Anybody's job NOT suck? Could you explain how this is possible?

I'm a journalist, based in Kenya. Get to meet interesting people and write. Occasionally I head up to Iten to meet the runners, mixing work with pleasure. Love it!

What sucks is being obligated to work. Almost any job is fun...for a while! Then it sucks cause it's boring. The trick is live an extremely frugal life no matter how much money you make. Then when your job sucks it doesn't have you by the balls financially and you don't start to resent everything, you just move on to something else that is fun.

Just today, for instance, I thought it'd be a ton of fun to be a custodian at the high school I coach. The school is really nice at it's core, but it's filthy. The current custodians, and this is no knock on them, just go through the motions and do what they are supposed to, but they are definitely not "custodians" in the deepest sense of the word. Anyway, after a year or so of cleaning up the high school I can assure you I'd be bored with and ready to do something else. I've made 6 figures a year and as little as 4 figures a year. I could hardly tell the difference to be honest with you, except that the 6 figure a year job came with more obligations and in general sucked. The 4 figures a year job is the best I've ever had.

I get paid to run and I enjoy it

My job is awesome, but I work for myself and I answer to no one including my customers which are basically at "arms length" to me.

It wasn't always this way. I put in 8 years of increasingly stressful software development at a company. After about the 4th year of successful achievement in my work for my previous employer, I was passed over for promotion although I was the most qualified for the position.

That made me very upset but instead of doing anything rash or stupid like quitting on the spot, I concluded that working for others was a losing proposition (in most cases) no matter how good you are. So I set out to fire my boss and work for myself. It took me 4 years to build a business on the side in the evenings and weekends while continuing to work for my employer to pay the bills, but I finally did it. I put in my two weeks, ended up staying four. Cleaned up my projects. Shook everyone's hands and never looked back.

I work harder now, but I enjoy it since I work for myself and I answer to no one.

Upstate Employer wrote:

Any runner's in Upstate NY looking for a full time job working with running events?

Any runner's what in Upstate NY?

I started a business so technically I do not have a "job." I work harder (many more hours) than most people with jobs but I enjoy what I do so it does not suck. If you don't like your job, start a business and you will have a lot more control over your work and your life.

rojo wrote:

Glad someone likes it. After 15 years, i'm burned out and jaded. If someone runs fast, i think they are on drugs.

Site will be shut-down soon steve. No severance.

Later.

I will be waiting for the inception of

The premise is you assume everyone is on drugs and try to find the non-dopers. When you find the non-dopers, you ridicule them.

I hear ya. Best jobs I ever had were low-paying summer gigs. But extend that experience over a year or two, and it would certainly lose it's appeal.

One of the common themes here among those that seem to have work satisfaction is control, even if it means more hours. And working with something they would enjoy doing, anyways.

I'm an independent insurance claims adjuster which means I typically only work catastrophes (tornado, hurricane, wildfires, hailstorms, flood). I go several weeks to months without work and no guarantee there will ever be work (although for 23 years it always comes).

It's a feast or famine career. I sit around looking for something to do but when I do get that call for work it's full throttle for 18+ hours a day for easily two weeks and when things start leveling out then its only 12-15 hour days. When my assignment is over (anywhere from 4 weeks to 6+ months) then everything stops. You have a sense of accomplishment and freedom at first and then that quickly fades and boredom starts to set in.

Working your ass off for weeks or months to having no responsibility is not an easy thing to do. Problem is this is all I know and only way to make the money that I'm used to make. I'd happily take a job at home for 1/3 of what I normally make but they just aren't out there.

Super Jay Five wrote:

9 to 5 bum wrote:

Please explain. Like most people, my job sucks.

The trick I have found is figure out what your CORE VALUES are. The way to do that is think of a time when you were REALLY ANGRY (maybe at work) and write down 4 or 5 words that come to mind. Then write down the OPPOSITE WORDS! If you do it right those are your CORE VALUES! My core values are competency, success, good ideas and praise. Find out your core values and find a job that values the same thing you do!

I've worked for the last 30 years in an industry that operates in a way that is completely opposite to my CORE values.

I'm fully supportive of the various principles of Occupy Wall Street, but hypocritically work on Wall St (not literally but I work in the industry)

Despite that I really enjoy my job.

Randy Oldman wrote:

Super Jay Five wrote:

The trick I have found is figure out what your CORE VALUES are. The way to do that is think of a time when you were REALLY ANGRY (maybe at work) and write down 4 or 5 words that come to mind. Then write down the OPPOSITE WORDS! If you do it right those are your CORE VALUES! My core values are competency, success, good ideas and praise. Find out your core values and find a job that values the same thing you do!

I've worked for the last 30 years in an industry that operates in a way that is completely opposite to my CORE values.

I'm fully supportive of the various principles of Occupy Wall Street, but hypocritically work on Wall St (not literally but I work in the industry)

Despite that I really enjoy my job.

Great post! You have pointed out the confusion many people have over core values. They believe "core values" are what they THINK they are! Core values are NOT based on thought!

Your core values are closely connected to ANGER. The way to discover your REAL core values is remember a time when you got REALLY REALLY, ANGRY! Write down 3 or 4 words that occur to you. The write down the OPPOSITE WORDS. Those are your core values! Working at wall Street MUST connect with your core values or you would be angry.