Career - Enjoy or Tolerate

[austic]

Originally posted by Buster
I love what I do. I'm lucky. My biggest fear is that it will all dry up some day.

I have the same fears...

[killramos]

I think there is a big difference between not enjoying what you do and having aspects of your job you tolerate.

If you hate what you do your ability to be motivated, to do the best you can do, and to do what you are doing for an entire career is going to be challenged.

I think people who hate what they do just tell themselves that's what life is like for everyone in order to make their own lives seem more bearable in comparison. Personally I know lots of people who love what they do, and that doesn't mean for one second that there aren't challenges associated with their jobs that they dislike.

[lasimmon]

I really enjoy my career. But were just not busy enough over the year, so I might start exploring options.

Last year:

- Busy Jan/Feb/March
- Didn't do any projects April/May/June
- Small amount of work July/Aug/Sept
- Busy Oct/Nov/Dec

[tirebob]

I definitely enjoy aspects of my work, mostly the customer relations part, and getting sweet rides through the shop is cool, but if I am being totally honest, just like everything, when you are past the point of always learning new things it can become a bit of a grind at times. Mostly though it is fun for me.

[timdog]

this poll shouldnt be so black and white. there are varying degress of 'enjoy' and i think people are seeing this as either 'love' or 'tolerate'. maybe it should be a scale. like 1-5 how much should you enjoy your job? 1 is hate, 2 is tolerate, 3 is tolerate half the time and enjoy half the time, 4 is enjoy most aspects and 5 is love your job. i dont know just an idea.

I think it's important to enjoy your job but also unrealistic to think you should love it every day and be excited to go into work all the time. there is a balance. if i loved my job too much, i'd probably neglect my family. if i hated my job too much, i'd probably be a miserable prick.

[Mitsu3000gt]

I think most people do not do what they love, or we'd all be out test driving exotics for a living or some similarly unattainable job. I think it would be a better poll with 3-4 options rather than like/tolerate. I mostly like my job and I like that it gives me enough money for a reasonable lifestyle, which goes a long way toward quality of life in general.

[finboy]

It's always been tolerate for me, I LOVE my hobbies, none of which would bring a reasonable income, so I tolerate work to make sure I can enjoy multiple hobbies in my free time, and so I can retire one day with decades to enjoy those hobbies.

I have lots of artist/musician/etc. friends and while I envy their ability to stay out late on weekdays, tour, etc. I've seen where that leads 10 years down the road for 99% of them. I went back to school, grinded through various entry level positions (including 100+ hour work weeks) and now am in a position that has a work life balance. Because I sacrificed earlier in my career, I now have the experience to do more stuff at my job that I consider fun, but it will always be a drag getting up at 5 am.

Every day I day dream about retirement, and getting to spend all my time on hobbies. I also think of how much it would suck if I didn't get a tollerable career, and was still a high school grad who had fun in my 20's but didn't make any steps to a career with a future.

[Rat Fink]

.

[schurchill39]

Like you, I started with what was (for me) a dream job. I loved what I did and over the years I became really good at it. I went from being a work horse to finding more joy in mentoring the younger guys which has definitely been the most rewarding aspect of what I have accomplished so far.

I really like being the go-to guy for questions from my peers however lately I've found myself tapped out with what I am learning. I'm rarely being challenged and I don't really see an opportunity to move up so I've shifted from "enjoy" to "tolerate". I tolerate my job now and that worries me.

To me, enjoying what you do is important as work is where you spend the majority of your day. If I'm not enjoying things then I need to take a step back to evaluate what I am doing and what I can do to change that or move on.

[Maxt]

I hate my job, I've been on autopilot for 10 years....

[rx7_turbo2]

Originally posted by Maxt
I hate my job, I've been on autopilot for 10 years....

How's the pay for an "autopilot"?