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Enjoying your work certainly makes the process of working for a living (and, here in the States, working excessively) somewhat less painful. If you're going to spend 50 or more hours a week (only 40 of which are paid) and 49 to 50 weeks a year doing something, it helps if it isn't entirely unpleasant. Lately I've heard of a few people who profess that their work is their passion; if they had any free time they would be doing the same; their favorite hobby is the same stuff as their work. And it has set me thinking. Either they happen to be exceptionally passionate or remarkably single-minded people. While I frequently wish for more time to spend on my hobbies and interests, I don't think that I would want to do any of them full-time. I wonder whether there would be any fun left in these activities if I had to do them. I don't know how much enjoyment I would derive from them if they had to be performed on demand, day in and day out. Perhaps I am missing the point somewhere. |
Would my world end if I suddenly could not do this job anymore. Well, no.
I would be in pretty dire straits if I had no job and thus no money. But if I won a huge lottery tomorrow and never had to do another day's work in my life? I think I would be bored out of my mind - after a decent interval of laying about and doing nothing, of course. I should like to continue doing generally what I am doing now, but use the financial security to have a lighter workschedule perhaps, and negotiate to take a month every year leave without pay.
That being said, there are weeks like this past one where work threatens to overwhelm my personal life. Colleagues from a different site had flown up, and were basically my wards for three days. I saw my desk only in hurried rushings past for most of that period, and I reached home every night around 10 p.m.
To cap it all, most of the meetings were pretty intellectually and emotionally draining, as we were making import design and development decisions that involved compromises all around, especially in areas where people felt an almost personal stake in some proposals.
Thankfully these kinds of meetings are rather few and far between. Let's hope next week is back to normal.
Comments (5)
I think I understand where you're coming from. I've often said that if I won the lottery I'd still be writing code. I'd just be able to do it according to what I "wanted" to write as opposed to what I "have" to write right now. In other words, if I were financially secure to the point that I didn't ever "need" to work I would write programs becuase I "wanted" to, apps that would be for me instead of my job.
But in reality, if I won the lottery, I'd probably spend the rest of my life traveling the world with family devouring and soaking beauty and intelligence and meeting as many new people and learning from them as much as possible.
Then I'd buy my own island free from any government control.
Posted by David | January 8, 2005 7:47 AM
Posted on January 8, 2005 07:47
I read a book some time ago that throroughly treated this very dilemma: The Time Bind. I'll look it up to find the author's name. I too rather prefer the European work/life balance, although I understand that it's under attack of late. Europeans are more jealous of, and are more careful to guard, their personal time than do we overtime-weary Yanks.
Also. I'd like to resurrect the old idea of the sabbatical. Working American-style 50-hour weeks, 50 weeks per year might be more palatable if every seventh year would be freed for personal pursuits.
Posted by Chrysalis | January 8, 2005 2:50 PM
Posted on January 8, 2005 14:50
I can't answer too much for the whole 50 hour week or even 50 weeks per year. I can't remember the last time I put in over 38-40 hours for a week, I simply refuse to work more than that. As for 50 weeks, I typically have about 4 weeks off each year for vacation, personal, sick time, etc.... but I work for a very liberal and generous company too though.
Posted by David | January 8, 2005 9:52 PM
Posted on January 8, 2005 21:52
in some scandanavian countries (here too with some larger puvblis sector employers) and, i believe, in canada. you can work 6 years for one employer and take a year out every seventh year (you must go back for an agreed period and part of your salary is used to fund the seventh year).
Posted by briggy | January 10, 2005 5:25 AM
Posted on January 10, 2005 05:25
Hmm, I am beginning more and more to wonder whether I should get big international company for which I work to send me to Britain.
I know the leave policies are different in the different countries, but not quite sure how.
Posted by Sivani | January 11, 2005 2:55 PM
Posted on January 11, 2005 14:55