So I know this guy that's trudged through varying jobs throughout his adult years. He's spent the last 20 years working for 5 different companies and working to make fairly good money most of the time. Each of those companies and jobs were not directly related to each other. His dilema is that he just does not enjoy what he is doing. There is no fullfillment.

Surely, someone out there has found a way to do something they really enjoy and make a decent living out of it.

So how does a person make a good living doing something they really enjoy?

 

when i first got started in the work force i became a landscaper,,,never enjoyed but traveling around place to place thru life enjoyment is a mind attitude,,,,wet leave clean ups were never fun but we acted like they were the summers were the best seeing cuties half naked sun bathing

 

Its the age old question...Like what you are doing or do what you like?


I started throwing the Fort Worth Star Telegram newspaper in a apartment complex when I was 14...That was in the A.M., In the evenings I worked at a Dairy Queen. Both were fun and both created very interesting life events...


At 16 & 17 I was working in the shoe dept. of "Monkey Wards" (Montgomery Wards for you young folks). THAT was more enjoyment than a 16 year old should ever be allowed to have.


Then I was in the photography industry. Specifically in...wait for it...Church Directory programs...Met two wives as a direct result....not to mention a nice assortment of practice wives.


The USAF was wedged in there and I sure am glad I did that.


Then I was in the Ready-Mix concrete industry.That was fun but, after 5+ years it was time to move on due to the heavy entertaining and subsequent drinking competitions...Believe it or not, that got old.


Then on to industrial / manufacturing sales & General Management, which ultimately led to the ownership of my own business. While it is the hardest I have ever worked it is the most satisfying.


I often awake at 3 in the morning with business on my mind. Design, money matters, planning, money matters, production, money matters...the list goes on. But, there is the sense of fulfillment in regards to cutting your own path and creating a tangible product and living opportunities for other people. Even if just for a few.


The key is to try and enjoy all that you do. There is no harm in moving around, especially, if you can satisfy your self-esteem, ego, and financial needs. If you are lucky, you just might accidently run into something that sticks.

 

Two ways, first learn to enjoy the job you have, jobs suck, that's why they pay you to do it, you have to learn to be happy anyway. Second figure out what challenges you like taking on that you can make a living at, this is much harder and often less money.

I recently changed to trucking, it's nice I'm outside all day in a way, yet not out in the weather much. Every day has it's own unique challenges that I enjoy overcoming. I really think that is a key to happiness in a job, a challenge that you enjoy overcoming.

 

I spent 24 years in the Coast Guard and knowing that at my 30 year point, I would be asked to go home, I decided to retire so I would be young enough to compete for a decent living. Industrialized foodservice is my passion and that means feeding a crew, a prison population, etc. Unfortunately the hours are long the pay sucks as a civilian. That's not fun no matter how much you like the work.

I started carrying mail for the USPS 9 years ago and while I loathe the postal organization I love the work and pay. I love working outdoors almost in complete autonomy. I enjoy my customers and I feel a sense of accomplishment at weeks end.

I think every job has it's good points and bad points making it incumbent on the employee to find a sense of happiness or contentment with his / her work.

 

They say do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life. I say BS. I like working on vehicles, but when I do that all day the last thing I want to do is work on my own stuff.
Instead, do what you can tolerate or make enough money at to put up with but do a good job at it. Save what you like for your time off.

 

growing up there was always the story,,, shoe maker has shoes with holes,,,the mechanics cars broke,,, etc..

 

good luck buddy,I'll be there in a couple months. Love my current job,been there 20 years,but they are moving to a different state. No other jobs around here even closely resmeble it. Think I'll take some time off

 

i searched for a few years, but nothing really "tickled my fancy"
then one day the guy i was working for asked me if i could move a couple of forklifts from the warehouse to the trade them in, and pick up new ones with one of the box trucks.
since i like to drive i said sure.
3 days later i was driving a truck and have not looked back.
i ran my own heavy equipment escort service for close to 20 years until the bottom fell out of trucking, then when to driving in the construction industry.
in the past 40 years, i feel i have only really worked only 20-30 days.
the rest of the time i just get paid to go ride around, burn some fuel, and put some miles on the truck.

 

It has a lot to do with being able to stand back, admire your work and have pride in it, and know others will use it and depend on it daily to do their jobs.
It helps to have great people to work with and know they have your back and vise-versa.

 

you dont,,,,when was it ever fun to go to work

 

I think this is what really drew me to metalworking. Being able to take a raw material, cut, bend, weld and polish it into something was really fulfilling. Plus I generally didn't need to do that after hours at home.

 

I work for a telephone company and love my job, although there are days I would rather be be home. Guys I work with hate there jobs, so have a job you enjoy is not an easy task. But good luck to your friend.

 

To start with, he's still pretty lucky -- a lot of people think that their jobs suck and they make small money

But, I'd guess that you have to figure out what you like to do that you have skills for.

I was lucky -- I always wanted to interested electronics and computers -- and I was able to find work in that area. I also wanted to be a designer, but I never really got into that. Eventually, I realized that I didn't really want to do product design as such. Since I often worked in test and quality, I did get to do 'design hacking' to make various types of testers. Much more satisfying for my basically undisciplined character.

What I'm trying to say is that i think that there are two parts to this deal. Finding a field that has some interest, and finding work that matches your personality and abilities.

Basically, you need to understand yourself a bit. Do you like to lead or follow, talk or do, create or analyze -- things like that. Along with that, what are you actually good at. I love working on cars ( sometimes), but I'd starve as a mechanic --and I wouldn't like the 'fix it quick' environment. But, I might do all right in collecting and analyzing data in an engineering environment. It just depends.

just my .02
hj

 

spend everyday searching for it until it's found.you've got to take life by the horns and steer it where you want to go.don't let anyone or anything discourage you and never give up on finding it.not even for a single day.when you find it,you'll know it.it simply wont feel like work at all.when you find what you love doing,you'll love doing it so much that,that's where you'll want to be and doing what your doing,that you'll constantly pause and say to yourself; there's no other place id want to be right now,and nothing else id rather be doing.
you find that and don't give up until you do.don't worry too much (within reason) with what it pays.if you find the thing you love the most,you'll be in constant thought about it figuring out new ways to make it more profitable for you.live within your means and don't tap yourself out trying to keep up with the Joneses.that's not where true happiness lies.
the saying is true.find what you love and you'll never work a day in your life.for those who disagree,you just haven't found it yet.so keep looking! life is way too short.don't let one day go buy without the pursuit of happiness.