Work - How motivated are you?
Discussion
OK my background is engineering. Apprenticeship, college, uni , etc. Worked my way up the ladder always wanting the salary and kudos of the Engineering Manager or Chief Engineer.
I managed to get there by 30 - Salary, car, pension etc but I hated the pressure, the responsibility, the hassle of being responsible for others and always having to answer to my director. I had a thought and with the support of my wife I quit my job and set up my own ltd company.
I find now that I have no desire to continually grow the business. I have a good customer base and can come and go as I please. I can work when I want and plan my work around the needs of family. Its great.
The pay off though is the money. It's perfectly fine mind, just not as much as it could be if I committed more time and effort to the business.
I find that now I have no motivation to get rich, no motivation to work long hours. I enjoy being home for 1630 and being off at weekends.
When I talk to many of my customers, a lot are working weekends, pushing for promotion, and trying hard to gain a higher position etc
I'm quite happy just bumfarting along, I am happy with what I have i.e. wife, children, home and car etc and have no real desire to push hard.
I do worry though that at my age of 39 I should have more drive, more ambition and more enthusiasm. I subscribe to that brilliant line from Mary Poppins 'Enough is as good as a feast'
Is anyone else happy with their lot in life and just treading water? Or is it just me who needs a rocket up my arse?
I managed to get there by 30 - Salary, car, pension etc but I hated the pressure, the responsibility, the hassle of being responsible for others and always having to answer to my director. I had a thought and with the support of my wife I quit my job and set up my own ltd company.
I find now that I have no desire to continually grow the business. I have a good customer base and can come and go as I please. I can work when I want and plan my work around the needs of family. Its great.
The pay off though is the money. It's perfectly fine mind, just not as much as it could be if I committed more time and effort to the business.
I find that now I have no motivation to get rich, no motivation to work long hours. I enjoy being home for 1630 and being off at weekends.
When I talk to many of my customers, a lot are working weekends, pushing for promotion, and trying hard to gain a higher position etc
I'm quite happy just bumfarting along, I am happy with what I have i.e. wife, children, home and car etc and have no real desire to push hard.
I do worry though that at my age of 39 I should have more drive, more ambition and more enthusiasm. I subscribe to that brilliant line from Mary Poppins 'Enough is as good as a feast'
Is anyone else happy with their lot in life and just treading water? Or is it just me who needs a rocket up my arse?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nif01WZ9aI
Good for you, as long as you happy. I have a bit of a crappy job that tbh I am crap at as i have now desire. Hoping to get back into being a motorsport mechanic as it's a job I love and am good at it.
Good for you, as long as you happy. I have a bit of a crappy job that tbh I am crap at as i have now desire. Hoping to get back into being a motorsport mechanic as it's a job I love and am good at it.
Not really, to have the time off to play rugby, fiddle with cars, ride my bike, go down the pub is much much more important than having a huge business empire.
Ive done 100 hours a week on more money than I could spend, and the 35 hour working week I do now is much better.
That said, wouldn't mind being paid more for what I do do....
Ive done 100 hours a week on more money than I could spend, and the 35 hour working week I do now is much better.
That said, wouldn't mind being paid more for what I do do....
Pig Skill said:
OK my background is engineering. Apprenticeship, college, uni , etc. Worked my way up the ladder always wanting the salary and kudos of the Engineering Manager or Chief Engineer.
I managed to get there by 30 - Salary, car, pension etc but I hated the pressure, the responsibility, the hassle of being responsible for others and always having to answer to my director. I had a thought and with the support of my wife I quit my job and set up my own ltd company.
I find now that I have no desire to continually grow the business. I have a good customer base and can come and go as I please. I can work when I want and plan my work around the needs of family. Its great.
The pay off though is the money. It's perfectly fine mind, just not as much as it could be if I committed more time and effort to the business.
I find that now I have no motivation to get rich, no motivation to work long hours. I enjoy being home for 1630 and being off at weekends.
When I talk to many of my customers, a lot are working weekends, pushing for promotion, and trying hard to gain a higher position etc
I'm quite happy just bumfarting along, I am happy with what I have i.e. wife, children, home and car etc and have no real desire to push hard.
I do worry though that at my age of 39 I should have more drive, more ambition and more enthusiasm. I subscribe to that brilliant line from Mary Poppins 'Enough is as good as a feast'
Is anyone else happy with their lot in life and just treading water? Or is it just me who needs a rocket up my arse?
Sounds good to me.I managed to get there by 30 - Salary, car, pension etc but I hated the pressure, the responsibility, the hassle of being responsible for others and always having to answer to my director. I had a thought and with the support of my wife I quit my job and set up my own ltd company.
I find now that I have no desire to continually grow the business. I have a good customer base and can come and go as I please. I can work when I want and plan my work around the needs of family. Its great.
The pay off though is the money. It's perfectly fine mind, just not as much as it could be if I committed more time and effort to the business.
I find that now I have no motivation to get rich, no motivation to work long hours. I enjoy being home for 1630 and being off at weekends.
When I talk to many of my customers, a lot are working weekends, pushing for promotion, and trying hard to gain a higher position etc
I'm quite happy just bumfarting along, I am happy with what I have i.e. wife, children, home and car etc and have no real desire to push hard.
I do worry though that at my age of 39 I should have more drive, more ambition and more enthusiasm. I subscribe to that brilliant line from Mary Poppins 'Enough is as good as a feast'
Is anyone else happy with their lot in life and just treading water? Or is it just me who needs a rocket up my arse?
I have nearly zero ambition or drive, but despite this I seem to be getting more and more work and, just recently responsibility, as time goes on. No idea why.
I would be the same as you if I had my own company; earn just enough whilst spending more time with the family.
Similar to me, but I suspect I'm older..
Also specialist engineering, 25 years ago I was working my b
ks off, 70 stressful hours a week, not seeing my wife and two young kids enough. But, earning stloads of money. But it was fun, until suddenly, for no distinct reason, it wasn't.
Change of career, 50 hour weeks, not too much stress, half the money, but still good rather than great. But I got my life back, and the job was more fun.
I worked my up the greasy pole again, but that took the fun away again, I don't enjoy management games and bullst. Changed jobs and went back to non management.
Brilliant. 40 hours, no silly games. Deliver the goods better than most, still enough money, and get up Monday mornings looking forward to work.
Also specialist engineering, 25 years ago I was working my b
ks off, 70 stressful hours a week, not seeing my wife and two young kids enough. But, earning stloads of money. But it was fun, until suddenly, for no distinct reason, it wasn't.Change of career, 50 hour weeks, not too much stress, half the money, but still good rather than great. But I got my life back, and the job was more fun.
I worked my up the greasy pole again, but that took the fun away again, I don't enjoy management games and bulls
t. Changed jobs and went back to non management.Brilliant. 40 hours, no silly games. Deliver the goods better than most, still enough money, and get up Monday mornings looking forward to work.
I'm motivated to provide for my family. Can work really long hours in the week, but rarely at the weekend.
A mechanic I use went badly down in my estimation recently when asked in the pub if one of our groupt could ask a question. Be replied as long as it's not about work. If he's not interested enough in his work to answer what might be a simple question I'm not sure I'm convinced in his interest in doing the work.
A mechanic I use went badly down in my estimation recently when asked in the pub if one of our groupt could ask a question. Be replied as long as it's not about work. If he's not interested enough in his work to answer what might be a simple question I'm not sure I'm convinced in his interest in doing the work.
If you are comfy with the money and happy with the level of the job then stick with it 
Personally I'm not as motivated as I could be, I joined a company last year on just above min. wage, had alot to learn so I didn't mind starting on crap money and working my way up (I'm a CAD technician).
To cut a long story short I'm now 12 months in, I've learnt alot yet the money is the same crap (I'm not the only one in the position). Where the hell is the motivation to try any harder when I KNOW there is nothing in it for me?
Personally I'm not as motivated as I could be, I joined a company last year on just above min. wage, had alot to learn so I didn't mind starting on crap money and working my way up (I'm a CAD technician).
To cut a long story short I'm now 12 months in, I've learnt alot yet the money is the same crap (I'm not the only one in the position). Where the hell is the motivation to try any harder when I KNOW there is nothing in it for me?
If you are able to work the hours you want, and maintain the lifestyle you want, then you have hit gold.
There is no point in doing more hours, adding more stress, seeing less of your family, just to change a number in a bank account.
The one regret I have in my life is not spending more time with my kids. No amount of money can buy back that time.
There is no point in doing more hours, adding more stress, seeing less of your family, just to change a number in a bank account.
The one regret I have in my life is not spending more time with my kids. No amount of money can buy back that time.
I am lucky as I am in a job that pays fairly well and I have a pension from the Army.
My motivation isn't high if I'm honest, I do enough but don't go mad as it doesn't get me anywhere. I have tried in the past, for 4 years I worked away and really put the effort in but sadly the boss seemed to have other priorities. Various lies and broken promises came and went followed by incredible man management decision that baffled me. So I stopped flogging myself and put the family and my sanity first.
Now I earn my pay but no more. Loyalty to the company is still there but not where it should be and I just do it to get me out of the house.
Shame really as I used to really enjoy it.
My motivation isn't high if I'm honest, I do enough but don't go mad as it doesn't get me anywhere. I have tried in the past, for 4 years I worked away and really put the effort in but sadly the boss seemed to have other priorities. Various lies and broken promises came and went followed by incredible man management decision that baffled me. So I stopped flogging myself and put the family and my sanity first.
Now I earn my pay but no more. Loyalty to the company is still there but not where it should be and I just do it to get me out of the house.
Shame really as I used to really enjoy it.
98elise said:
If you are able to work the hours you want, and maintain the lifestyle you want, then you have hit gold.
There is no point in doing more hours, adding more stress, seeing less of your family, just to change a number in a bank account.
The one regret I have in my life is not spending more time with my kids. No amount of money can buy back that time.
Yeah I agree there 98elise - children time is so precious and goes so quickly.There is no point in doing more hours, adding more stress, seeing less of your family, just to change a number in a bank account.
The one regret I have in my life is not spending more time with my kids. No amount of money can buy back that time.
I'm a fan of that old Harry Chapin song 'cats in the cradle' Such a sad song as there must be so many blokes just like him.
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AMG01 said:
Studio117 said:
Purely motivated by money.
Greasing the right wheels and working hard gives me a good wage without working 100 hour weeks and having no time off.
This, although I am enjoying the challenge recently but the management of staff is doing my head in, b@llocksGreasing the right wheels and working hard gives me a good wage without working 100 hour weeks and having no time off.
That way, he continued, you only need to think of four things a year.
I like to please some good colleagues that I have, so I'm fairly motivated. Just a shame a respectable work ethic on my part isn't being matched by a decent pay ethic on the part of my employer. They might as well just give my whole wage straight to my landlord and the utility companies every month!
MitchT said:
I like to please some good colleagues that I have, so I'm fairly motivated. Just a shame a respectable work ethic on my part isn't being matched by a decent pay ethic on the part of my employer. The money where I work offers no motivation whatsoever - they might as well just give the whole lot straight to my landlord and the utility companies every month!
Salaries have tanked in anything vaguely 'creative'. 20 years ago, account managers in London advertising agencies (my gig) were earning £30k, and guess what - they still are.
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