little understanding of what the purpose of the role actually was. I didn't take the interview even though it would have moved up my FIRE date because I have no desire to be stressed out by my job on a daily basis.

[norcalmike]

Since I have to work, I really couldnt ask for a better job. I am a Respiratory Therapist. I find it rewarding to help people, I get paid well and I love most my coworkers.
That being said, I still cant wait to get FIRED.
Thanks to a CalPERS pension available at 50 and a maxed out 457 as well as a growing after tax portfolio, I should be good to go at 50.
That and my wife is in RN school. That boost in income when she finishes should have us sitting pretty. My only regret is not starting 10 years earlier.
But, my motto is......

[forummm]

I will not do this job. I may do something that pays me, but it will not be this. I am not sure what I'll do at this point. My short term goal (~1 year) is to move to another job that I will hopefully like a lot. If I like it I would happily keep it. But who knows what the future holds.

[AZDude]

My job is terrible some days, other days its fine. I don't think I will ever quit completely, just move to part time or freelance. Probably sooner rather than later. Complete FIRE was the original intent, but I don't think its necessary to really enjoy life. 4 hours a day a few times a week just to keep the mind sharp and keep my skills up to date, and to semi-retire much earlier than expected, is worth it. 

[Cougar]

Satisfied Working Advanced Mustachian Individual (Swami).

That's actually my goal. I like my work, but I don't like my job. This year, I have worked weekends and some part of every day(remotely) of the 6 vacation days I have taken this year and this happens routinely because i'm a responsible person amongst many irresponsible persons and plenty of supervisors that don't plan past next week.

When i'm fire qualified, that changes and if I can get another job doing the work I like fine;  if not; I just go fire; but its not worth trading my life.

[forward]

I know I am fortunate to have my job, paid well, climate controlled comfort, etc. but the stress, the long hour expectations, the - you are always available -, and losing vacation days every month because I'm maxed and can't take the time - its just not healthy. 

[BrandonP]

Yes, I like my job a lot. The work is good. I like the manager. The team is great. And I live fairly close as well. The pay could be better, but it is okay for what it is. And I could maybe get a higher paying job, but I probably wouldn't like the work as much, the team probably won't be as good. And I seriously doubt the manager will be as good.

I've had about 20 jobs, and this is the best one.

Things could change, but I'm very content where I am.

[Albert]

As far as jobs go mine is fantastic - intellectually challenging, low stress, high pay, ample time off, flexible working hours, mostly likeable boss and colleagues. At some moments I'm still annoyed with it, particularly when my alarm clock rings at 6:30 am... :)

[CletusMcGee]

I absolutely hate my job and most of my coworkers, but I should be able to retire by 40 so a few more years of mental and physical health problems is tolerable in the meantime.

[zephyr911]

I hated my job when I really started working my ass off for FIRE. A lot has happened since then. Now it's actually a lot easier and more fun, and I'm not in a hurry to bail. But I'm not letting off the pedal - it could just as easily go back to what it was in the space of one leadership change, and I don't want to feel trapped again.

I'm  taking advantage of the lower occupational stress to more easily let go of lifestyle accessories and further simplify (cut costs), so I can maximize my odds of being FI before the next onset of assuckage.

[Gone Fishing]

...in the space of one leadership change...

Yep, that is all it takes in the corporate world.  The times I have managed to work my way into a good spot, it was always just a manner of time before a leadership change, merger, or restructure screwed it all up.

Not real fond of my work at the moment, but I have certainly not completely ruled out post-FIRE work.  After enough time RE to catch up on life, I may go on the hunt for SWAMI (part time of course!).

[Helvegen]

I like my job. I will probably continue to do a similar role part-time in the future. I just think working full-time sucks, not the job itself.

[NV Teacher]

I love my job.  I work with wonderful people and enjoy the students and their parents.  I'm good at what I do and respected for the skills and expertise I share with others.  I like to think that if I won the lottery I'd still work.  But I just spent a mind numbing 4 hours (on my own time) watching district mandated videos covering topics like I can't lock kids in a room or squirt them in the face with water if they fall asleep.  I could wait and watch them after I go back to work but I need that time to prepare my class and teaching materials.  I still have a couple more hours of videos to watch but I've had enough fun for today.

[Gone Fishing]

I love my job.  I work with wonderful people and enjoy the students and their parents.  I'm good at what I do and respected for the skills and expertise I share with others.  I like to think that if I won the lottery I'd still work.  But I just spent a mind numbing 4 hours (on my own time) watching district mandated videos covering topics like I can't lock kids in a room or squirt them in the face with water if they fall asleep.  I could wait and watch them after I go back to work but I need that time to prepare my class and teaching materials.  I still have a couple more hours of videos to watch but I've had enough fun for today.

What's wrong with water?

[acroy]

Yeah I'm technically there now. Enough assets to live on 4% withdrawal rate foreva!

But...
-I like my work, employees, company, and customers. Mostly.... like 80%+.
-The pay is excellent
-the benefits are great
-little travel / long hours are needed.
-With tons of vaca etc I average 35hrs a week, maybe. There's 168hrs/week. that's 21% of my time.
-the commute is awesome: riding a bike 7miles across an interesting college town.

So - right now I have more rea$on$ to stay than to leave. I can leave... but for what? I do not have a better plan.

[ROY2007]

I do not like my 9-5 in banking. I thought I would like it better than my previous role as a financial analyst, but that hasn't been the case. I took a second job at a local sporting goods retailer when I found MMM. They like me and want me to take over their bike shop when current manager retires. I love biking and I love the sales piece of things, but I don't have the mechanic ability just yet. I'd love to take the job, but I'd be dropping my pay from $46k to around $38k. I also feel pressure for my parents to stay in a "stable job" and one which I went to school for. Basically, I care too much about what other people think. I think I would love my job at the bike shop and maybe wouldn't feel the need to push so hard to ER.

[Sailor Sam]

Yup. But I think part of the attraction is that my actual job description changes every 2 -3 years.

Loved my first billet as a junior officer aboard the best 210' feet in existence. There's a unique joy in being part of the ensign pile. Competition and friendship and community all rolled into one.

My second billet was Officer In Charge of a small boat, and I don't think anything will ever beat the learning curve or the sheer happiness of that assignment.

Third posting as Operations Officer was incredibly hard and taxing, but I learned my new adult limits and I have bragging rights.

The fourth is (so far) very relaxing and predictable. A nice recovery period.

Assuming I keep my nose clean my seventh billet will be Commanding Officer. I, humble Sam, will be Master and Commander over all the souls aboard my very own 2000 tons of steel and snorting diesel power. I will lead and shape those sailors to the best of my ability. If I'm very lucky and very good maybe one of them will use my guidance and leadership as an example throughout their own career, and the circle will be perpetuated. What's not to love? 

[Guesl982374]

I like ~75% of my work. I know nothing in this world is perfect.

I would like to be a SWAMI however not in my current role/function. I do not want to work 50-60 hrs/week once FI and part time gigs in my line of work are few and far between.

[Gone Fishing]

Yup. But I think part of the attraction is that my actual job description changes every 2 -3 years.

Read an article a while back that people were more satisfied with their jobs if their assignments were treated as "deployments" ranging from 2-3 years.  I guess in a best case senario, the worker would be looking forward to doing something better when their "tour" ended.  In a worst case scenario, they just had to hold on for a little while longer before they had a chance to change.  I start getting antsy 18-24 months in, I could see where changing up every now again would be a good thing.  Also enjoy having the extensive contact base you build by moving around a bit.

[3Mer]

Yes and no. I do what I do because I am paid well and it's what I know. My motivation is intermittently low. When I'm involved in a project I can lose myself in the focus and experience a sense of accomplishment. But when I step back and look at the bigger picture of my life, I am not satisfied that I am spending so much of my time and energy at work.  I dream of doing other things, more in alignment with my life purpose. Just don't know what that purpose is.  Sometimes I want to be doing just about anything but this.  Maybe start at a lower level somewhere and work my way back up, learning something new.  But then I fear I would regret it and end up working more years in a different job I don't really love, in order to get to FIRE. 

[steveo]

I intend to quit. I think my job is okay but I would rather not work.

+1, though year by year, I'm liking my job less and less.

I work with some great people. I enjoy a lot of my work. The constant pressure sucks.

[takeahike]

Yes. I'm able to choose the days that I work and how much I want to work. I could do that indefinitely. I see myself cutting my hours back after I reach some financial goals and have less responsibility (1 kid halfway thru university, 1 kid soon to start university).

[mozar]

The big picture of my work is actually kind of cool. Especially when something my team did gets in the news, or Obama comments on it. But day to day it is a grind.

I think my biggest problem though is insomnia. I might be more OK with working if I wasn't so exhausted all the time. I can either be tired and fantasize about FIRE or work on getting more sleep so I can survive the next ten years better. But the thing that makes me tired is work...

[davisgang90]

I'm in the same boat (HA!) as Sailor Sam.

I'm in my 25th year of active duty, in my last tour.  It is a dream job for me, running an industry study at the Eisenhower School for National Resource Strategy.  I'm hoping to leverage my experience to be a part time adjunct faculty at a college in semi-retirement in about 3 years.

My current dream assignment is a great capstone to a great and fun career.  It has been a great ride, working with awesome Sailors across the Navy and getting paid to fly helicopters off those ships Sam drives.

Commanding a squadron was the highlight of my career and I envy Sam that that challenge awaits him!

[zephyr911]

Yep, that is all it takes in the corporate world.  The times I have managed to work my way into a good spot, it was always just a manner of time before a leadership change, merger, or restructure screwed it all up.

And I'm in a military organization (though I'm a civilian like most of the workforce) where the top-level leadership tends to change about every two years. My position only gives me about three hours of direct interaction with the commander in an average week, but his personality and leadership style dictates the environment to a high degree. I am a big fan of the current guy, but he'll be gone in less than a year, and then all bets are off. If the environment goes toxic, I want enough FU money to take a chance on something else, even if I'm not quite FI yet.

Not real fond of my work at the moment, but I have certainly not completely ruled out post-FIRE work.  After enough time RE to catch up on life, I may go on the hunt for SWAMI (part time of course!).

I plan on doing real estate myself. I do it part-time now (mostly as buyer's agent for my own rental LLC) and I love it. But I'm dead set on not making it my primary job until there's enough passive income to pay the bills. Worrying about money sucks, and I hate chasing business.

[zephyr911]

I do not like my 9-5 in banking. I thought I would like it better than my previous role as a financial analyst, but that hasn't been the case. I took a second job at a local sporting goods retailer when I found MMM. They like me and want me to take over their bike shop when current manager retires. I love biking and I love the sales piece of things, but I don't have the mechanic ability just yet. I'd love to take the job, but I'd be dropping my pay from $46k to around $38k. I also feel pressure for my parents to stay in a "stable job" and one which I went to school for. Basically, I care too much about what other people think. I think I would love my job at the bike shop and maybe wouldn't feel the need to push so hard to ER.

Well, take advantage of your dual-income situation now... optimize your lifestyle and cut costs till you know the pay cut wouldn't hurt.

I was focused on that concept well before finding MMM, mostly based on past experiences with lower-paying jobs that were way more fun. The urgency of FIRE is often driven by job hatred; conversely, love of your work tends to go hand-in-hand with longer and happier careers. What's the saying, "find a job you love, and you'll never work again"?

[galaxie]

I think I'm pretty much a SWAMI now.  I am not FI, but I left my moneymaking engineer job (and took a 25% pay cut) to become a professor.  It's awesome and mustachian thinking helped me do it.

On a side note, I meet other junior professors who are incredibly stressed out by the academic rat race.  They are worried about tenure, they're worried about the name recognition of their departments, they work 60-70 hour weeks.  It seems awful.  I plan to be FI in 12 years, so if I don't get tenure I'll be ok anyway.  Not really needing the job has freed me to like the job even more.  I chose a "big fish/little pond" situation on purpose by going to a small department at a non-famous school.  Loving my job is more important to me than being the best nerd among all the other nerds.  I am satisfied with just being a pretty good nerd.

[Late_Bloomer]

My current job I do not like. The actual work is easy and there isn't a whole lot of it in an 8 hr day, but it's the type of work a chimpanzee could be trained to do. Dull, monotonous, work. However, it comes with a small pension and a good savings vehicle. I've done much worse. There are several fields I would much rather be working in, but they just don't pay enough to allow me to meet my FIRE goals in a reasonable amount of time. Once I do hang my hat I hope I can get back into some of the more interesting jobs since I won't "need" money and I will still be relatively young (57). I've come to terms with knowing I can slog through what I'm doing now for another 14 yrs.

[Chranstronaut]

I like what I do, but I hate the schedule.  I'm not so sure I could dictate the schedule if I were a SWAMI, but if I'm still here when the time comes, I'll try!

[oinkette]

Honestly, since discovering FIRE, I like my job less and less. I don't hate it, but I spend too much time daydreaming of all the things I'd do in FIRE to actually love it. I often wonder how I'd feel about it once I knew leaving was a viable option. I might actually achieve SWAMI status.

[ashwihi]

I'm not close to being FIRE'd yet, but I'm glad that I stumbled upon this SWAMI principle.  This in essence describes me.

I'll caveat that with these two points and reserve the right to amend this statement:

1.) I don't have children (DW and I have no plans yet)
2.) I'm not actually Financial able to 'retire', but I'm working towards it.

If I actually were to be fired or laid off... hey it's life, it happens. 

On that note I should probably get back to work....

[DesireeD]

   SWAMI here! Love my work. My bosses enjoy my confidence and know that I work for the joy of what I do, not to pay off jet skis or whatever wage slaves are paying off these days. The boss always seeks me out to give them the low down on what our department needs because she knows that I will tell her the real truth.
    Not giving a fuck about unimportant things makes working fun!
   

[Moostache]

I like my coworkers and the concept of my job a lot.  The reality of some others I have to deal with outside of the office I work in has recently started pushing my motivation and job morale down to near zero.  Hopefully this is just the impact of a project that has gone on way too long but if it doesn't turn soon I am probably going to be watching how my finances do quite closely in order to turn the key on the RE side of the equation.

[zephyr911]

To add some flavor:

DW loves her job (medical interpreter) because of the sheer good she's able to do for people every day, but office politics have become super shitty lately.

One of the major sources of strain is that the owner of this small company is 70+ and still unable to retire despite high lifetime earnings. Consensus is that she should, and even she is starting to realize it - but she recently blew tons of money selling off her high-end house, tearing down another one and completely rebuilding it, and spends lots of money on her kids and such, which keeps her trapped at the helm. Instead of cutting costs, she's trying to squeeze ever-more money out of the business, to the point of making unethical/legally questionable decisions to maximize her margins. People are starting to jump ship, there's more fighting and gossip with those left, and DW wants no part of it. She feels a sense of obligation so I doubt she'd leave unless the whole thing blew up, but I'm sure she'd love to do the same work under another flag with less drama. She's already asked me how I'd feel about her going back to part-time contract work, and I'm seriously considering not just accepting that idea but actively promoting it.

[Stlbroke]

Love the job, hate the lifestyle. 24/7 on call 365 days a year no weekends or holidays off.  Every other day or two is spent in a hotel.  Hours vary and are never the same for work, sleep, and leisure time. 

My new goal since learning of fire is to save and invest and then maybe someday I can semi retire in to one of those cushy 9-5 ers everyone here complains about.