Do you work for fun???

[1-tonmudder]

Lessons on working and not being productive? I’m perfect for that! Ask my wife!

My plans for the day can completely change w one message or mp post.It gets pretty aggravating at times.

 

[awheelterd]

I enjoy my job for the most part, I enjoyed it more pre-covid. Now it seems like we're permanently short staffed, can't get parts, can't get materials and it's much more stressful than it should be. I like being productive and feeling like I accomplished something at the end of the day. I can't stand hanging out if the sun's up. When I'm at home I'm on the tractor or working on a project as much as I can. Two small children and a wife that enjoys "relaxing" make that somewhat difficult though. I can hangout on Saturday mornings until maybe 930 but then I'm getting antsy and have to get outside. My wife would be fine farting around the house all day. My oldest son is 5 and really likes doing projects, and he listens, so we can work on things together more now. I just can't do much if I have both boys, the 2yr old is still into everything and you can't take your eyes off of him.

 

[CLRracer]

My employment is fun, and I love doing it. But it's not what I do for fun. For fun I love working on the trucks or building LEGO or even playing video games. However, like others have mentioned, I have a bad case of tomorrow-itis. I'm always reminded of something I saw when I was younger: "It can be done, it should be done, and it shall be done. Tomorrow." I get it honestly from my dad. We both can easily spend sunup to sundown (or later) in the yard or shop doing something, but can equally as easily spend all day in the recliner watching TV and taking a nap. The hard part is making sure the later days don't outnumber the former days.

Duane

 

[jcramsey]

This usually sums up my relationship with my work….

Feb 20th will make 15 years at it.

 

[WARRIORWELDING]

If I have a shit day at work, I’m terrible about bringing that shit day home and everyone is affected. So I usually use that as motivation to do a task, usually outside, on the tractor, away from people.

Plus, I just enjoy time on the tractor. Listen to some tunes and get to working on something productive. It takes much less motivation now since I have a new and reliable tractor that I don’t have to work on before using it every time. And it makes manual labor much easier. It’s a bit of my wind down activity. Some people sit there and watch tv in the evening. I do something for ME, usually tinkering with or on the tractor.

When it comes to non-tractor work, my motivation is less and less. I gave up on wrenching as I grew tired and burned out after.

sounds like i need a newer tractor then....

 

[Andy J.]

Working for fun sounds like a solid life goal, but right now I only work for money and benefits to support my family. I’ll get a chance to do something fun at work occasionally, but as @jeepinmatt said, management is trying hard to kill any fun. I enjoy working on home and car projects when I have the time, but I haven’t had the time in years and now they just feel like work because I’m rushing to get them done between other obligations. Staying overcommitted ensures that I never get enough sleep or have any downtime. The contentment struggle is real.

 

[justjeepin86]

I enjoy working on home and car projects when I have the time, but I haven’t had the time in years and now they just feel like work because I’m rushing to get them done between other obligations. Staying overcommitted ensures that I never get enough sleep or have any downtime. The contentment struggle is real.

This is really spot on

 

[DSM Turbos]

The only reason I work so damn hard is to hopefully not work when I'm past 55-60 and I can retire and enjoy life, maybe even sooner. I definitely don't work for fun, but there are some days I think I should go get a non stressful job, give up most of the material possessions I have, and just take it easy. But I know I likely wouldn't be content then either.

My job isn't awful though, but its not working for fun for sure.

 

[jeepinmatt]

there are some days I think I should go get a non stressful job, give up most of the material possessions I have, and just take it easy. But I know I likely wouldn't be content then either.

I go through this mental cycle about once a month.

 

[obullfish]

If work was fun it wouldn’t be work. Don’t hate work but it rarely is fun by any means. In my old career the work was fun but the constant travel and being away from home about 330 days a year made it no fun at all.

 

[DSM Turbos]

I go through this mental cycle about once a month.

My gf/partner got sick of corporate america killing her about a year ago now. She quit and works for a plant nursery and just enjoys work now. Somedays it makes me really jealous, but I spend too much

 

[jeepinmatt]

My gf/partner got sick of corporate america killing her about a year ago now. She quit and works for a plant nursery and just enjoys work now. Somedays it makes me really jealous, but I spend too much

My wife quit working for money when we had kids, haha. I'd love to do the same, but im the spender.

 

[Andy J.]

This is really spot on

You’re in good company!

 

[Atla]

My old job was fairly fun. I was paid a lot to do very little and I had a few really good work buddies. But there was no way to 'progress' into a better position and I was given an offer I couldn't refuse to go somewhere else...

Now, my new job, pays substantially more, but the stress level is through the roof and I'm on call 24/7 with no guaranteed 'disconnect' days for PTO/Vacation.

It sucks, but I'm pretty much trapped here as it's the best paying job for my field within a two hour drive. My only hope is to find a nice remote job in a few years once I've built my resume up here.

So, no. Not for fun. There is very, very little fun to be had.

But not starving is fun. So there's that...

 

[1-tonmudder]

But not starving is fun. So there's that...

My FIL said one time."Ive been broke and Ive had a lil money both,Iprefer to have a lil money".He worked 3-4 jobs at a time all thru the 70's and has been a contractor as long as I've known him.He's made some good money in his life and as tight as he is I'd say he still has most of it.

 

[UTfball68]

Now that I’m not drunk off my ass, the sad thing is I’m not even sure what ‘fun’ is anymore. There always seems to be some element of work to things i enjoy…whether it’s actual work, or prepping for a vacation, getting vehicles out of storage, Range days, finding time off in general, etc etc. I go in to full on anxiety mode with checklists beforehand and once I’m done…and am usually so consumed with those, it usually ruins the ‘relaxation’…or doesn’t make the little bit of ‘fun time’ worth doing. I basically live vicariously through my kids, their excitement and their innocence. These days, I usually justify what I do as ‘I’ve been broke, it’s better to be making money, and someone may as well be having fun’. I guess I really look at ‘enjoyment’ and ‘fun’ as two totally different things. I can ‘enjoy’ an entire experience, and segments of it may have been ‘fun’, but start to finish, there was probably a good chunk of work that needed to be done to have that little bit of fun.

 

[WARRIORWELDING]

Does work equal effort?
Or is work a phrase strictly for a negative context?
Work. Is it productive only or counter productive?
These questions are the one I prefer to be careful with. That and I'm horrible at making everything "work". Meaning I transform stuff into have to do's, or prioritized levels of need vs. reward. This gets me wrapped up in the delegation instead of the accomplishment.
By focusing on the priority and the function of the task at hand vs the reward I usually kill the buzz of satisfaction. I've started to slow down and relish the task. Emersing myself in the doing over the tally of the totals relevant. Lamens for me: do life from now own. Work is for people looking to die eventually.

 

[tlucier]

If work was fun it wouldn’t be work. Don’t hate work but it rarely is fun by any means. In my old career the work was fun but the constant travel and being away from home about 330 days a year made it no fun at all.

I used to have a supervisory position. When a direct report would bitch to me and tell me their work wasn’t fun, I’d ask them where they told their wife they were going this morning. They’d usually look at me with a strange look on their face. I’d say, ”Did you tell her you were going to the beach? Did you tell her you were going to the fawking amusement park? Did you tell her you were going to fun? No, no you didn’t! You told her you were going to work. That’s why it’s called work. Now do your job.“

I am no longer in a supervisory position. Shocking, isn’t it?

 

[1-tonmudder]

I used to have a supervisory position. When a direct report would bitch to me and tell me their work wasn’t fun, I’d ask them where they told their wife they were going this morning. They’d usually look at me with a strange look on their face. I’d say, ”Did you tell her you were going to the beach? Did you tell her you were going to the fawking amusement park? Did you tell her you were going to fun? No, no you didn’t! You told her you were going to work. That’s why it’s called work. Now do your job.“

I am no longer in a supervisory position. Shocking, isn’t it?

Hard ass,

 

[Bebop]

2 weeks bump.

I love working but I hate starting the work.

If I can get my ass in gear, I'm having an absolute blast.

Working on someone else's project helps, as it's easier to start working on something if I made a commitment to someone. I'd hate being the guy who broke his word. And I love hanging out with my friends, so working at someone's shop / place is an easy task for me.

Having a close, hard deadline helps. The people who can work on their project 1 or 2h every day steadily impress me. I'll wait 'till the absolute very last moment and get into a 3 day - no sleep bender and get an incredible amount of shit done. That said, it's not good for my physical health.

I need to find a better way to get off my ass and start the work.

Made the commitment to work on projects at least 30mn every day no matter what. Logic is, if I start, I'll do more than 30mn since starting is the hard part.

Made it happen so far. Most of the days I put in more than 30mn because I had started already.

I also spend less time in front of my phone thanks to this.

I'll try to keep this topic updated. Some accountability from my fake internet friends won't hurt. See if I can make it for a while, and hopefully it'll become a habit.

People like @Chris_Keziah have my utmost respect. Not easy to do this every day after work to the point it makes more sense to quit your day job and switch over.

 

[XJsavage]

I'm truly blessed to know the people I do, apparently. Just a few days ago I was asked to drive myself and my long bed Chevy 4 hours Northwest to go help a brother of mine move to SC and escape the totalitarianism of the great state of Georgia. That's work. 3 days of it. Do I care? No, because I knew when I got there I'd have a free place to crash, food, and good people to be around. The trip would cost me $100 but hell, I make 6x that per weekly paycheck and don't care about money (in a dirt poor, white trash kinda way) I ask for nothing in return and never will.
I'm the same asshole that'll pull up at the shop I work at and see the owner working his tail off by himself. Regardless of what I have to do that day, I will stop and work for hours until whatever it is he's trying to accomplish is done. Off the clock, no money down, no credit check, good credit, bad credit, ok.
I can give so many examples of free work I've handed out for nothing in return. What I've come to learn is that, in fact, it DOES come back around. You'll know when it does.

 

[paradisePWoffrd]

I love working but I hate starting the work.

If I can get my ass in gear, I'm having an absolute blast.

Working on someone else's project helps, as it's easier to start working on something if I made a commitment to someone. I'd hate being the guy who broke his word. And I love hanging out with my friends, so working at someone's shop / place is an easy task for me.

Having a close, hard deadline helps. The people who can work on their project 1 or 2h every day steadily impress me. I'll wait 'till the absolute very last moment and get into a 3 day - no sleep bender and get an incredible amount of shit done. That said, it's not good for my physical health.

I need to find a better way to get off my ass and start the work.

This is me 100%. Combine that with the family, and a hobby farm, and there are plenty of excuses that keep me out of my garage.

Good for you for keeping yourself going. I am doing better so far this year, but not everyday.

 

[Jody Treadway]

I'll chime in since it's a rainy day and that usually means a chill day in construction sales.
My wife and I own and manage a lumber distributuion company that focuses on commercial construction projects. Wholesale and retail.
We've been doing this for 10 years next month and have grown the business substantially, especially in the last 4-5 years. We have zero formal business training aside from treating customers the way we wish to be treated when we're the customer. Crazy idea ain't it?
Do we love it? Nope. Is it stressful? Yep. But, it's good for our future and will allow us to NOT work until lunch on the day we die.
We definitely have a xx year plan and are keeping on pace with it.
All of that being said...
If tomorrow someone bought us out and I was free to do what would be "working for fun", you can guaran-damn-tee my lumber warehouse would be filled with my tools and equipment currenly in my shop. My hands would once again be soaked in gear oil on a full time basis. I would take the lessens learned from running our current buisness and apply them to my gear shop. I know I can be successful with it and would be as busy as I care to be.
One day...

 

[drkelly]

This thread kind of confused me when I first saw it posted. I wasn't sure if it was about work, or working on your own stuff. The OP's job is obviously a lot different than mine since he works for himself. I definitely do not 'work' for fun. I plan on retiring from 'work' as soon as I am financially set. I'm a design engineer for a very large global company. Most days I do not get a lot of job satisfaction. I think maybe I search to replace that by 'working' on things around my house, property, garage. I sit on my ass all day at 'work', so it feels good to do physical 'work' on the weekend and see the completed result at the end of the day.

 

[1-tonmudder]

The OP's job is obviously a lot different than mine since he works for himself.

I think that's largely the difference.If most people know at the end of the week they're gonna make X amount regardless of what you do they're not gonna be as motivated as someone who knows they have to make it to have it.We were in Orlando all week last week and by the second day I was wanting to be back home and back to work.For me it kinda turns into guilt.I should be working/doing something instead of (insert thing here).