Anybody following Jobs' advice on work?

[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.

 

[Bob Maxey]

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

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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.

 

[Bob Maxey]

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.

 

[Kaykaykay]

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.

 

[epb]

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.

 

[Kaykaykay]

Another approach:

Lessons We Can Learn from Jiro Ono

 

[skimonkey]

Another approach:

Lessons We Can Learn from Jiro Ono

Just read a few paragraphs, Kaykaykay and looks like very valuable advice! Thanks for sharing !

 

[Kaykaykay]

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?

(snipped)

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.

I can see someone doing lots of jobs with a sense of pride and dedication, even say if you worked at a sewage plant. You see or hear about it from people -- they take pride in doing something well, in learning the ins and outs, of providing a service that is so important to so many people, etc. But you also hear grumbling from people who have what you'd think are much better jobs. So I figure some people are mismatched with their work, or they're just the kind of people who don't know how to appreciate what they have, lol.

Of course it's important to have a great personal life. But it's not like you can't have a great time away from work if you love your job, lol.

I love my work, but love my time off, too. So far in my career, I've taken two separate one-year periods off, to travel, spend time with family and just unwind completely. And every day when I do work, I thoroughly love leaving, too, lol.

For me, balance has always been important, so I also try to help the people I manage enjoy their work hours and then GO HOME so they can enjoy the free time, too. When things come up with family, etc., I stress that they should take care of their families first, because work is great, but it's not the top priority in life.

 

[KevinJS]

I love my job. I made an active decision 28 years ago that I was going to do it, and I'm satisfied with the decision.

I've driven trucks for a long time. Am I the best? No chance, but I'm good and more importantly, I'm the best that I can be. I take pride in doing the job well, within all the laws and with regard to everyone else on the road.

Would I still do it if I won the lottery or something similar? Get real. I work to live, not live to work.

 

[Kaykaykay]

Would I still do it if I won the lottery or something similar? Get real. I work to live, not live to work.

I do my job because I actually love it, not for the money, though money is nice, lol. My husband makes enough for us to live comfortably without my working. But my work is challenging, demanding and fulfilling in a way that can't be matched outside of work, so I do it.

I figure it depends on what you do -- you see lots of rich people who still work. They're doing it because they love their work. And I'm glad in many cases, because Steve Jobs didn't have to keep working, for instance, lol.

 

[KevinJS]

Good point, Kay.


In my case, I would be able to use what I know. I love travel, and would still do it.

Of course, I'd do it with a monster RV trailer pulled by a top of the line Kenworth.

 

[epb]

Of course it's important to have a great personal life. But it's not like you can't have a great time away from work if you love your job, lol.

True, but trying or expecting to love your job seems to affect most people's personal lives, I've observed.

 

[Kaykaykay]

True, but trying or expecting to love your job seems to affect most people's personal lives, I've observed.

I don't know about most people -- I know only so many, and the ones I work with generally seem happy with their jobs.

I know a few disgruntled types, but I tend to avoid them. I find those people draining. My thinking is, if you don't like your job, do something about it instead of moaning about it.

 

[Hasty]

Well I've managed to remain foolish but just couldn't handle the stay hungry........


That Jiro film was the only time sushi ever appealed to me.

 

[Asharp]

His speech is interesting and encouraging.

It never occurred to me to stick with a job I didn't like when I was younger and the American economy was better.

I have a great passion for my profession and committed to it because I love it. My love for it fuels my creativity and my drive to always find a way to improve my job performance.

I couldn't have accomplished even half of what I've done or gone the extra mile or 50 extra miles without a natural love and curiosity for my profession.