Koke Posted 17 March 2010 Posted 17 March 2010 Working 40+ hours a week for the rest of my life does not sit well with me. I am not equipped for that. I am 26 years old, and the thought of me doing 40 odd hours a week for the next forty years until I and become a weak and mobility-restricted senior citizen depresses me no end. I think too many people accept the status-quo and just accept that they are destined to get a job in a boring soul-destroying industry doing 40-50 hours a week for the rest of their lives, and whilst we purchase a shitload of useless material goods and services that we don't really need.. It's a system that was designed for us by the powers be. An insane level of aspiration that cannot be met is fostered so that everyone can stay on the treadmill to chase an illusion that one day it might be you with the private jets and a strip club in the basement of your Berkshire mansion. Too many people have bought those fake aspirations and bought into this soul-destroying pyramid scheme. Start at the bottom and you may get somewhere if you work your arse off for 15 years. Right. I quit my job last week and I am working out a plan to simplify my life to the point that I can live comfortably on a relatively small amount of income. It's the only solution I have been able to come up with.
the_fox Posted 17 March 2010 Posted 17 March 2010 That is the sanest thing I have read on here in ages. Good luck with your plan.
Webbo Posted 17 March 2010 Posted 17 March 2010 26 is a bit young for a midlife crisis isn't it? Nobody likes having to work for a living but unless we go back to living off the land and staying in caves I don't see what the alternative is.
purpleronnie Posted 17 March 2010 Posted 17 March 2010 I guess its really about doing something you feel passionate about.
Vacamion Posted 17 March 2010 Posted 17 March 2010 Work sucks. My job takes me to see people who don't work, who have never worked, who live off the state and who have a bigger and better TV than me. Many of them sit around stoned all day... They seem pretty content with it all.
Nick Posted 17 March 2010 Posted 17 March 2010 I guess its really about doing something you feel passionate about. This.
purpleronnie Posted 17 March 2010 Posted 17 March 2010 Work sucks. My job takes me to see people who don't work, who have never worked, who live off the state and who have a bigger and better TV than me. Many of them sit around stoned all day... They seem pretty content with it all. Would you be? I couln't do it. If you hate your job do something about it, its not easy, I did something and it was one of the best things I've done. Scarey but exciting at the same time.
Matt Posted 17 March 2010 Posted 17 March 2010 I guess its really about doing something you feel passionate about. This. The only bit that gets me down is talk of the retirement age being set back further and further - I love what I do but dread to imagine when the retirement age will be when/if I reach it, I also fear if i'll even recieve a pension, no doubt by the time I reach the age there probably won't even be one. Work sucks. My job takes me to see people who don't work, who have never worked, who live off the state and who have a bigger and better TV than me. Many of them sit around stoned all day... They seem pretty content with it all. However if it was for them you yourself wouldn't be in a job now would you? If you're not happy get another job...Oh it's not that easy to get a job at the moment is it
Koke Posted 17 March 2010 Author Posted 17 March 2010 Would you be? I couln't do it. If you hate your job do something about it, its not easy, I did something and it was one of the best things I've done. Scarey but exciting at the same time. I did do something about it. I quit my job. And I'm not on the dole. I've made some savings for rainy days like these, plus I do some youth work as well as some freelance work online. So that keeps a roof over my head and food on the table atm. But as I said, I am trying to come up with something that will simplify my life to the point that I can live comfortably on a relatively small amount of income. It's not the fact that I hated my job. It's the whole concept of working obscene hours whilst our quality of life decreases rapidly that bothers me hugely. For many, there are the obligations of just accepting the status-quo and buying into the economic system of debt bondage, materialism and over-working. The whole banality of British working life depresses me - the social decay and isolation, the debt bondage, the over working till you drop dead etc. For many people work is their life - if someone works up to 50 hours a week, like many do, they can twist it as they may, they are literally owned; their work is their life.
dandannieldanok Posted 17 March 2010 Posted 17 March 2010 I'm not looking forward to working when I leave uni in 2 and a bit years, but it's got to be done .......unless I can win the lotto.
StanSP Posted 17 March 2010 Posted 17 March 2010 I'm not looking forward to working when I leave uni in 2 and a bit years, but it's got to be done .......unless I can win the lotto. Me neither. Although it will hopefully be something I'm passionate about, working about 45-50 years I presume can get repetitive and boring...
Matt Posted 17 March 2010 Posted 17 March 2010 I'm not looking forward to working when I leave uni in 2 and a bit years, but it's got to be done .......unless I can win the lotto. Do another course? That's what a few people I know have done to starve of the reality of getting a job for a few extra years (and what pisses me off about the whole uni/student/doss opinion/predjudice to some extent I have, they aren't even do some to further the course/career they have already done, it's something totally different) I know not all are like that, I know it's just a minority that do this tbh, they are only putting themselves in a worse position though, getting themselves into more debt the way I see it.
CosbehFox Posted 17 March 2010 Posted 17 March 2010 Do another course? That's what a few people I know have done to starve of the reality of getting a job for a few extra years (and what pisses me off about the whole uni/student/doss opinion/predjudice to some extent I have, they aren't even do some to further the course/career they have already done, it's something totally different) I know not all are like that, I know it's just a minority that do this tbh, they are only putting themselves in a worse position though, getting themselves into more debt the way I see it. I can see your point but a lot of graduate students had little choice this summer. If I won the lotto, I'd done something daft like set up a shop or pump some money into a non-league football club. Still be work I suppose.
AmericanScott Posted 18 March 2010 Posted 18 March 2010 the thread title fits the remainder of my working week well. 9-8 today and 9-7 Saturday
Monk Posted 18 March 2010 Posted 18 March 2010 2 books for you that tie in with this: The four hour work week by Tim Ferris (fourhourblog.com) Escape from cubicle nation by Pamela Slim (escapefromcubiclenation.com) Also reccommend Steve Palvina's blog. It's a brave move, I hope it works out for you. Don't know what your field is but for freelance work check out elance.com which is kinda an ebay for skills. Good luck, something I've wanted to do for ages.
lou Posted 18 March 2010 Posted 18 March 2010 I like working...... yeah I have my bad days and some Sunday nights get very depressed thinking about Monday morning but once Im there its fine. I like being out doing something with my brain, I like the company of others (on the whole). I have had a couple of periods of long term sickness and time at home with the kids and to be honest the reality was not as rosy as people think. I got bored and soon found I had very little to talk to people about as I wasnt doing anything constructive with my time. Yes I went out to the gym etc bit its not the same. Ideally Id love to work 3 days a week and be off for 4 as the weekends are never long enough but Id rather be at work than not at all. Saying that Im delighted that you have got your plan in place and are doing something to implement it. I sincerely hope you are happy and fulfilled whatever you end up doing
Katy Posted 18 March 2010 Posted 18 March 2010 Working 40+ hours a week for the rest of my life does not sit well with me. I am not equipped for that. I am 26 years old, and the thought of me doing 40 odd hours a week for the next forty years until I and become a weak and mobility-restricted senior citizen depresses me no end. I think too many people accept the status-quo and just accept that they are destined to get a job in a boring soul-destroying industry doing 40-50 hours a week for the rest of their lives, and whilst we purchase a shitload of useless material goods and services that we don't really need.. It's a system that was designed for us by the powers be. An insane level of aspiration that cannot be met is fostered so that everyone can stay on the treadmill to chase an illusion that one day it might be you with the private jets and a strip club in the basement of your Berkshire mansion. Too many people have bought those fake aspirations and bought into this soul-destroying pyramid scheme. Start at the bottom and you may get somewhere if you work your arse off for 15 years. Right. I quit my job last week and I am working out a plan to simplify my life to the point that I can live comfortably on a relatively small amount of income. It's the only solution I have been able to come up with. Good for you Kareem, I hope it all works out for you. I'm at University to try and do something a bit more constructive with my life, although I know it doesn't always pan out like that. I admire your passion to make a change, I don't think I'm cut out for the rat race either so I am going to use my degree in a different way.
Ford Super Sunday Posted 18 March 2010 Posted 18 March 2010 Like some have said, leaving university it daunting. Having to go into a full-time job where you don't get flexible, sparse hours where you can have more leisure time than work. Sometimes I wish i'd done a degree which almost gaurantees you a job when you leave, but alas I did not. I am determined not to be on the dole and unemployed for a long, long time when I finish, i'd feel terrible and down. I have already been looking at opportunities in China and other countries for when I graduate. As much as it would kill me not to be able to go and watch Leicester every week, i'd much rather be 5000 miles away working, than on JSA getting to watch my football club.
Matt Posted 18 March 2010 Posted 18 March 2010 It's finding a happy medium, which alot of people can't find. When you're in work you think of plenty better things you could be doing and enjoying, when you're out of work theres plenty of things you could be doing and enjoying yet most of the time you have no money to do those things, you get bored and would rather be in work, I do anyway. I enjoy what I do, and can live more than happily on my basic hours, I only do my basic hours despite having been asked in the past to do overtime. Which imo was the reason for me being made redundant a just under a year ago, the fact I didn't really do alot of overtime was frownd upon. Alot of people I know tell me about the amount of hours they've done every week and it's just stupid, crazy amounts, they then say "Ah i'll be loaded now", yet the work all the hours they can followed by working Saturdays and sometime Sundays, my opinion is fair enough they've earnt alot and working hard well done, but working all hours, 6 sometimes 7 days a week - When are they going to enjoy all that they earn? Maybe they can enjoy life a little more when they are older? I don't know, Also something I don't get is when I then ask then if they want to go somewhere or do something they have "No money"...How's that work? When working I do my hours, get paid, do what I want and have some money left over to things I enjoy.
foxoffderby Posted 18 March 2010 Posted 18 March 2010 Some interesting points made by all. Working for many isn't easy, many of us don't like to do it but its a means to an end. To jack it in when the country is in such a bad shape, some would say is very brave others would say its fool hardy. I graduated in the early 90's in IT did the London thing, decided it wasent for me. I decided to work for myself in a different field all together. Since then i've been working on and off 7 days week for the last 10 years. I made a consious decesion that I wanted to retire by the time im 50. In the past 10 years i've invested in commercial and domestic property as well as having my own business to achive my personal goals. What im trying to say is in life you can achive as little or as much as you want. Its upto you, this country gives you that chance. If material things dont motivate you I appreciate that then good luck to you each to their own. Just be careful though as things will change in your life. Just dont have any regrets.
Guest Posted 18 March 2010 Posted 18 March 2010 Sir F has said he wants to retire by the time he's 50. His plan is to see his wife through Uni, wait until she qualifies as a barrister, and then possibly become a judge. Not only will he be able to live off his wife's earnings, she will be out of the way as judges are usually ancient. A well thought out plan.
lou Posted 18 March 2010 Posted 18 March 2010 Sir F has said he wants to retire by the time he's 50. His plan is to see his wife through Uni, wait until she qualifies as a barrister, and then possibly become a judge. Not only will he be able to live off his wife's earnings, she will be out of the way as judges are usually ancient. A well thought out plan. Somebody should alert his wife to his evil plans!
Darkzzz_ Posted 18 March 2010 Posted 18 March 2010 Excellent post Kareem and I really admire what you have done, it takes balls to get up and do what you have done and I respect that. I feel similar but I think I have too many excuses in my life to do something about it, I will be making changes very soon for sure. All the best with whatever you do.
Trav Le Bleu Posted 18 March 2010 Posted 18 March 2010 Nice move Kareem, didn't have you tagged as someone who would give up on chasing the dollar. Myself, I think it's all about contentment and one of the things that helps me is not buying magazines that show me the latest games, the latest films, the latest gadgets... none of which I actually need. I often think that these people who earn £100,000 a week (I'm looking at you Premiership footballers), if I earned the same, I'd work 30 mins for a few hundred... you know, like a lot of Premiership footballers do. All the best in your endeavours, just don't father any children, which will seriously pull the rug from under your feet!
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