Why do you work?

[disneysteve]

I guess that people here aren't necessarily working because they love it and can't imagine retiring or doing something else. Even if they had enough money to retire working is their life.

Yeah, I can definitely imagine retiring. I imagine it all the time . When the money is there, I'm outta here.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Hahaha I am finding the prospect of doing nothing also appealing. But right now that seems so far away.

[MattNY]

I very much believe you should enjoy your work. If you're an optimistic person you can find something to be passionate about at work. Of course if it's just a rat race you want to find ways to get out, do something you enjoy, or generate passive income instead.

There's a book called "the 4 hour work week" that mentions an interesting concept called "mini retirements." Rather than work like crazy during your best years just to retire when you're old and feeble, it challenges convention to take multiple month "breaks" throughout your life while finding ways to still make a living. Not for everyone- but an interesting idea.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

My husband read that book and hence his career change and his current time off. He decided to follow that book and is enjoying his time off.

[GrimJack]

I am a seasonal worker and have been since 2010; it was risky until I started to collect SS - now I can call myself semi-retired. I cast things in plaster and in glass on my spare time. I do not sell the stuff since I am not very good. I give the stuff away (for some odd reason, other people do think the items I make have value - sometimes I have trouble convincing them that it is okay to accept the gift). I make a bunch of items and eventually all my horizontal surfaces are covered so I pack a bunch up and visit people to give them away.

[bjl584]

I am a seasonal worker and have been since 2010; it was risky until I started to collect SS - now I can call myself semi-retired. I cast things in plaster and in glass on my spare time. I do not sell the stuff since I am not very good. I give the stuff away (for some odd reason, other people do think the items I make have value - sometimes I have trouble convincing them that it is okay to accept the gift). I make a bunch of items and eventually all my horizontal surfaces are covered so I pack a bunch up and visit people to give them away.

If other people think it has value, then you should try to sell it. Maybe you are better at it than you are giving yourself credit for. The worst that can happen is that you won't get any buyers.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

califlorican how old are you? How long have you been part-time working?

[kant86]

I work because I have to

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Do people love their careers? Or their spouses love their careers? Do you work to accomplish or contribute to society? Do you work to not be bored? Or is it about the money? Do you work to pay off debts?

Have you ever considered not working and living very frugally like the early retirement people? Do you have enough to retire now and choose not to? Or have you changed careers and taken a substantial paycut because you didn't like what you did? Do you like what you do now?

Do you work to live? Or live to work?

I would do my job for free. Only thing wrong with my job is that I'm often bored, perhaps as a result of my own skill level at it, not to brag.

[jkl08]

Why We Work

I started working at age 16. I worked because I had to, i wanted nice things, and i wanted to go to college. Eventually, most of us, as young people, did not know of anything else out there, and I was one of them. I see it as us starting at the bottom and working ourselves up a little bit at a time, and being able to retire in the long run.

[97guns]

When I was working it was purely for the money for living and saving for 1 purpose and that was to achieve an early retirement

Work hard now and save so you can play later. Right now I'm planning a 2 month long trip to Thailand and Singapore, leaving next month!

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Califlorican sounds like a very interesting lifestyle and plan. Do you plan eventually retiring abroad?

[FLA]

Work shouldn’t be something you don’t enjoy, something that you feel that you must do. Work should be something that you want to do, something that you feel is just as much a part of you as your left arm.

I think these jobs are rare and if you find one you are golden and blessed. I felt hospice work was what I was meant to do, how I was meant to serve in my place in the world and when I lost that, it was worse than losing my left arm. I lost my life's purpose (I thought) and am still struggling to find a satisfactory replacement for down the road when physically better. I grieved giving up that job. Now I realize I am thankful to have had all those experiences in 11 years. I could've made a lot more money other places, it was so not about the money, it made my life fuller. That's why I worked.

[asoloans]

We work so we can be worked for(seriously)

[Nutria]

Right now I'm planning a 2 month long trip to Thailand and Singapore, leaving next month!

I hope you aren't a single guy!!