Do You Love What You Do?

Off Topic
1

I’m at a point in my life where I dread going to work everyday. I know I know… “Who likes to work”; but there are people that enjoy their career and what they do. I happen to not particularly care for what I do. It’s not a miserable job and I get paid quite well for it but I just don’t enjoy it.

So I was curious as to what people on T-Nation do and most importantly… Do You Enjoy and Look forward to going to work every day?

A little background on what I do. I work for a large insurance company in their IT division. I basically administrate and “babysit” servers. Growing up, I was never really into the whole computer thing and I’m still really not into it. I was an aspiring musician all through school but somewhere along the way I started to look at life through a “realistic” viewpoint and decided to abandon music for a more lucrative career path. So I basically sold out my dream.

Now that I look at my current situation and ask myself what I’d really like to do, I can’t seem to come up with the answer. Music isn’t the first thing that comes to mind anymore. Writing in some way seems to be appealing to me. I think it’d be cool to be a sports or a travel writer. Of course the big problem is that once you make a certain amount of money, you almost become enslaved to that income. Does that make sense? Any change in career path at this point may involve a change in lifestyle for myself and my family and that is a little scary.

So… let me know if you enjoy what you do everyday and what that is.

Thanks

2

Right now I’m a cubicle drone, staring at screens with little blinking lights and filling out electronic paperwork. There’s not much point to get into more detail. I get paid very well and the job itself is low stress, but I have to drive out of state (MD to VA) to get here. Now that I think of it, this was my dream job as a kid- get paid a good bit of money and do nothing.

However, this hasn’t been my dream at all for the past couple years. I don’t know if it’s maturity or what, but a certian restlessness has taken over and turned this dream job into a nightmare. I get no fulfillment whatsoever and dread coming to work. I’d quit, but currently I don’t have the financial freedom to do so.

Why am I not free, especially since I make good money? I mean I’m single and have no children, so no real ties keeping me here other than my mortgage. Well the reason would be because I used just about all the money I’ve saved (and borrowed) to produce a full length feature film which is now being edited (trailer to be posted here soon!). So really, right now I’m eating shit, biding my time until this movie is complete and sold. Then, probably some time next year, I can give The Man The Finger and work full time in the film industry.

3

That’s cool. At least you’re pursuing your dream in Film. I think you hit the nail right on the head. There is no fulfillment in what I do and it’s taking its toll on me I think.

4

[quote]Doug Adams wrote:
Well the reason would be because I used just about all the money I’ve saved (and borrowed) to produce a full length feature film which is now being edited (trailer to be posted here soon!). [/quote]

If the trailer starts with the words “In world where,” I’m not watching.

5

All I need is for TC or Tim Patterson to approach me to be an assignment/travel writer for T-mag.

6

[quote]nephorm wrote:
Doug Adams wrote:
Well the reason would be because I used just about all the money I’ve saved (and borrowed) to produce a full length feature film which is now being edited (trailer to be posted here soon!).

If the trailer starts with the words “In world where,” I’m not watching.[/quote]

Well, we were thinking of going against the grain and hiring a black woman to narrate instead of that normal voice guy. Give the audience a different experience, and you know, show equality and stuff.

7

I don’t love what I do but I like it. Everything else I love doing doesn’t pay as well. My job lets me live my current lifestyle and take care of my family which is more important to me than loving my job.

8

I see your point but I’m afraid that way of thinking isn’t getting it done for me any longer. Thanks for your thoughts, sincerely.

9

[quote]Doug Adams wrote:
Well, we were thinking of going against the grain and hiring a black woman to narrate instead of that normal voice guy. Give the audience a different experience, and you know, show equality and stuff.
[/quote]

I say get Morgan Freeman to do narration work. That has never been done.

10

No disrespect guys (neph and doug)… seriously but maybe you could start your own thread about film and narration or something. :wink:

11

I don’t love my job and I don’t want to. I’ve known people who loved their jobs and I’m sure I don’t want to end up like them. They got completely absorbed by their work. One guy really wanted to have his new laptop before his Hawaii vacation so he could get up very early and get some work done before his wife woke up and made him stop.

12

You’re speaking my language!
I got married right out of college and my wife and I got “regular” jobs right off the bat. It’s what you’re supposed to do, right? But even from the very beginning we wanted to do something of our own. It didn’t take long for our jobs to become boring and unfulfilling.

But what are you gonna do? You have to pay the bills, right? You have to have that nice car too…and work toward that dream house just like the other people you work around.

Ten years later, it finally took my job kicking me out to force a decision. I wasn’t fired, but they were trying to screw me pretty hard so it forced my hand. Not long before my wife and I had finally found a business idea we both could “get into”. (I wasn’t into her purse idea and she wasn’t thrilled with my 4X4 shop idea. Go figure.)

Anyway, to make a long story boring, we have a small business and have been open for almost a year now. It takes some scary risks, some financial sacrifice and gobs and gobs of effort. I work so much harder for myself at less income than I ever worked for anyone else. Right now it’s all investment. But I love it.

Sure some days I wonder if we’ll make it and it can be super stressful at times. Sometimes I get a little burnt out when I work six days a week, twelve hours a day. But it’s still better than working for someone else.

So I encourage everyone to work toward following their dream. Be sure to read the “Strong Words” they post here. Most of them are aligned with following your dream and make you think.

Ask yourself, if money were no issue, what would you do with your life? I mean, after you took a month to sit on a beach and sip drinks with umbrellas, what would you do? Surely there is something that you would love to do, some passion you’ve suppressed because you thought it was impossible.

Start working toward that goal and living life for you and your loved ones; not for some executive that barely knows your name. Nobody says it’s easy, but I bet it’ll be worth it.
I wish you raging success!

13

[quote]HogLover wrote:
No disrespect guys (neph and doug)… seriously but maybe you could start your own thread about film and narration or something. ;-)[/quote]

Sorry, I have trouble staying on-topic.

I recently changed jobs, and I’m enjoying what I do a LOT more. For me, there’s a balance between pay and enjoyment. My ideal job would be to make loads of cash reading and writing whatever I felt like. Nice work if you can get it.

Instead, I get paid pretty well, and there are some monotonous/sucky aspects to the job. But the flexibility is phenomenal, the pay is great, I enjoy most of the work, and it will eventually leave me free time to do other things I enjoy.

14

[quote]DSmolken wrote:
I don’t love my job and I don’t want to. I’ve known people who loved their jobs and I’m sure I don’t want to end up like them. They got completely absorbed by their work. One guy really wanted to have his new laptop before his Hawaii vacation so he could get up very early and get some work done before his wife woke up and made him stop.[/quote]

I’m with you. I know a few people like that too and their career consumes them. Do you want to work to live or live to work? My dad always said to me:“If you’re having fun you aren’t working very hard.”

There has to be balance in your life imo. Doing things you’d rather not makes doing the things you enjoy better.

15

[quote]DSmolken wrote:
I don’t love my job and I don’t want to. I’ve known people who loved their jobs and I’m sure I don’t want to end up like them. They got completely absorbed by their work. One guy really wanted to have his new laptop before his Hawaii vacation so he could get up very early and get some work done before his wife woke up and made him stop.[/quote]

I don’t see the problem with this.

I’m willing to bet that guy makes a lot of money.

Maybe he should get really good at World of Warcraft or something.

16

I am a embedded software engineer and I love my job. It’s not always fun. Writing up formal specifications and documentation is not exactly my cup of tea and sometime my job is a little boring, but designing stuff is rewarding and I really enjoy seeing the stuff I design hit the market and do well.

Plus, I never stop learning new things. The key is like what you do, but to not let it consume you. TO the OP…I feel for you man. I not sure if I could stance going to a job everyday that dread. I am not saying that you have to love it, but it needs to at least be interesting and bearable. After all, we spend most of lives at work.

17

[quote]CaliforniaLaw wrote:
DSmolken wrote:
I don’t love my job and I don’t want to. I’ve known people who loved their jobs and I’m sure I don’t want to end up like them. They got completely absorbed by their work. One guy really wanted to have his new laptop before his Hawaii vacation so he could get up very early and get some work done before his wife woke up and made him stop.

I don’t see the problem with this.

I’m willing to bet that guy makes a lot of money.

Maybe he should get really good at World of Warcraft or something.[/quote]

I have to agree with half of CaliforniaLaw’s post here. I don’t see anything wrong with loving your job and being so into it that someone has to make you stop.

I don’t think that whether or not the guy makes a lot of money would necessarily make him work that intensely though. That part where “loving” your job becomes a problem is when it takes you away from your family and causes you to neglect them, at least in my eyes.

18

[quote]Pemdas wrote:
I am a embedded software engineer and I love my job. It’s not always fun. Writing up formal specifications and documentation is not exactly my cup of tea and sometime my job is a little boring, but designing stuff is rewarding and I really enjoy seeing the stuff I design hit the market and do well.

Plus, I never stop learning new things. The key is like what you do, but to not let it consume you. TO the OP…I feel for you man. I not sure if I could stance going to a job everyday that dread. I am not saying that you have to love it, but it needs to at least be interesting and bearable. After all, we spend most of lives at work. [/quote]

I don’t necessarily dread going to my job everyday, I just don’t particularly enjoy it or find any fulfillment in it. The problems is that I’m almost a slave to my salary I feel. Of course I guess there’d be nothing wrong with downsizing everything in order to find something one really enjoys huh? Just gotta figure out what that thing is.

19

I’m pretty much in the same boat you are HogLover. I’m also in the IT field, didn’t care for computers growing up, don’t really care for them now either. I just kind’ve fell into this job.

I’ve been doing this for close to 8 years now and it’s time for a change. I just can’t take it anymore. I don’t hate my job but it’s not rewarding at all.

That’s why I’m going back to school in fall. I hope that I can stick with it this time around.

I’ve picked Respiratory Therapy because it emphasizes my best characteristics. Plus, it’s only a 2 year degree (hopefully) and it gets me into the medical field.

I’m not sure if this is my dream job, but I know that I need a change. And this sounds interesting.

Good luck with whatever you decide man.

20

I am a Structural Engineer.

It is awesome to go out and see what you designed. When you get to participate/oversee the construction of your project, the work pays off.

It is amazing to have hands-on in your design. You know that show “Build It Bigger”? Yeah, that is what it is like.

When I was a kid I used to always wonder how these giant structures were built. Now, I am a part of it.

So, yes, I love it most of the time.

I still hate waking up early. :frowning: