Author Topic: Who is here because they just don't like working?  (Read 9680 times)

Daisyedwards800

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Who is here because they just don't like working?
« on: January 10, 2021, 12:08:37 PM »
I personally always try to be engaged at my profession, but the hits just bother me and I end up taking on stress and having it impact my weekends and free time.  This is somewhat the nature of my career (accounting) but I just don't want to deal with it anymore.  I'm not ready financially to retire, but thank GOD I had the foresight some years ago to start aggressively saving and planning.

If I were 38 now and thought I had 30 years to go working, I would be extremely depressed.

Zikoris

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2021, 12:14:51 PM »
Yep. I don't dislike my job, and I actually quite like my managers and coworkers, but there are so many things I would rather do instead of working. I think a certain percentage of people just don't find meaning in any sort of job, and I don't think a dream job is a possibility for everyone. I do feel pretty lucky to have realized this pretty early, so I could focus on FIRE rather than searching for a perfect job for me that most likely doesn't exist.

MrsSpendyPants

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2021, 12:17:03 PM »
Yes me!  I actually have an autoimmune disorder that is made so much worse by stress so I end up spending my weekends and evenings recuperating.  Definitely not how I want to live.  Definitely running away from working rather than running to something.

WhiteTrashCash

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2021, 12:19:10 PM »
I think most people hate being forced to do things they don't want to do and with some jobs that problem is exacerbated by bad bosses. Unless your job is your passion, most people would rather do something else.

Morning Glory

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2021, 01:17:57 PM »
Can you make this a poll? Maybe with several choices.

 I liked some parts of every job I've had and disliked others. I recently left one I hated for a better one, that I think I will like a lot more.  I've done this one as a side hustle so I know what to expect, just now starting there full time so I quit my previous main job.  I hated my last department at my main job because the work was repetitive and not challenging, but the people were really nice and welcoming there. The one before that I really liked but then we got a bad boss so I left. That boss is gone now so I might go back there part time in the summer.

 I still want to have the freedom to choose whether to work or not. It would be nice to never use an alarm clock.  I like the intellectual challenge and social interaction that I get from work, but it would be even better if I could find those in some other way. I'm working on the social thing right now. Intellectual might be more difficult. I don't think I would do well as a SAHP.

sui generis

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2021, 02:40:25 PM »
Yes!  This is quintessentially me.  I have chafed at the rules and requirements of any job from the beginning.  Hated the limits of my freedom and flexibility.  I started my working career not long before being able to check work email from home and blackberries became the norm, and it has gotten many orders of magnitude worse since then, when even my hypothetical free time was no longer mine.

Even if I liked feeling productive, making a difference, enjoyed my coworkers, etc (which I never really had all of those all at the same time) I still just didn't like *working*.  Spending that many hours a week on anything, I suppose, was just not something that worked well for me.  In addition to the drag of the obligations, I am apparently the type of person that likes to do lots of very different things for a few hours each week vs immersing myself in anything for many many hours.  Doesn't speak well for me diving deep into a couple of topics I've had on my list to pursue during FIRE, but we shall see.

I do joke that I seem to just dislike anything someone wants to pay me for, but I suspect it's the issue of having to do that thing for far too many hours.  There are some volunteer activities that I've been doing a few too many hours per week and so I guess that's just confirmation that I am a superficial person instead of a deep dive person!

I'm really grateful being FI has enabled me to experiment and not *have* to do something I don't like to survive.

American GenX

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #6 on: January 10, 2021, 02:52:43 PM »

I'm already over 50.  I feel fortunate to had gotten a job in IT that I yearned for early in my career, as a senior engineer and decision maker, but after 20 years of doing similar work at the same employer, I feel less interested in the job and more interested in pursuing other interests outside of work, which I currently have limited time for while working.  So, I guess I don't "like" working anymore, but I don't exactly hate it either, so for me, the motivation is more for what I could be doing instead.

John Galt incarnate!

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #7 on: January 10, 2021, 03:07:42 PM »

Yes!  This is quintessentially me.

+1


  Hated the limits of my freedom and flexibility.

+1



 I am apparently the type of person that likes to do lots of very different things for a few hours each week vs immersing myself in anything for many many hours. 

I like  having a week or two just to think about completion of a task that requires ~1 hour to complete.

And I like having another week or two in which to complete it.

Life is finite.





Mrs. Sloth

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #8 on: January 10, 2021, 03:08:49 PM »
This is hard for me to answer. I dont like working my current job and career but I dont know if that means I dont like working. I just dont want to invest the time and energy to try something else not knowing if would love/like it either.

StarBright

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #9 on: January 10, 2021, 03:15:51 PM »
Yes me!  I actually have an autoimmune disorder that is made so much worse by stress so I end up spending my weekends and evenings recuperating.  Definitely not how I want to live.  Definitely running away from working rather than running to something.

^ This is basically me too! And I am a perfectionist by nature so work with any level of responsibility or decision making seems to be increasingly bad for my health.
« Last Edit: January 10, 2021, 03:29:36 PM by StarBright »

asauer

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #10 on: January 10, 2021, 03:18:28 PM »
I don't mind working, I just hate jobs.  To me those things are different.  The things I want to work on don't have alot of value in the world anymore.  For example, in RE I plan to learn multiple languages, teach adult basic education, building a garden at my local food cupboard and coach with Dress for Success.  None of which earn much (if any) money.  I also really detest the arbitrary rules and practices of corporate jobs- like where I can work, when I should work, when I can or can't take a vacation/ volunteer and who I can talk to at any given time.  Ugh!  God willing and the creek don't rise, I'll be RE in Feb 2022!

John Galt incarnate!

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #11 on: January 10, 2021, 03:38:37 PM »
  I also really detest the arbitrary rules and practices of corporate jobs.

My sister was offered a HUGE promotion.

She refused the offer  because she was so sick and tired of "the arbitrary rules and practices of corporate jobs."

Later, a senior executive came to her home and pleaded with her to accept the offer.

She refused and will FIRE in August 2021.

jehovasfitness23

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #12 on: January 10, 2021, 03:55:00 PM »
Don't hate working, just hate the amount of time dedicated to it along with the schedule.

BudgetSlasher

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #13 on: January 10, 2021, 03:59:43 PM »
Yep. I don't dislike my job, and I actually quite like my managers and coworkers, but there are so many things I would rather do instead of working. I think a certain percentage of people just don't find meaning in any sort of job, and I don't think a dream job is a possibility for everyone. I do feel pretty lucky to have realized this pretty early, so I could focus on FIRE rather than searching for a perfect job for me that most likely doesn't exist.

Basically sums up my position as well.

I need money to live a decent life. My jobs pays OK, most of the people are ok, and it is not stressful. There are plenty of other things that I would rather do, but they either pay little or take money to do.

Some days my jobs feels like handcuffs, I could coast for another 29 years (to "full retirement age" as far as the pension is concerned) and nothing would happen, though I am on trick to be gone *well* before that, I could go elsewhere and make more money for more stress, or I could change fields completely and get knocked down the pay scale and potentially work longer.

WFH during COVID has really changed the dynamic ... we have had people delay a planned retirement; their public reasoning is that they were retiring to travel, but in the current climate that is not possible so the elect to keep working. The reality is they are at home and as long as they check their email every 15-30 minutes and/or answer the phone when called they can do whatever they want in the down time of the day (the time in the office they would have spent sitting idly in their office or cubicle) ... really a very odd OMY. The same dynamic applies to us younger folk's, but without already being able to leave for good.

Zikoris

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #14 on: January 10, 2021, 04:20:02 PM »
WFH during COVID has really changed the dynamic ... we have had people delay a planned retirement; their public reasoning is that they were retiring to travel, but in the current climate that is not possible so the elect to keep working. The reality is they are at home and as long as they check their email every 15-30 minutes and/or answer the phone when called they can do whatever they want in the down time of the day (the time in the office they would have spent sitting idly in their office or cubicle) ... really a very odd OMY. The same dynamic applies to us younger folk's, but without already being able to leave for good.

I don't know about them, but I don't think I would be super gung ho to FIRE now even if we had enough, for the same reason - I want to retire to do things, go places, spend time with people. I'm not sure what I would even do all day if I was retired now, other than a lot of local hiking, because everything I want to do after retirement is still dead. I would really have to reimagine everything about my planned retirement.

bmjohnson35

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #15 on: January 10, 2021, 04:33:56 PM »
WFH during COVID has really changed the dynamic ... we have had people delay a planned retirement; their public reasoning is that they were retiring to travel, but in the current climate that is not possible so the elect to keep working. The reality is they are at home and as long as they check their email every 15-30 minutes and/or answer the phone when called they can do whatever they want in the down time of the day (the time in the office they would have spent sitting idly in their office or cubicle) ... really a very odd OMY. The same dynamic applies to us younger folk's, but without already being able to leave for good.

I don't know about them, but I don't think I would be super gung ho to FIRE now even if we had enough, for the same reason - I want to retire to do things, go places, spend time with people. I'm not sure what I would even do all day if I was retired now, other than a lot of local hiking, because everything I want to do after retirement is still dead. I would really have to reimagine everything about my planned retirement.

Retired in Feb 2020 and Covid did change the dynamic drastically.  WE had 5 concerts, and around 2-3 months of travel planned .  I still don't regret retiring, but covid is a factor.  If you aren't miserable at work, waiting a while longer to see if covid does indeed calm down is probably not a bad idea.

As for working, I was tired of middle management in the corporate world.  There were days where I was busy all day, but didn't feel like I had accomplished anything.  There are days now, where I "work" all day at things I am interested in and I am completely content.  I suppose it's a matter of perspective.

Blackeagle

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #16 on: January 10, 2021, 05:10:07 PM »
I’m genuinely interested in my field and I enjoy most of the work.  My job satisfaction tends to vary based on how well I get on with my boss and coworkers.  Part of why I’m interested in FI is that FU money seems to either make those variations either more tolerable or make them easier to change.

My interest in the RE part of FIRE is less about disliking working and more about liking other things more (travel, pursuing certain hobbies, etc.).

KathrinS

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #17 on: January 11, 2021, 07:01:40 AM »
I never worked for anyone, but instead jumped straight to self-employment - in fact, it was a bit of an accident, but it worked out really well. Freelancing suits me because I have much more control over my time and many of the problems mentioned above go away. I don't ask for time off, I tell my clients 'I'm away for X weeks', and if I don't want to work at a certain time, they choose a different slot. I can also refuse work I don't want to do, e.g. teaching very young children, which I find stressful.

Despite all this, I started saving and then pursuing FIRE because there are no guarantees when you work for yourself. I was scared that I'd have a bad month and not be able to afford to live, so having lots of savings made me feel more stable. I think I'll continue some level of work even after FI, but only the work I really want to do.

Bird In Hand

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #18 on: January 11, 2021, 08:04:23 AM »
I’m genuinely interested in my field and I enjoy most of the work.  My job satisfaction tends to vary based on how well I get on with my boss and coworkers.  Part of why I’m interested in FI is that FU money seems to either make those variations either more tolerable or make them easier to change.

My interest in the RE part of FIRE is less about disliking working and more about liking other things more (travel, pursuing certain hobbies, etc.).

This sums it up nicely for me.  Most of the time I enjoy my work, and I think I will miss much of it when I eventually retire.  But there are other things I'd also like to do that I can't do while working.

FI gives me leverage to choose what I want to do.  It reduces the potential for negative outcomes should my choices be incompatible with my employer's demands.

Kazyan

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #19 on: January 11, 2021, 08:17:19 AM »
Yes. I don't like working and would rather be sitting at home.

There are no qualifications or blow-softeners in this post. The wage cage sucks, period.

2sk22

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #20 on: January 11, 2021, 08:59:03 AM »
I joined this forum two years ago specifically because I was getting progressively more miserable at work.

Brokenreign

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #21 on: January 11, 2021, 09:43:36 AM »
Very much so. Like the OP I am also an accountant. At the last meeting of our local FIRE club (which I suppose was over a year ago now), I think I was the only purist there. Everyone else wanted FIRE to do other things such as travel, volunteer etc. whereas I just straight up don't like working. I have never enjoyed a single job in my entire life and distrinctly remember being miserable having to go to my first job at 15.

This was exacerbated by working in the corporate world. I increasingly can't get over the idea that most corporate jobs are incredibly stupid and likely don't really need to be done at all. At least I could see the point of prior jobs I had (gas station attendant, bike mechanic, equipment delivery person) even if I didn't like them, but it's hard to see any value generated by filling out spreadsheets and forms for a circular economy of office drones.

It is bewildering to me that so many people do OMY after they've achieved their number (and don't get me started on the false security of a 92% success rate vs 95% etc etc.). I feel incredibly grateful to be one of the privileged few that could attain FI and that I was exposed to the idea by MMM and Early Retirement Extreme nearly a decade ago now and no longer have to work.

ChickenStash

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #22 on: January 11, 2021, 09:44:59 AM »
I used to like my chosen career but I've really burned out on it these last few years. An interesting project crosses my desk often enough to keep me sane but that's about it. The rest of the time I just do what I can to bite my tongue and deal with the boring work and the managers and coworkers that I'd rather just leave behind. I've tried switching jobs and it's helped a little but I think the issues I have are now just the nature of the work.

wageslave23

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #23 on: January 11, 2021, 09:52:04 AM »
Yes. I don't like working and would rather be sitting at home.

There are no qualifications or blow-softeners in this post. The wage cage sucks, period.

Hahaha. I love this, in a sick and misery loves company way.  Work sucks, f you to anyone who likes their job 😜🤣

CodingHare

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #24 on: January 11, 2021, 10:08:52 AM »
I love work!  I love producing handicrafts, and gardening, and sewing...

Oh, you mean work that produces a livable income with a possibility of retirement?  Then yes.  ;)

My job is good, I like my work and my coworkers, management is good.  Even so, I want to spend my life on this earth doing volunteer work that is meaningful (but not profitable), spending my time on my hobbies, and hiking whenever the sun is out instead of only on the weekends.  In WA, the sun knows the workweek schedule and deliberately shines best during work hours.  I'm convinced.

And my field is fast moving enough that I want to be out before retirement age instead of stuck at a desk learning Bullshit.io framework to keep employed while competing against new college grads for the same positions.

Log

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #25 on: January 11, 2021, 10:27:36 AM »
I'm pursuing work in a very fulfilling artistic field because I'm very averse to doing work that feels meaningless to me. I've declined many opportunities for decent-paying work throughout my young adulthood because I dont want to do stuff I hate just for the money. I'm still very motivated to reach FI sooner rather than later, because my enjoyment of my artistic work is severely diminished by it being an obligation, and my freedom and security being dependent on my ability to find employment in a competitive field. Once I get there I may work for many more years, or I may retire on the spot, I'll let future-me decide. But I know that working just because I have no other choice is a situation I do not want to tolerate for longer than necessary.

rantk81

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #26 on: January 11, 2021, 10:30:53 AM »
Many years ago, when I was still in the first couple weeks of working at my first "real job" after college -- I remember thinking to myself while sitting in my cubicle "Is this really the way my life is going to be for the next 4 decades?  This sucks."  I began saving and investing aggressively -- probably before the "FIRE" phrase was coined :)

pdxvandal

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #27 on: January 11, 2021, 11:54:43 AM »
I've been in the work-to-live mindset for quite sometime. I had some fun jobs in my 20s and early 30s that allowed me to travel the country (and occasionally to Europe), but the pay was crap and too much weekend or evening work. I left that world to join more traditional corps to increase my earning power and reduce my hours.

Now I'm 20+ years into my career, been at the same employer for 5 years, which has been one of the best places I've ever worked. I'm grateful to have it, especially during Covid. But it's still work and still sucks and I'm still saving like mad to leave ASAP, hopefully in 2022. I've had former co-workers and friends die young (30s and 40s) falling off treadmills, suicides, cancer, accidents, etc. I think about them often and realize life is finite. I don't think it's productive to spend your life working in a cubicle or being on someone else's schedule for 30+ years and "playing the game." Right now, I feel like I'm taking advantage of my employer for the first time in my career. Working 20 hour weeks (paid for 40), dismissing unnecessary meetings, taking 2-hour lunches, not volunteering for projects (ever). I still get high performance review scores and my big boss several levels above me loves me because I get shit done quickly, deliver quality work and don't complain or rock the boat.

I'm close to FI and simply work is just becoming an annoyance and my case of the fuck-its is quite high. It's actually quite liberating.
« Last Edit: January 11, 2021, 11:56:40 AM by pdxvandal »

Just Joe

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #28 on: January 11, 2021, 09:38:18 PM »
I just want my best hours of every day to be mine. What I get are the hours after work and the weekends are sometimes just catchup or recovery from the work week. I see this getting worse as DW and I get older until we are ready to retire.

LennStar

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #29 on: January 12, 2021, 04:22:14 AM »
It's not that I dislike working, I just hate to work on the same stuff for any long time ;)
And yes, I don't like 8/5 jobs. Too much time sucked up - your most valuable possession. But it's still a bit before I can consider going to a 20 hour work week (or 5 years more on the 40hours)

2Birds1Stone

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #30 on: January 12, 2021, 04:29:24 AM »
Working (pun intended) on designing my life, such that it's hard to delineate between work and play.

Most w-2 jobs have some good and bad aspects, and I doubt any one unicorn job exists. After a while, even a seemingly great job starts to get stale/old as we change and grow.

nessa

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #31 on: January 12, 2021, 08:39:33 AM »
I love what I do and I love who I do it with. I love my field. I love my clients/patients.

However, I do NOT enjoy continually having to justify and explain why I do what I do (which works, I've got 30 years experience guys) to people who literally have no idea what my  job title/position actually entails, and haven't seemed to learn over the past three years. Some of this is education- and age-based, and some of it is literally part of the misunderstanding of my field of work.

I also do NOT like being trapped behind a desk when most of my job is not and should not be desk-bound. I'm overqualified for what they "let" me do, and I spend a lot of my day bored and trying to look busy. I'm in an open office environment (not by choice) which has caused a LOT of problems with coworkers chiming in on my decisions. I'm getting my own office in a few months (FINALLY) so at least I can be bored in privacy and my clients/patients will have somewhere to privately meet.

I'm focused on RE (Recreational Employment) because I can still live my values and make the positive impact on my community without having that price tag attached to it.

Whoever above said "Wage Cage" is 100% spot on for paid employment for me right now!

martyconlonontherun

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #32 on: January 12, 2021, 08:46:53 AM »
I personally always try to be engaged at my profession, but the hits just bother me and I end up taking on stress and having it impact my weekends and free time.  This is somewhat the nature of my career (accounting) but I just don't want to deal with it anymore.  I'm not ready financially to retire, but thank GOD I had the foresight some years ago to start aggressively saving and planning.

If I were 38 now and thought I had 30 years to go working, I would be extremely depressed.
I am an accountant and in same boat. I think being an accountant is the perfect FIRE storm: make decent money, you are constantly thinking about value of money, you can do the fire math and most accounting jobs are not that fulfilling. So basically you can see the light at the end of the tunnel and you are unwilling to leave a well-paying job, so fire tends to be a better strategy. Other people tend to think either FIRE is a fantasy or have jobs that are more bearable.

Metalcat

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #33 on: January 12, 2021, 08:49:10 AM »
I hate working most jobs, so I don't do those jobs.

MudPuppy

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #34 on: January 12, 2021, 09:22:25 AM »
I really like what I do most of the time. For me, coastFIRE makes the most sense. My field lends itself well to casual, part time work.

wildatheart

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #35 on: January 12, 2021, 11:43:16 AM »
Me neither - I didn't like it, but it was the degree to which I didn't like certain moments near the end that made me pull the trigger.

I was very good at my job because I was willing to obsess about it 24x7. Some who witnessed my climb have flattered my success with terms like "the best" or "no one can do what you do".
But, it took its toll. I enjoyed the pursuit of deals, I enjoyed the wins even more. The losses didn't really seem to hurt me at all. What I couldn't tolerate was the way folks higher in the org (there's always "higher") purposely overlooked or did not acknowledge my contributions to the overall success. They would rather plod along or make you fight for what was promised for your work rather than listen to new ideas on how to teach the org to be successful. In short, egos always were more powerful than the desire for overall success. This happened in every company.
The last CEO I worked for comes back to me every 3 months, trying to convince me to return to the grind. I send him pictures of the last fish I caught or the last mountain I skied.


I had to face some realities after FIREing in March 2020:
1. The opinions of others do matter to me, even if I try to deny it.
2. Intelligence and reason are seldom going to be recognized by others in an organization. Relationship, ego and emotion are responsible for almost all decisions.
3. I can enjoy my retirement now and be as lazy as I choose on any given day and I honestly have zero guilt about it.
4. Winning is important to me - if I go after something - I make it happen - almost 100%. So, I'm very choosy about what I will spend my energy on.
5. I own my destiny, and while my 5 college kids and my wife are reliant on me - I got this covered.
6. Good fortune should always be appreciated, but seizing the opportunity presented requires guts, ambition and an obsessive focus.
7. My patience was hard to find, but once I did find it, my own anxiety dropped like a stone.

"Working" for yourself is truly, never working. I obsess over the markets and my investments and my kids and health care options every day. But it is not undesirable. I enjoy my mind working on these problems because I have proven that whatever I focus on, I amplify - even if it is not instantaneous. I'm also finally satisfying a bit of my own ego and honestly - that's pretty awesome too.

That was a bit of a rant and probably uninteresting for many, but I enjoyed encapsulating it so thanks for the compelling inquiry.
-Wildatheart




Brokenreign

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #36 on: January 12, 2021, 12:01:02 PM »
I personally always try to be engaged at my profession, but the hits just bother me and I end up taking on stress and having it impact my weekends and free time.  This is somewhat the nature of my career (accounting) but I just don't want to deal with it anymore.  I'm not ready financially to retire, but thank GOD I had the foresight some years ago to start aggressively saving and planning.

If I were 38 now and thought I had 30 years to go working, I would be extremely depressed.
I am an accountant and in same boat. I think being an accountant is the perfect FIRE storm: make decent money, you are constantly thinking about value of money, you can do the fire math and most accounting jobs are not that fulfilling. So basically you can see the light at the end of the tunnel and you are unwilling to leave a well-paying job, so fire tends to be a better strategy. Other people tend to think either FIRE is a fantasy or have jobs that are more bearable.

Good thoughts. I do find that accountants are overrepresented in the FIRE community for sure, likely for the reasons you stated. I truly admire the agility that would be required to perform the mental gymnastics needed to make accounting a fulfilling job. 

cbr shadow

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #37 on: January 12, 2021, 12:14:56 PM »
I think if someone is so stressed with their job that they're running away FROM it rather than TO something in retirement, they might consider making some changes in their job or even a different career.  I was in this situation with my previous job and felt trapped, stressed, bored, anxious about what I was missing out on, etc.  I ended up moving across the country and getting a somewhat related job but for a different company and different boss.  My outlook is completely different now, and I don't dread work every Sunday night anymore.
Anyways, worth considering amking job changes rather than toughing it out.  My change ended up being a good financial decision as well, but I would recommend the change even if it was bit of a loss financially.

Tinker

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #38 on: January 12, 2021, 12:28:26 PM »
i like working, i just don't like a lot of things about the work environment(s) i might be subjected to if i was less independent

Rhinodad

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #39 on: January 12, 2021, 12:30:33 PM »
I don't hate working, nor hate my job. It's a good place to work, if you have to work...but I'd rather stay home with my family every single day. I understand the relationship that I'm trading time and talents for money. It's nothing more than that. My job definitely helps others lead a better life every day, so there is that fulfillment...and it's very direct. I know what I value my time and talents at. If my boss told me tomorrow I was going to be a floor cleaner, and paid me what I thought my time and talent was worth, I'd be the best damned floor cleaner we have...as I do have integrity by living up to my end of the relationship.

I found this site "late" in life, and had 5 kids young, so the savings started later than most...but we will be able to retire 15 years earlier than most people. I came here for strategies to get to FI.

asauer

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #40 on: January 12, 2021, 01:23:11 PM »
  I also really detest the arbitrary rules and practices of corporate jobs.

My sister was offered a HUGE promotion.

She refused the offer  because she was so sick and tired of "the arbitrary rules and practices of corporate jobs."

Later, a senior executive came to her home and pleaded with her to accept the offer.

She refused and will FIRE in August 2021.

That's amazing!  Good for her. 

GuitarStv

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #41 on: January 12, 2021, 01:30:56 PM »
I like working.  I don't like having to work at someone else's beck and call, and on their schedule, with their deadlines.  I expect to be constantly busy post retirement.

PhrugalPhan

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #42 on: January 12, 2021, 03:12:09 PM »
I love work!  I love producing handicrafts, and gardening, and sewing...

.......

And my field is fast moving enough that I want to be out before retirement age instead of stuck at a desk learning Bullshit.io framework to keep employed while competing against new college grads for the same positions.
OMG, this is me ('cept for sewing).  Fortunately (or  unfortunately - take your pick) I am not far from retirement age, so I may be on my last BS.IO version (I can only hope!)

American GenX

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #43 on: January 12, 2021, 05:25:30 PM »
I like working.  I don't like having to work at someone else's beck and call, and on their schedule, with their deadlines.  I expect to be constantly busy post retirement.
You might have a chance to finally post a little more on this forum.  :)

goat_music_generator

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #44 on: January 12, 2021, 07:30:06 PM »
Yeah... I've switched jobs a bunch of times, talked to managers about how to make things better, switched teams, changed up how I do things. I've sometimes had jobs that I really enjoyed. But most of the time, no. And right now, it's really feeling like I just need to be done.

I could imagine there being a perfect job that I would want to come out of FIRE for, just so I could do it. But it's sure not the one I have now. And is it worth an unknown number of years of working miserable jobs to find that one? Unlikely.

flyingaway

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #45 on: January 12, 2021, 09:52:56 PM »
I just don't like anything to do with working. Not because my job is hard, it is not. I just don't want to be told to do a given thing at a given time at a given location.

Watching Youtube videos showing those youngsters enjoying beach and water in southeast Asia, I keep asking myself: Why I am here and they are there.

Bloop Bloop Reloaded

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #46 on: January 12, 2021, 10:39:45 PM »
I don't mind working and I like knowing I have, and will have had, a satisfying career.

But I would prefer to cut it short so then I can bask in even better things.

It's the best of both worlds - you have a successful, rewarding career so you get to revel in the glow of having won at the meritocracy then you retire early so you can do the other things you also like (a bit more than working).

moof

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #47 on: January 12, 2021, 11:35:16 PM »
Just spent 2.5 work days dealing with faulty software license issues just to get an ancillary program to translate a file from a different unsupported buggy layout tool into a crappy thermal simulation tool.

I am deeply tired of this sort of life killing hoop jumping just to get to my actual job.  If I actually got to spend a decent chunk of my day on items in my job description I would not he looking so hard for a way out.

Monocle Money Mouth

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #48 on: January 13, 2021, 05:26:26 AM »
Just spent 2.5 work days dealing with faulty software license issues just to get an ancillary program to translate a file from a different unsupported buggy layout tool into a crappy thermal simulation tool.

I am deeply tired of this sort of life killing hoop jumping just to get to my actual job.  If I actually got to spend a decent chunk of my day on items in my job description I would not he looking so hard for a way out.

I know that feel moof. I'm a test engineer. I spend way more of my time fighting with test agent problems, Selenium drivers not working the same between different browser types, and an abandoned wrapper for Selenium that is supposed to make working with Selenium easier. The wrapper is mostly broken and just makes it harder to track down bugs. I would rewrite the test application to not use the wrapper and just use the Selenium API directly, but I'm not sure I can convince my manager to let me do that.

I like playing with computers and coding, but I hate doing it for other people for pay. I look forward to the day I can step away from paid work. At this point, I'd rather spend my days walking around picking up litter than hunched over a computer trying to figure out how I'm going to un-fuck some broken system.

vand

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Re: Who is here because they just don't like working?
« Reply #49 on: January 13, 2021, 05:30:23 AM »
Just spent 2.5 work days dealing with faulty software license issues just to get an ancillary program to translate a file from a different unsupported buggy layout tool into a crappy thermal simulation tool.

I am deeply tired of this sort of life killing hoop jumping just to get to my actual job.  If I actually got to spend a decent chunk of my day on items in my job description I would not he looking so hard for a way out.

I know that feel moof. I'm a test engineer. I spend way more of my time fighting with test agent problems, Selenium drivers not working the same between different browser types, and an abandoned wrapper for Selenium that is supposed to make working with Selenium easier. The wrapper is mostly broken and just makes it harder to track down bugs. I would rewrite the test application to not use the wrapper and just use the Selenium API directly, but I'm not sure I can convince my manager to let me do that.

I like playing with computers and coding, but I hate doing it for other people for pay. I look forward to the day I can step away from paid work. At this point, I'd rather spend my days walking around picking up litter than hunched over a computer trying to figure out how I'm going to un-fuck some broken system.

I get this totally. Large part of my job is trying to make excuses for software that has known faults and crashes all the time and has been like it for the last 10 years yet management will not put in the resources required to correct it. Whenever it goes down clients complain and then we have to make up some BS excuse why it happened when everyone really knows that the reason it persists is because management don't care enough to put in the required resources to properly fix it.