Work/Life balance conversation (pulled from another thread)

Here is my take on things. My job is a quota based job. I need to produce drawings at a 7:1 shop/detail rate. I also need to do my part to keep a 4,000 hr shop backlog of work. So long as those two criteria are met, my boss does not care how or when I work. If I need to leave or come in late, I do. If I want an unpaid day and I am caught up on drawings, I take it. The flip side is, if we are swamped, Im there 7 days a week and pusing 65-70 hr work weeks. then there are weeks I have to drag to get 40 hrs. Its a fine balance.
 
My job is service based: I do not make anything, sell anything, buy anything, or whatever. I ONLY provide you service while I am at work. I CAN NOT provide said service if I am not at work, period. Therefore when I leave work at 0700, unless someone is seriously hurt or killed, what happens at work is not relevant to me until I return. I also work three days out of five, and after the third work day I get four days off, so it is very easy to schedule "life" around "work," but when the two do overlap it is fairly easy to take the time to handle it.

Duane
 
Work turns off at 5pm for me. I never bring my computer home. Home time is family time.
 
The common thread I notice here... the people who have "a job" go home and don't work while they're there. The people who make money all sorts of different ways are always working, more or less.

I'm sure there are exceptions, but that looks like a rule.

Cyd and I are hardly ever "not working."
 
Most weeks I'm on 40hrs or so and work generally stays at work. However with the project winding down, I am having to stay longer/work odd schedules 65-75hrs or more a week. I have a work phone that stays with me all the time and I will routinely answer urgent emails if needed. Generally, the work I do can be answered the next day but the owners sometimes need an answer ASAP. Some nights the laptop will come home with me but its rare. I have a good schedule, good boss(s) and I can generally come/go as I please as long as the work is done and on time.
 
shawn said:
The common thread I notice here... the people who have "a job" go home and don't work while they're there. The people who make money all sorts of different ways are always working, more or less.

I'm sure there are exceptions, but that looks like a rule.

Cyd and I are hardly ever "not working."
Click to expand...
This.If I included all the time I'm thinking about a deal.talking about a deal,looking for a deal,or goin to look at a deal.Im paying about $5 an hour to work.Typically self employed folks seem to be that way.
 
1-tonmudder said:
This.If I included all the time I'm thinking about a deal.talking about a deal,looking for a deal,or goin to look at a deal.Im paying about $5 an hour to work.Typically self employed folks seem to be that way.
Click to expand...
Im not self employed. But there are plenty of times I find myself laying on the couch looking at prints or a model trying to figure out how to make a design intent work out with reality.
 
If I am sitting around the house doing nothing, I'll answer emails at all times of the night and on weekends, but if I have stuff going on that is important I won't answer. I also work a lot at night supporting a global business rollout that I have to deal with people all over the world. The plus side is I leave at 3pm if I feel like it from the office. I don't mind working a lot since I don't mind my job, and it allows me to buy all the random shit that I want.
 
shawn said:
The common thread I notice here... the people who have "a job" go home and don't work while they're there. The people who make money all sorts of different ways are always working, more or less.

I'm sure there are exceptions, but that looks like a rule.

Cyd and I are hardly ever "not working."
Click to expand...

Yeah...if we're talking all work in aggregate...100% agreed. Most days I'm up at 530 to work before I go to work, and then working until 1ish am after I get home from work. But the job I do for an entity where I didn't file for the EIN, they get Monday-Friday, some weeks that's 30 hours, others it's 60...but they only get the time they pay for.
 
I have a profession. Through that profession I have a job with one organization as described earlier, and I also do my profession on my off days from my job but for a different organization for free. I have the potential to do my profession 24/7/365 through either organization, and I am often doing something related to my profession such as training or reading new techniques and case studies. By that statement I guess you could say I "work" outside of my "job."

Duane
 
If we are talking about 'working' to make money outside from our primary job, then I guess the time I spend on investments could be considered work, and is done in the evening after my boy has gone to bed.
 
I am a self employed landscape company owner. I work mainly alone, I can depend on me, lol. During busy times I work as needed but not 7 days a week. I don't work all the time. I take phone calls from customers most any time, they're my friends too, many I've had for 20 and 30 years. Ive seen their kids born and gone to their weddings. But they respect my weekend and evening time but seem to think I wake up at 6 am on Saturdays for some reason lol. I get texts most any time from them. They know when I take days off because I tell them so only contact me if there's an emergency. My wife thinks I never stop thinking about work but shes the one who talks about her job ALL of the time!
With my recent knee surgeries and some down time, I had time to think and realize that I have never taken enough time off and went on vacations. I take a couple days before the weekend and go wheeling, ride the Harley, or go to the beach. I haven't had a full week vacation in over 20 years. I don't like anywhere for more than about 3 or 4 days.
But when I take time off I cover myself before I go and am available to help with issues if they arise.
I hate it when I run into friends in my business who want to talk shop when I'm out having fun.
Okay, I'm talking about work and drinking a beer, I'm gone...
 
I'm self employed by an ass of a boss. He makes me work anywhere from 0-24 hours a day. I also tell him to go away sometimes and just do whatever I want to. Naturally, owning my own mobile mechanical service venture, I tend to prioritize the larger customers that are losing money because their equipment is down (and they can afford to pay for expedited service at a higher than normal rate because I am rearranging my schedule.). Lately I have been realizing I need to not work as much as I have been so that I can invest more time with my wife and three kids that I swear my wife is treating with fertilizer because they are growing so quickly. I'm only going to live once and there's no reason your car can't wait an extra day so I can get family time in. Heck, before recently I hadn't had not one day off since the beginning of the year. Every day I get more jobs lined up and I've just recently decided that catching up on work will not happen. Over 400 customers and growing every day. all are mainly located in rutherford and polk counties. I have to learn that sometimes I do have to say NO I can't get to that today. I've tried hiring help but I became tired of training someone and either they become lazy or they move on or were not any good to start with.

Being off work to me is having my phone switched off. If it's off is the only way I can guarantee it won't ring. And it's pretty much just a work phone. It's taken me about ten years to get to this point... But I wouldn't trade it for any other job. I can't just turn it loose to a new guy, because it's been built strictly by word of mouth and my reputation is my business's life blood. It is about time for a raise though.
 
Last edited:
Salvaged a couple's vacation tonight.. brakes locked up hard just as they got to their resort location.. sure I just got home an hour ago, but that's why I do what I do. Any other shops willing to take a job on at 8pm Saturday? No. Any willing to drive 20+ miles from the shop to do it? No. Saving someone's vacation on the day they get in, instead of worrying about fixing their vehicle so they can get back to relaxing... And I'm absolutely not working mother's day. I'm done till Monday.
 
I work two full-time jobs. I work in a paint manufacturing plant 12 hr nights Fri,Sat,Sun. I also do commercial roofing/construction Monday through Friday. I average about 80hrs a week. I'm not happy about all the time I spend working but I see it as a means to an end.

I don't have much education past high school. What I do have is a hard work ethic. I would love to go back to school and get a degree that would allow me to land a job making the money I make now but with a normal work schedule. Just haven't found anything I want to go to school for.

I enjoy my construction job. My Brother in law owns the business. I am allowed to run my jobsite without interference from him. He compensates me well for my time and knowledge. I am invaluable to him since good help is hard to find (as many of you know).

I do not like my weekend job. However I have killer benefits and very good pay for blue collar work.

When I finish paying off the majority of my remaining debt I will leave one of the two jobs. Unfortunately I think it will be construction. I do not look forward to it but it is the "right" decision financially for me. I also plan to retire at 50 and work for myself doing something I enjoy.
 
Back
Top