Is the saying "find a job that you love" one of the biggest cliches ever?

[darienpeak]

You know this is a really funny question. I am actually really happy when I am not working. When I exercise, follow sports, and talk to people. However I don't consider work to be very enjoyable.
I do wonder if I should become a personal trainer.

At least you didn't say, I wonder if I should be a DJ.

Seriously, though, maybe PT is your calling. If you can do that and tolerate with equanimity the comes-late-and-reschedules-all-the-time-and-pays-late-occasionally, the knowitall-agrees-with-your-approach-except-for-xyz, the whiningly-defensive-why-am-I-here-and-why-aren't-you-helping-me, the creepily-leers-at-you, and the vaguely-hints-around-"supplements" customers you eventually (inevitably?) get, and keep these assorted crazies more or less happy within your boundaries, you've got it made. (Probably others would have better insights into personality-disordered personal training clients than I, but you get my point.)

If you like the basic work, those annoyances will seem minimal, even though they would be frustrating to others, and become, Oh, whatever, that's just life.....

[GuyInTaiwan]

Another point might be that maybe some people really are in the wrong place. You can do the right thing in the wrong place and be frustrated as a result.

Finley's point is not to be overlooked. If you're not up to your eyeballs in debt from buying crap you don't need, it does give you a lot more freedom to choose your working conditions. Being financially independent is not about being able to get more stuff, it's about being able to do more stuff, or more precisely, do more of the stuff you like, and less (or even none) of the stuff you don't like.

[steelersman]

Another point might be that maybe some people really are in the wrong place. You can do the right thing in the wrong place and be frustrated as a result.

Finley's point is not to be overlooked. If you're not up to your eyeballs in debt from buying crap you don't need, it does give you a lot more freedom to choose your working conditions. Being financially independent is not about being able to get more stuff, it's about being able to do more stuff, or more precisely, do more of the stuff you like, and less (or even none) of the stuff you don't like.

Yes, I agree. Luckily I don't have a mortgage or car payment. I could move to Thailand, Russia, Poland, China, etc tomorrow. I could start another degree at a state university tomorrow and probably not go in debt. My personal problem is most likely too many choices.

[GuyInTaiwan]

In some ways, that's an enviable position to be in then!

[headhonchoII]

Another point might be that maybe some people really are in the wrong place. You can do the right thing in the wrong place and be frustrated as a result.

Finley's point is not to be overlooked. If you're not up to your eyeballs in debt from buying crap you don't need, it does give you a lot more freedom to choose your working conditions. Being financially independent is not about being able to get more stuff, it's about being able to do more stuff, or more precisely, do more of the stuff you like, and less (or even none) of the stuff you don't like.

Yes, I agree. Luckily I don't have a mortgage or car payment. I could move to Thailand, Russia, Poland, China, etc tomorrow. I could start another degree at a state university tomorrow and probably not go in debt. My personal problem is most likely too many choices.

Get married and have kids, that'll narrow down your choices no end.

[steelersman]

Another point might be that maybe some people really are in the wrong place. You can do the right thing in the wrong place and be frustrated as a result.

Finley's point is not to be overlooked. If you're not up to your eyeballs in debt from buying crap you don't need, it does give you a lot more freedom to choose your working conditions. Being financially independent is not about being able to get more stuff, it's about being able to do more stuff, or more precisely, do more of the stuff you like, and less (or even none) of the stuff you don't like.

Yes, I agree. Luckily I don't have a mortgage or car payment. I could move to Thailand, Russia, Poland, China, etc tomorrow. I could start another degree at a state university tomorrow and probably not go in debt. My personal problem is most likely too many choices.

Get married and have kids, that'll narrow down your choices no end.

That is certainly true!

[Gao Bohan]

I don't know that it's that rare. I certainly fit into the category of someone who'd be doing the same thing if I had enough money to afford not to, and could say the same about most of colleagues as well as a number of people in related fields. I think there are a lot more people than you'd expect who love their jobs.

Gallup and other polling companies periodically conduct surveys, and the results typically indicate that about 75% of workers do not like their jobs. This article from Forbes cites a Gallup indicating that 71% of workers are disengaged from their jobs, and this article from Business Insider cites a Deloitte's Shift Index poll indicating 80% of workers are dissatisfed with their jobs. Neither article goes into detail, but from previous readings I can say that only a small percentage ever say they "love" their jobs. It is rare, even if it's not rare among your circle of friends and colleagues.

I think there a few fields with a high level of job satisfaction; freelance photography and travel writing might be among them. But only certain individuals have an interest in or are suited to those professions, and I'm guessing that even then competition for contracts is stiff. In general, I think most people would be better off gaining skills that are valued in the marketplace and will provide them with good job opportunities and career growth. I never met anyone who regreted getting degrees/licenses in medicine, law, business, engineering, or science.

[Gao Bohan]

My personal problem is most likely too many choices.

Please don't take this as an insult, but I think your bigger problem is indecisiveness. It's been what, two, three years you've been posting about changing careers? At some point you're going to have to make a decision and carry it out.

[steelersman]

I don't know that it's that rare. I certainly fit into the category of someone who'd be doing the same thing if I had enough money to afford not to, and could say the same about most of colleagues as well as a number of people in related fields. I think there are a lot more people than you'd expect who love their jobs.

Gallup and other polling companies periodically conduct surveys, and the results typically indicate that about 75% of workers do not like their jobs. This article from Forbes cites a Gallup indicating that 71% of workers are disengaged from their jobs, and this article from Business Insider cites a Deloitte's Shift Index poll indicating 80% of workers are dissatisfed with their jobs. Neither article goes into detail, but from previous readings I can say that only a small percentage ever say they "love" their jobs. It is rare, even if it's not rare among your circle of friends and colleagues.

I think there a few fields with a high level of job satisfaction; freelance photography and travel writing might be among them. But only certain individuals have an interest in or are suited to those professions, and I'm guessing that even then competition for contracts is stiff. In general, I think most people would be better off gaining skills that are valued in the marketplace and will provide them with good job opportunities and career growth. I never met anyone who regreted getting degrees/licenses in medicine, law, business, engineering, or science.

And I think even people who do freelance travel writing unless they hit it big time may love the work, but be drug down overtime by struggling to pay the bills every month. There are definitely people who love their work, but are tired of struggling to make ends meet. This can really wear on someone as well.

[cfimages]

I don't know that it's that rare. I certainly fit into the category of someone who'd be doing the same thing if I had enough money to afford not to, and could say the same about most of colleagues as well as a number of people in related fields. I think there are a lot more people than you'd expect who love their jobs.

Gallup and other polling companies periodically conduct surveys, and the results typically indicate that about 75% of workers do not like their jobs. This article from Forbes cites a Gallup indicating that 71% of workers are disengaged from their jobs, and this article from Business Insider cites a Deloitte's Shift Index poll indicating 80% of workers are dissatisfed with their jobs. Neither article goes into detail, but from previous readings I can say that only a small percentage ever say they "love" their jobs. It is rare, even if it's not rare among your circle of friends and colleagues.

I think there a few fields with a high level of job satisfaction; freelance photography and travel writing might be among them. But only certain individuals have an interest in or are suited to those professions, and I'm guessing that even then competition for contracts is stiff. In general, I think most people would be better off gaining skills that are valued in the marketplace and will provide them with good job opportunities and career growth. I never met anyone who regreted getting degrees/licenses in medicine, law, business, engineering, or science.

I think with the polls linked, it might be that they are asking workers about their opinions. Most people who do what they love are likely to end up as small business owners rather than employees. People who work for somebody else are rarely as satisfied as those work for themselves.

I'm not sure if I regret studying science but I know that's my science degree was an absolute waste of mine in terms of career. Most of my graduating class are now working in unrelated fields because there were no jobs available in the couple of years when we all graduated.