Work Life Balance?

[Flopsy]

Couple of mess tins and a hexamine block for me. A hedgehog rolled in clay. Use a log for a pillow just like the Romans. Youngsters today, hey?

A log!!! Pure luxury that. When we were little we had rocks for a pillow and a bed of brambles to sleep on. But you tell that to kids nowadays and they won't believe you!! lol Good old Monty Python!!!

Anyway, back in the real world....

This was supposed to be a very interesting thread about the difficult decision some us face about whether to pack in the rat race for a life less wealthy but (potentially) richer in other ways. However, it seems to have turned into a bit of contest into who's hardest!! Since when was wanting to be comfortable when you sleep a weakness?

Well I can rough it with the best of them with very little 'comforts' when needs be (camping holidays, races being stranded) but given a preference I'll go for a nice warm bed with fluffy pillow and thick duvet any day of the week. I prefer to wee in a toilet and have toilet roll than hover over stinging nettles and shake dry and there's a lot to be said for nice hot shower. And you know what I don't feel in the least bit that it's a weakness in me.

So back on subject I am still in debate. Continue in a job I hate but pay off my mortage in 10 years then retire and do something I enjoy (I'll be 50) or retrain and do something more rewarding now but have to keep working for much longer. For me it's not an easy decision. It's not about the level of comfort in my life or things I have it's about being able to live my life. My heart wants the latter my head the former. Don't know what to do :-(

[Ady In Accy]

Tomorrow I am going to try to sell myself into a new job with more hours (although more akin to a normal working week compared to current) and more pressure.............how hard should I try? Hate my current job but time off and pay is very good - I long for 8 hour days although I have seen people promoted onto days knocking out 50 hour+ weeks every week. I will play it as it comes and see what develops - I am strictly a work to live sort of person but living is becoming increasingly expensive!

[JohnK]

A luxulog!!!

Anyway, back in the real world....

This was supposed to be a very interesting thread about the difficult decision some us face about whether to pack in the rat race for a life less wealthy but (potentially) richer in other ways. However.


So back on subject I am still in debate. Continue in a job I hate but pay off my mortage in 10 years then retire and do something I enjoy (I'll be 50) or retrain and do something more rewarding now but have to keep working for much longer. For me it's not an easy decision. It's not about the level of comfort in my life or things I have it's about being able to live my life. My heart wants the latter my head the former. Don't know what to do :-(

Another consideration has to be whether any of us can guarantee another 10 years of life and i figure the answer is :- there are no Guarantee`s so best to live for now.

[dominion]

Tomorrow I am going to try to sell myself into a new job with more hours (although more akin to a normal working week compared to current) and more pressure.............how hard should I try? Hate my current job but time off and pay is very good - I long for 8 hour days although I have seen people promoted onto days knocking out 50 hour+ weeks every week. I will play it as it comes and see what develops - I am strictly a work to live sort of person but living is becoming increasingly expensive!

But the downside is no more mid week jollys when the hills / roads are quieter during the week?

[Duncan R]

For me, I believe that we intuitively know the right answer, but this often gets lost or obscured by 'interference' in terms of social convention/expectation & our fears and doubts, which are learned (if we were born with a fear of failure none of us would learn to walk "damn it, fell over again, what a loser i am"!). Whether it's dig in, pay off the mortgage or jump into something "more rewarding", I'm sure deep down, when you strip away the fear and expectation, we know what we have to do, it's a question of accessing that inner wisdom, making the call & throwing ourselves at it.

Well, that's what works for me, don't mean to sound all self helpish or new age as I'm not, but for all the well intentioned advice, the only one who really knows the context and implications is the one making the call. When were calm & at our best, we know. And anyway, even if a decision is wrong, make another one but better later, it's how we learn.

[emmilou]

Another consideration has to be whether any of us can guarantee another 10 years of life and i figure the answer is :- there are no Guarantee`s so best to live for now.

True...you never know what is round the corner....

For me, I believe that we intuitively know the right answer, but this often gets lost or obscured by 'interference' in terms of social convention/expectation & our fears and doubts, which are learned (if we were born with a fear of failure none of us would learn to walk "damn it, fell over again, what a loser i am"!). Whether it's dig in, pay off the mortgage or jump into something "more rewarding", I'm sure deep down, when you strip away the fear and expectation, we know what we have to do, it's a question of accessing that inner wisdom, making the call & throwing ourselves at it.

Food for thought. I understand what you are saying and yes fear I think does get in the way but then so can reality

[Rainbow]

Words of wisdom,duncs.

[wheezing donkey]

[QUOTE=Flopsy;334963]
Anyway, back in the real world....

This was supposed to be a very interesting thread about the difficult decision some us face about whether to pack in the rat race for a life less wealthy but (potentially) richer in other ways. However, it seems to have turned into a bit of contest into who's hardest!! Since when was wanting to be comfortable when you sleep a weakness?

Flopsy, that was not my intent!! What I was attempting to point out is that comfort becomes an obsession; so human nature then says, "Go for the more secure job with the bigger pay packet and then you can afford a bigger house, an automatic this, that and the other, a super deluxe king size bed etc, etc."
It is from following that very culture ( which for the most part, in the UK, involves migrating down to the Great Wem) that is the root cause of all the angst expressed on this thread.
I rejected it all in the early 70's having just served my apprenticeship as a Post Office Telephones ( as it then was ) telecomm technician. There were all sorts of alluring promotions on offer for those prepared to migrate south and my father was quite dismayed that I stayed rooted in Lancaster because my interests at the time were caving and hill walking. I'm still just a grade 'plonk' telephone engineer with a modest semi in Lancaster. I'll never be able to afford a fancy coach-built campervan but with a bit of ingenuity a basic commercial van can be adapted to give me the 'freedom' that I require; PROVIDED I AM NOT TOO OBSESSED ABOUT BEING SUPER DELUXE COMFORTABLE

[ZootHornRollo]

I'll never be able to afford a fancy coach-built campervan but with a bit of ingenuity a basic commercial van can be adapted to give me the 'freedom' that I require; PROVIDED I AM NOT TOO OBSESSED ABOUT BEING SUPER DELUXE COMFORTABLE

The flipside to that is, if I - and I suspect a lot of people - waited til I picked up the necessary know-how to convert a van, it would put off the lifestyle change for years.

We could all learn how to build our own vans from scratch, couldn't we? Where do you want to stop - smelting your own metal?

Now to me £5,000 for a S-H VW T4 would not be extravagant or a waste, given that I don't own a car full-stop and never have done.

[Flopsy]

lol I know Wheezing Donkey. I wasn't getting at you honest. It just seemed to progress into milk crates and slop buckets that's all, hence the old Monty Python sketch reference.

I actually agree with you in the fact that it is easy to get suckered into wanting more and more - I wouldn't say more comfort, just a more materialistic lifestyle. Some people actually want that though and that's fair enough, each to his own.

Personally I was broke 15 years ago, not a penny to my name, no job, nothing. It was really tough. A year ago I was on a pretty damn good wage, expensive house etc. Hasn't made me happy though. I'd say I'm more lonely. For me I don't want more and more but then I don't want to be broke either.

Ironically up until this week I was going to accept going back into another well paid job (I've just had 8 months off due to various problems including a major op) and we were just about to buy a new house that would mortgage ourselves up to the hilt. Last minute nerves hit. We withdrew our offer on the house, took our house off the market and I declined the job. I'm just not sure it's what I want anymore so before I make my next move I'm taking stock of what I want and what's realistic (an enormous hug to my amazingly supportive and understanding husband )

Thinking time. This thread has come at a time when it really is where I am at.