Is work just too much fun?

**disneysteve** · 10-20-2016, 03:56 AM

I'm glad that you're happy with your decision to go back to work. Some people aren't cut out for retirement. I can't help but point out how much of what you posted is very personal to you and can't be expressed as a generalization that applies to others.

Originally posted by sv2007 View Post

- In retirement, you realize just how much you interact with your co-workers even after work.

I never, ever interact with my coworkers after work. The closest I came is one time when I ran into my receptionist at WalMart while shopping.

- Work is a lot more fun than staying at home

For you, which is fine. Me? I'd much rather be home. I have many interests outside of work that I don't have time to pursue as much as I'd like to.

Retirement doesn't really give you any more time.

Of course it gives you more time. There's no debating that. If you get an extra 8+ hours in your day, you've got more time. How you manage and use that time is up to you.

(and lose some valuable stock incentives).

Most people don't have stock options at their job. I don't. I don't even have a retirement plan at my job.

**rennigade** · 10-20-2016, 04:36 AM

Originally posted by sv2007 View Post

- Work is a lot more fun than staying at home; you want to show off once in a while and there's just not a whole lot of opportunities at home.

Find some hobbies

- No more weird looks from people when you tell them that you're retired. (I'm kind of young compared to normal retirement age)

Grow a spine.

- still have time to fit everything in when working. Retirement doesn't really give you any more time.

Find some hobbies

**DaveInPgh** · 10-20-2016, 04:42 AM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

I can't help but point out how much of what you posted is very personal to you and can't be expressed as a generalization that applies to others.

I can't help but point out how much of the above is true for most of his SA statements.

**disneysteve** · 10-20-2016, 04:50 AM

Originally posted by DaveInPgh View Post

I can't help but point out how much of the above is true for most of his SA statements.

I think there are many people who define themselves through their work. There's nothing at all wrong with that, but those people struggle to find purpose when they retire regardless of their age at the time.

I'm not one of those people. I enjoy my work but it doesn't define who I am. I'm what folks used to call a Renaissance Man. I have many varied interests and talents. There are a lot of things I enjoy doing and a lot of ways I enjoy spending my time.

Although I've never been retired, I was between jobs for several months at one point and I was the happiest and most relaxed I've ever been as an adult. I didn't have to wake up early. I got to spend time with my family, volunteer at my temple, work around the house, sell on ebay a lot, travel, and do various other things that there simply isn't time for when you're working 40+ hours a week. But I totally recognize that other people are miserable and can't find a place for themselves when they aren't working. Again, neither is right or wrong. It just depends on your personality.

**disneysteve** · 10-20-2016, 04:55 AM

Originally posted by rennigade View Post

Find some hobbies

This is good advice, but it's also difficult advice. How does one "find" a hobby. Most of us who have hobbies have probably been doing them for years, perhaps even since childhood, and maybe we adopted them because our parents did them before us.

For an adult with no hobbies to sit down and start one is kind of tough. You might have some clues as to things you like to do, but you might be totally surprised when you try something and fall in love with it or discover a hidden talent you didn't know you had.

My wife is a perfect example. A friend who quilts took her along to a quilt shop a few years ago. My wife decided to buy a little quilt kit just to have something to do. Fast forward to now and she has been quilting for several years, has made some beautiful items, has earned a few thousand dollars selling quilted and sewn items to friends and family, has set up at a couple of craft shows, and spends a decent amount of time on her new found hobby. But if you would have suggested to her 5 years ago that she should take up quilting, she would have thought you were nuts.

**Jluke** · 10-20-2016, 05:03 AM

are you still in the honeymoon phase with being back at work?

when I take some vacation time it feels good to be back, but then reality sets in pretty quickly.

check back with us in a week or two and let us know if you still feel the same about work.

**DaveInPgh** · 10-20-2016, 05:09 AM

Originally posted by Jluke View Post

when I take some vacation time it feels good to be back, but then reality sets in pretty quickly.

For me it sets in the night before my return to work.

**disneysteve** · 10-20-2016, 05:17 AM

Originally posted by Jluke View Post

are you still in the honeymoon phase with being back at work?

when I take some vacation time it feels good to be back, but then reality sets in pretty quickly.

That's also true when you start a new job.

I started a new PT job in May. I was totally into it and really gung ho to sign up for shifts whenever I could. We often get texts with shifts that need to be covered and I was jumping at them every chance I got.

Now, a few months later, the novelty has worn off. I'm doing a couple of shifts per week but I've learned where my limit is with working too many hours and just feeling exhausted by it. I'm not 25 anymore and don't really want to be working 60+ hours a week no matter how good the money is. I've also had a couple of shifts that were crazy busy and knocked down my enthusiasm a bit. At this point, I've pretty much settled into doing 1-2 nights/week and 1 Saturday/month. The job is a gold mine because if I ever need a few extra dollars, there are always shifts available, but I needed to find a good balance between work and home life.

**sv2007** · 10-20-2016, 06:46 PM

I think the big difference is that my work IS one of my hobbies.

Do you enjoy solving math puzzles when you were a kid? Well, I did, and work is very much like it although the work puzzles are a more crude form, but none the less it is fun to solve. And the best part is... there's really no solutions so you are always right : )

As for stock incentives, it applies to pretty much everybody in tech here (even HR people). Pick a decent company and work there for 5-7 years, you'll probably have $500k-$1m in stock alone (oh, assuming you are a top performer). If you're lucky and join a good company, I have friends who's made $2m in just 3 years. It is almost like the dot-com boom right now.

Anyway, typing this reminded me of one of the first puzzle books that I read (when I was in middle school). I used to love that book. I think you might enjoy it --

Amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/Wheels-Life-Other-Mathematical-Amusements/dp/0716715880

**sv2007** · 10-20-2016, 07:28 PM

Originally posted by Jluke View Post

are you still in the honeymoon phase with being back at work?

when I take some vacation time it feels good to be back, but then reality sets in pretty quickly.

check back with us in a week or two and let us know if you still feel the same about work.

Work is not super fun the first few months; at least it isn't for me. I'm under pressure to perform (my own pressure, which is actually more pressing than any work pressure).

Here's a secret: Pick a very serious problems (performance, stability, security) but not a show stopper, and take ownership. Then solve it in the first month or 2.

So I work like mad, reading tons of specs, attend all reviews/meetings. Currently, I have 200MB of stuff I want to read this weekend (that's a lot, just think in terms of text HTML/PDF/Word docs). In fact, I'm taking a break from reading right now.

Sometimes during the reading, you find design flaws; this is good, just bring it up at the next meeting to schedule a new one to discuss it.

Way back, I fixed a dead lock issue within 1st week on the job. They didn't know there was a deadlock, just that things are running terribly (poor performance) since there was auto deadlock resolve. This was one of the best companies to work for during the dot-com boom, so they aren't short on people. I was asked to investigate maybe optimize. My spidey sense told me "deadlock" so I worked day and night. I know it'll solve a lot of their problems (they were putting in optimizations everywhere due to this issue). What I found was, even after 1.5 years, my accomplishment was still being talking about among management (new managers are briefed on the "miracle". From then on, I've learned.

Every job, work very hard in the beginning, the rewards are very good when you establish yourself early.

**DaveInPgh** · 10-20-2016, 07:35 PM

Originally posted by sv2007 View Post

Do you enjoy solving math puzzles when you were a kid? Well, I did, and work is very much like it although the work puzzles are a more crude form, but none the less it is fun to solve. And the best part is... there's really no solutions so you are always right : )

Originally posted by sv2007 View Post

Here's a secret: Pick a very serious problems (performance, stability, security) but not a show stopper, and take ownership. Then solve it in the first month or 2.

Solve the problem there is no solution to?

Seriously, do you ever proof read what you write to see if it makes sense? Or do you just ramble off a bunch of nonsense and click "submit reply?"

I know. Your reply won't really answer my question and you will comment I won't have much success in life.

**sv2007** · 10-20-2016, 07:44 PM

Originally posted by rennigade View Post

Find some hobbies

Actually, I think I may have too many hobbies. I think I'd be happier if I have fewer hobbies but being very, very good at them.

But work is very enjoyable (except the time when I was a manager, I'm not a people-managing person). I kind of look forward to Mondays (sick, I know : )

As for hobbies; I think everybody has them. Some people may not even know that they have one (or two or more)!

**sv2007** · 10-20-2016, 07:57 PM

Originally posted by DaveInPgh View Post

Solve the problem there is no solution to?

Seriously, do you ever proof read what you write to see if it makes sense? Or do you just ramble off a bunch of nonsense and click "submit reply?"

I know. Your reply won't really answer my question and you will comment I won't have much success in life.

Most problems companies face have no real solutions. These aren't math problems, which are beautiful. Beside, more of the time, we are after good-enough solutions (not even the best solution, because frankly we don't even know what is best). The solution changes with time too, what was good today may not be good enough tomorrow; so a decent solution should also account for this change.

Problems occur at all levels, so everybody has the chance to prove him/herself. But generally only the very simple problems really have a solution.

**sv2007** · 10-20-2016, 08:02 PM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

How does one "find" a hobby. Most of us who have hobbies have probably been doing them for years, perhaps even since childhood, and maybe we adopted them because our parents did them before us.

There are very many hobbies that one finds during adulthood. Many bring on life-long friendships because you and your friends depend on mutual support, so in a way you trust them with your life. These are not child's hobbies; no these are not stamp collecting.

I may actually have experienced more than most on this board in terms of life experience; at least that is generally the case at work with coworkers. I'm like the jack of all trades but master of not many.

Is work just too much fun?