08-05-2008, 12:01 AM
IÔÇÖve been having this internal debate with myself for quite a while now. ItÔÇÖs really weird how IÔÇÖve come to this conclusion, but I really think that earning enough to be happy with your life is the most important part. Some think that earning the most at a young age is great and that you can retire at a nice age, but is working for retirement really worth living for? IMO, no. You have the ability to control this and I realized it when I started telling my boss that I couldn't work some of the extra hours that he wanted me to. I take my time when I need it and even if my boss wants me to work a lot of hours, I have to tell him no sometimes. I still put in hard work and finish my deliverables, but I find myself limiting the scope of my work for my own mental health.
If you're working 50-60 hours a week and you're not getting compensated for it (via overtime, comp time, or bonuses of some sort) then you're not really earning your salary, you're earning about 20-30% less. I'm happy to say that if I work more than 40 my company does compensate me for that.
I completely agree with you on the not having work become your life, but almost every day IÔÇÖm finding my mood change. Some days I love what IÔÇÖm doing and IÔÇÖm glad for the income and others I feel like I want to go back to school for another career. I've started thinking about it more on my days off and when I have a clearer mind and IÔÇÖve come to the conclusion that I need to resign from my job and find something else that can work for me. My situation is a little different than most, but I travel for my job. I know a few of you do this and have done this. This is what's really taking a toll on my personal life. I have to cram in everything that I need and want to do at home in the 3-2 days that I have available.
IÔÇÖm 24(almost 25) and I want to have fun in my youth. IÔÇÖm also very thankful that my jobs have given me the opportunity to earn enough to have fun so far. However IÔÇÖm learning that this is definitely not the lifestyle I want in the long-run.
The main reason why IÔÇÖm having a tough time accepting my own view is that I feel my position is skewed. I'm in a fairly decent (not fantastic) financial position with minimal overhead. I think that if the situation were reversed then I would look at my job in a different light, so IÔÇÖm also trying to find a balance. I understand the importance of keeping a job and advancing within the industry/market, but sometimes I just want to quit and go on an adventure for the hell of it. The only thing I donÔÇÖt want to do is make a career ending decision because of the emotion IÔÇÖm having toward the job at the moment. I've only come to one conclusion: I want to work locally and I don't mind putting in a long week or two, as long as it's not consistent (read: 2 weeks for every 3 months or something around there).
The thing I hate the most about my work is the threat of every weekend being taken away by a boss that asks me to stay and work at my job location or a vacation that IÔÇÖve planned for a while having to be adjusted because of what happens in the work place.
ps - I took a short break to read your post and write this. IÔÇÖm still at work and its 11:02pm CST. Ok...back to work now...
If you're working 50-60 hours a week and you're not getting compensated for it (via overtime, comp time, or bonuses of some sort) then you're not really earning your salary, you're earning about 20-30% less. I'm happy to say that if I work more than 40 my company does compensate me for that.
I completely agree with you on the not having work become your life, but almost every day IÔÇÖm finding my mood change. Some days I love what IÔÇÖm doing and IÔÇÖm glad for the income and others I feel like I want to go back to school for another career. I've started thinking about it more on my days off and when I have a clearer mind and IÔÇÖve come to the conclusion that I need to resign from my job and find something else that can work for me. My situation is a little different than most, but I travel for my job. I know a few of you do this and have done this. This is what's really taking a toll on my personal life. I have to cram in everything that I need and want to do at home in the 3-2 days that I have available.
IÔÇÖm 24(almost 25) and I want to have fun in my youth. IÔÇÖm also very thankful that my jobs have given me the opportunity to earn enough to have fun so far. However IÔÇÖm learning that this is definitely not the lifestyle I want in the long-run.
The main reason why IÔÇÖm having a tough time accepting my own view is that I feel my position is skewed. I'm in a fairly decent (not fantastic) financial position with minimal overhead. I think that if the situation were reversed then I would look at my job in a different light, so IÔÇÖm also trying to find a balance. I understand the importance of keeping a job and advancing within the industry/market, but sometimes I just want to quit and go on an adventure for the hell of it. The only thing I donÔÇÖt want to do is make a career ending decision because of the emotion IÔÇÖm having toward the job at the moment. I've only come to one conclusion: I want to work locally and I don't mind putting in a long week or two, as long as it's not consistent (read: 2 weeks for every 3 months or something around there).
The thing I hate the most about my work is the threat of every weekend being taken away by a boss that asks me to stay and work at my job location or a vacation that IÔÇÖve planned for a while having to be adjusted because of what happens in the work place.
ps - I took a short break to read your post and write this. IÔÇÖm still at work and its 11:02pm CST. Ok...back to work now...
'19 Golf R
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J Ray's Top Ten
Previous: '99 BMW Z3 2.8L | 2019 Honda Ridgeline | 2010 VW GTI | 2008 CBR 600RR | 2005 Nissan Titan SE King | 2003 Honda CBR 600RR | 1998 Integra RS | 1998 Suzuki GS500e | 1999 Honda Civic Si | 1986 VW GTI 8v