This is not aimed at anyone in this thread, but is an outcome of my 20 years of work experience

If you don't love what you do, you are doing no one any favors. Sure we could all use more money, but that will never give you satisfaction in the job.

If your just being carried by the currents from day to day, don't think the employer does not see that. And while you may be doing an adequate job you will never be a shining star since you don't care. And when you don't care you will never put in enough effort to be a star. You just cannot! If you are putting in way more effort than you are being recognized for don't give up and become furniture. Keep putting in more effort and look for another job.

I have employees that love/Care about what they do and their work is great even though they find it easy. They just don't have it in them to do a poor job. Others that don't care about the job do only enough to survive. They seem to be there only to collect a cheque. They also keep making poor decisions and mistakes. It really is all in their attitude.

Do yourself and others a favor and either start to care about the job you are doing or find one that you do care about. Be the star that you want to be! But don't become a rusty cog as that will get you nowhere that you want to go.

I follow his advice on life.

Sent from K48

Originally Posted by zphone

This is not aimed at anyone in this thread, but is an outcome of my 20 years of work experience

If you don't love what you do, you are doing no one any favors. Sure we could all use more money, but that will never give you satisfaction in the job.

If your just being carried by the currents from day to day, don't think the employer does not see that. And while you may be doing an adequate job you will never be a shining star since you don't care. And when you don't care you will never put in enough effort to be a star. You just cannot! If you are putting in way more effort than you are being recognized for don't give up and become furniture. Keep putting in more effort and look for another job.

I have employees that love/Care about what they do and their work is great even though they find it easy. They just don't have it in them to do a poor job. Others that don't care about the job do only enough to survive. They seem to be there only to collect a cheque. They also keep making poor decisions and mistakes. It really is all in their attitude.

Do yourself and others a favor and either start to care about the job you are doing or find one that you do care about. Be the star that you want to be! But don't become a rusty cog as that will get you nowhere that you want to go.

Eye opening post. Thanks so much for writing this. I'm printing this and putting it next to my desk. This is what I love about people have experience. They can articulate such poignant things. I'm definitely determined now more than ever to do what I love. Thanks!

Bump for any other people's experiences with this.

Originally Posted by iFan85

Another Monday morning and my stomach is churning. When did it become common for people to lay down and accept the 9-5? It's not even 9-5 anymore. More like 7:30-6:30 without overtime pay to show that you're a team player (and to not get the ax).

Saw these two links on an iphone forum and it inspired me to find what I love to do.

Text of Steve Jobs' Commencement address (2005)

How to Find What You Love to Do » The Definitive Self Improvement Blog - BrianKim.net

My question is, is there anybody here who has actually done it like Steve? I would love to live his kind of life. What's it like? How are your Monday mornings? Are you able to pay the bills and save? How did you get over the fear?

I can't imagine I have to go through 40 more years of this, probably for the rest of the my life considering the way the global economy is going and the dollar losing value to inflation and Bernanke's printing press...

Most jobs way back when were 9 to 5 jobs. That said, many jobs started earlier or later. Just like today. My mom and dad both had 9-5 jobs. I had a 10-6 job as did my brother. I recall mom occasionally worked over time as did my dad who was actually on call to solve Marchant Calculator and SCM Copier problems. Just like a doctor.

I knew a man who would not tolerate people putting in long hours just to show they were "team players." He maintained that employees working themselves to death were not very smart and he hated not very smart. They lacked judgment. I agree. There is a point where you become tired and pissed at having to work late and your work suffers. Some say you might work 11 hours per day, but your productive for only 8 of those hours. You work very hard and gain nothing.

I agree. And there are plenty of studies to show I am right. And there are many more studies that prove I am wrong. And there are even studies that prove Google actually generates bad studies, vast amounts of copy and is staffed by terrible and misinformed robots writing terry bites of copy. This very forum is likely part of the conspiracy. We just do not know.

I did not follow the links you posted so I cannot comment. Let me just comment and say I distrust the link. Never seen it, I just distrust it. Why? Well, because it is on the web, silly.

In some cases, working long hours is required and I think there are a few that can work long hours. Then there are those that only think they can, and they are not productive, just too GD proud they can work long hours, as though their rulers give a rat's red rump. I love to see those people fired because I am not very nice.

They wake early, drink coffee, deal with the screaming kids and a horrid wife. They climb into their 6 year old still not paid for car in need of repair and fight the traffic to get to their crappy cubicle, where they take orders from some young snot half their age. They must work for the next 12 hours or so, get into their crappy car and drive home. Repeat the next day.

No wonder people hate their jobs.

People who love their work rarely look at the clock. I now get paid for what I'd do for free as a kid wannabe. That's the trick. Of course, not everyone can be paid for doing what they love. Sometimes, the best you can do is make your hobbies fulfilling.

The people I manage who are successful aren't clock watchers, either, I've noticed. I stress work-life balance, but it's hard to get them to leave off work sometimes when they're in the flow. That's what loving your work is like.

Originally Posted by retexan599

Guess I started with Job's philosophy when I started college in 1955. I had a great high school chemistry teacher, decided I wanted to do chemistry and got to spend the rest of my college and working life doing just that. Would not change a thing. Now I find that Steve agrees with me :-)

Sent from my iPad 2 using iPF

I always enjoyed chemistry. My father had quite the lab in granny's garage when he was into mining. It is where I developed my love of potassium chlorate mixtures and fulminated mercury recipes. Never got around to the whole nitric acid/sulfuric acid/glycerin thing, however. I seem to recall turning the cat white when I partially bleached her with (I think) homemade chlorine gas confined in a trash bag. I remember an angry cat and in retrospect, I remember I could have died. Ditto the *****.

Anyway . . .

It is interesting (I think so) to note that when my mother was selling Granny's house, she called the local FD to help rid the garage of the chemicals. The FD freaked out and decided to move people out of their homes and the general area. All three local TV stations covered the events and it was in both local newspapers. Lots of very interesting crap in Granny's old garage.

Burned my face grinding magnesium powder and a handy perchlorate. Good thing I ran out of the stuff.You are a chemist and would likely suggest that I STOP IT.

At least I am still cute as a button.

Originally Posted by Kaykaykay

People who love their work rarely look at the clock. I now get paid for what I'd do for free as a kid wannabe. That's the trick. Of course, not everyone can be paid for doing what they love. Sometimes, the best you can do is make your hobbies fulfilling.

The people I manage who are successful aren't clock watchers, either, I've noticed. I stress work-life balance, but it's hard to get them to leave off work sometimes when they're in the flow. That's what loving your work is like.

I tend to agree. When you get busy, the day disappears. When you look at the clock, time seems to slow down.

For inspiration, check out a movie called "Jiro Loves Sushi."

Separately, I recently met a twenty-something person in another field who is clearly loving her job and is great at it, from what her boss says. I could see how her work could be difficult and probably often frustrating and tedious, at least to me. But she did it with such enthusiasm that I was inspired. Her basic driver seemed to be helping people, and she never seemed to lose sight of that. It was impressive to meet a relatively young person who got so much out of her work and was so well centered.

My family instilled a different philosophy, and I feel it's worked for me: don't look to enjoy your work, work to enjoy your life. The whole "do what you love" homily just isn't realistic - too much needs doing that simply no one would love to do. Who'd love working in sewage treatment, or pet cremation, and so on? Instead, find a job and do your best, and use the money to enjoy the time your life. After all, which is easier? Finding a job that pays you to climb mountains, drive sports cars, or bake cookies, or finding something that lets you earn enough to do them on your own time, under your own terms? The reason so many people are unhappy is not that they aren't doing what they love, but that they're focusing on the grind instead of the life that the effort lets them have. My grandfather didn't love being a roofer, he loved housing, feeding and clothing his 10 kids, and roofing let him do that. So, in my working life I've never worried about liking my job - I just find one and do it.

The irony is that I'm often accused of loving my job by my co-workers, because I never grouse about the hassles and frustrations we encounter, the changes, or dealing with the crazy schemes management comes up with. All of that is part of work, and you just deal with it. In the grand scheme of things, a few bad days here and there just aren't a big deal compared to spending time with friends, reading good books, or all the other enjoyable ways I fritter away my free time. So I show up, do the job, and head home to enjoy myself.

And really, few phrases pre-sage disaster more often than "I just want to be happy." It's right up there with "Hold my beer." Like enlightenment, not looking for it is how you get there.