Doing what you love for a living

So from that are you happy with your job thread, I'm determined to find something I WANT to do, something I LOVE to do and make money from it. Like one of the posters said, life is too **** short to do what you hate! I googled how to find what you love and this article came up [U][URL]http://briankim.net/blog/2006/07/how-to-find-what-you-love-to-do/[/URL][/U]

It's got some great ideas and exercises in that has given me some direction but I'm still kind of hesitant in pulling the trigger. Will I be happy doing what I love but barely make money to survive? Is it better to get that high paying job even though it's a job you hate? Feel like I'm having some sort of life crisis.

Bump. Surely there must be somebody who managed to escape the 9-5 grind.

[QUOTE=BigWhopper;496499]Bump. Surely there must be somebody who managed to escape the 9-5 grind.[/QUOTE] if you plan on finding a job that you will love, my advice to you would be, start looking for that job before you find the young lady that you want to spend the rest of your life with. because after you get married and start a family, you will be like everyone else, any job that will pay the bills and then you can't afford to quit it,to take a chance on something that may not pay the bills. and the 9-5 thing is something I know nothing about, and I've worked 40 years, up and leave home at 5:30am drive 1 and half hours to work, work 10 or 12 hours a day depending on the job but never less than 10 drive 1 and half hours back home. a 9-5 would be like a part time job. I just threw that out there for you, hope you find what will please you. but like I said, do it before you have a family depending on you.

True words from waterdog there...

Before I got married and had a kid, I was much more open to go wherever, do whatever, and take more chances. Now, with a wife, a little girl looking up out of the crib at me, a dog, and a mortgage...stuff gets a little real. It's great, don't get me wrong, but I also can't just pack up my crap and head to Colorado to become a trout fishing guide or something. (I couldn't anyway, because I **** at fly fishing, but you get my point. LOL) I've got a job, it pays everyone standing there with their hand out, and I have to keep it that way...especially in today's economy.

Good luck man!

What was the old 9:00 to 5:00 is now referred to as sun up till sun down...the only bit of food for thought I can give is this; "If you find something you love doing and by doing it are able to provide for yourself, those dependant up on you and give freely to charity every now and then, then you'll never have to work a day in your life."

[QUOTE=BigWhopper;494604]So from that are you happy with your job thread, I'm determined to find something I WANT to do, something I LOVE to do and make money from it. Like one of the posters said, life is too **** short to do what you hate! I googled how to find what you love and this article came up [U][URL]http://briankim.net/blog/2006/07/how-to-find-what-you-love-to-do/[/URL][/U]

It's got some great ideas and exercises in that has given me some direction but I'm still kind of hesitant in pulling the trigger. Will I be happy doing what I love but barely make money to survive? Is it better to get that high paying job even though it's a job you hate? Feel like I'm having some sort of life crisis.[/QUOTE]

I don't think a person can find a job they love to do until they determine why they hate their current job. Is it the actual work or is it the work environment or do you hate the people you have to answer to? I have told many people that, regardless of what you think of your job, whether you love it or hate it, there is someone who will always be the sandpaper on your @$$. You have to grow some thick skin and don't get upset easily over certain things that are said to you.

Each individual must decide how much money they are willing to work for. That is usually determined by how close to the edge they try to live, spend every dollar a person makes or try to save some. We do not live so close to the edge that we don't have extra money in the bank in case of emergencies. We have a bank account with a minimum of one year's salary that we do not touch. I don't buy a new car every 2-3 years, the one I drive has 56k miles and it's not worn out or beaten up, I don't have outstanding debts, my monthly payments consist of utilities, cable, and insurance bills and monthly donations to charity. I don't shop until I drop but buy items as they are needed. We can afford to dine at nice restaurants on a spur of the moment instead of having to save until we get enough money to go. All this didn't just fall into our lap; it is blessings that came with careful and deliberate planning for years. We had to make sacrifices in the beginning in order to enjoy the benefits now.

If I could give you something to remember it is this: NOBODY starts out at the top of the corporate ladder, you ascend one step at a time. Be careful that you don't step on another employees hands or head on your way up...he may be your boss the next time you meet him.

[QUOTE=BigWhopper;494604]So from that are you happy with your job thread, I'm determined to find something I WANT to do, something I LOVE to do and make money from it. Like one of the posters said, life is too **** short to do what you hate! I googled how to find what you love and this article came up [U][URL]http://briankim.net/blog/2006/07/how-to-find-what-you-love-to-do/[/URL][/U]

It's got some great ideas and exercises in that has given me some direction but I'm still kind of hesitant in pulling the trigger. Will I be happy doing what I love but barely make money to survive? Is it better to get that high paying job even though it's a job you hate? Feel like I'm having some sort of life crisis.[/QUOTE]

If I had to choose I would rather do the job I hate and make big money. Money doesn't buy happiness but it makes misery tolerable! Money is what makes the world go round not happiness(JMO). If you have an opportunity to make good money "legally" then you have to try it. I mean if you make 6 figures and want to stash away for a rainy day you prolly could if your not out of control but if you making 30-40k a year it gets harder.

Consider retirement! I've enjoyed every minute since august 1993.

[QUOTE=kygorski;496602]Consider retirement! I've enjoyed every minute since august 1993.[/QUOTE] I can't hardly wait, I have 3 years to go. and if Ronald Reagan hadn't like the working man so much, that he fixed it so we all could work another year. by raising the retirement age. I would only have to work 2 more years.

I had enough points for retirement,and then they made all of us technicians[6], A nice raise, and a pager! Then came a buy out offer, one catch, needed to train two replacements[one was my former plant manager]. 32 weeks of full pay, company paid the difference between social security and my full social security benefit till I reached 6, very good benefits, and could leave my 401 k in till age 62. talked to my wife about it, and was 57 and no longer employed.

If you are going to be self employed, the government is going to love you. Everyone should be self employed at least once in their life. Gives you a hole new out look on government. I will never forget the first time I met my tax lady. She asked what I did for a living, and her response was, "the government is going to love you". Not meant to be a positive statement. I've always been self employed except for a few stints in factories and the unions that came with it. It is so much more enjoyable to be your own boss. The government is the one that provides the headaches.

I was thinking of being a fishing guide[cousin is one], my son was going to bank roll me the first year. then we took a couple of charters together.Bad weather came in, fish were scattered,and the guides worked their butts of to please us. And we were considered better than average customers.There are better ways eo make a living. My son is now a teacher, BUT has a secong job, self employed antique dealer, just to pay social secururity, in case the state he lives in goes into default on his pension plan.