[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Hard Work--Why (Page 1 of 3)
Posted: 5/13/2011 1:07:22 PM EDT
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I get sick of people saying work hard and you will get ahead,
I work as little as possible and very happy, and try and treat everyday like the weekend. anyone else feel like me or does everyone think your not a man unless you bust your ass 12 hours a day |
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I get sick of people saying work hard and you will get ahead, I work as little as possible and very happy, and try and treat everyday like the weekend. anyone else feel like me or does everyone think your not a man unless you bust your ass 12 hours a day 12 hours a day? Lazy sack. |
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Quoted: So how do you do it?I get sick of people saying work hard and you will get ahead, I work as little as possible and very happy, and try and treat everyday like the weekend. anyone else feel like me or does everyone think your not a man unless you bust your ass 12 hours a day |
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I guess it depends on what you want out of life and what makes you happy. money, time, family, whatever. eta: i also firmly believe that one should work diligently while getting paid for working whether its 80 hours a week or much less. any other time, do what you want.
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Depends on the job. For some jobs it is wonderful to bust your ass at because of the sense of accomplishment you get at the end of the day. Other jobs, well they aren't worth busting your butt at so its best to just do your job and not stress out about things. That said, busting your butt and outworking everyone else is usually worth it. If you're one of the 10-20% who drag everyone else forward you'll be much better off than lazy people who don't give a rip about anything.  |
| I live by the philosophy that there has to be a balance in life. With everything. I laid up for 6 months with an injury once. I was a fat, lazy, out-of-shape shell of a man at the end of it. Find out where that balance is in every aspect of your life and you will achieve happiness and a better quality of life. |
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You've mentioned this philosophy before in other threads; I admit I'm curious what your lifestyle is like. I'm not calling you out, just curious.
For me: I throttle my career so I can be with my family a lot more. It is costly (I could be making a lot more if I worked hard) but I enjoy my job and my family. |
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Quoted: We work because we're not dumb enough to be on welfare. This. I used to believe that hard work will lead to a happy fruitful life ....... that was back when I was young and naive. Now I realize I am depriving myself of sleep, beating up my body every day, taking crap from a corrupt management, taking worse crap from an even more corrupt union ........... and all this so I can pay for other people's welfare checks, pay for corporate bailouts, pay for wasteful *stimulus* spending, etc. |
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I dont always take the "work hard" mentality as "kill yourself 12 hours a day"
How many people (especially today) can say that they work "hard"? A few but not many. Id say it has more to do with focus on your job, put in your X hours required, and do the best of your ability. Though even in that interpretation, there are plenty of people who just skate by in life, dont do their best, and end up in better positions than those who do "work hard". Its very temping some days with 99 weeks of unemployment and endless welfare available. |
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Quoted: I know a guy thats a carpenter. He loves to fish. He works enough to go fishing. Pays his bills. Hes probably the happiest guy I know. Doesn't have a lot of "stuff" but what he has is his. If he could, he would fish every day. The Parable of the Mexican Fisherman A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them. "Not very long," answered the Mexican. "But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American. The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family. The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?" "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs ... I have a full life." The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. "And after that?" asked the Mexican. With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise." "How long would that take?" asked the Mexican. "Twenty, perhaps 25 years," replied the American. "And after that?" the Mexican asked. "Afterwards? That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!" "Millions? Really? And after that?" "After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends." |
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Some of us don't have a choice. Salary and project based means you work 'til the job is done.
I joke that if I got over time I could have retired by now! edit: I'm on the edge of 40 now. I had hoped that I could ease out of this "work like a dog" thing but that doesn't seem to be happening. I am hoping to make a move in the next couple years though. Do my own thing since my situation isn't improving, I'm going to improve it. |
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Quoted: I know a guy thats a carpenter. He loves to fish. He works enough to go fishing. Pays his bills. Hes probably the happiest guy I know. Doesn't have a lot of "stuff" but what he has is his. If he could, he would fish every day. That guy has it figured out. ETA - living like a Mexican fisherman sounds great to me. |
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I have done both.
I work hard for my 45hrs. After that, I live a no BS life and I am happy. Sure, I miss the money I used to make but, I was a miserable bastard. 60-90hrs 6-7 days a week with no vacation taken, sick days used or half days for years. Screw it. I make a quarter of what I used to but I am happy every day |
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Quoted: I get sick of people saying work hard and you will get ahead, I work as little as possible and very happy, and try and treat everyday like the weekend. anyone else feel like me or does everyone think your not a man unless you bust your ass 12 hours a day we know you are a slacker. we don't care. |
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So how do you do it?
I get sick of people saying work hard and you will get ahead, I work as little as possible and very happy, and try and treat everyday like the weekend. anyone else feel like me or does everyone think your not a man unless you bust your ass 12 hours a day work smart, and hard. i could "work hard" at a job that pays 1/10 what i get paid now... just because you bust your ass every day does not mean you will get ahead. you need to be the best at what you are doing to get ahead, or take a risk and start your own business to get ahead |
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I belive hard work pays off, I started working for a ski resort this winter at min wage, by the end of season i was offered a job and pay that would make me staying around worth it.
Started working at the busiest resturant in town 2 weeks ago for again, min wage and in the kitchen with illegals that speak no english, allready being considered for a promotion to make quite a decent chunk of money. Yes hard work pays off, but it also depends on who your working for and what your personal goals are, I have worked for people who did not give a shit if i worked my ass off or not, i have seen people who called off sick once a week get promoted over me while im not late or even miss a single day year after year for the same employer. Im basicly a highschool grad, i never went to college, my only possible advantage is to completely work my ass off, when most people under 30 in california are not willing to do that it puts me head and sholders above the rest, and realy lets me pick my path and to be honest its without trying. showing up on time every day and giving a shit is as far as im concerned a min requirement to working somewhere. when i had 2 full time jobs at once, pulling 75 hours a week every week for 2+ years, now that was hard work, 7-14 straight days of working 1-2 jobs then getting deep into the bullshit after 14+ hours on the clock in a day, you have to dig awefully deep to keep your cool and finish strong. i dont think your any less of a man if you dont work, not everyone has to and i cant lie, i envy the man who does not have to. but the guy who doesnt work hard (yet he has to work) doesnt show up ontime or even give a shit when he does, now thats the one i cant stand, he is no man to me. |
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I get sick of people saying work hard and you will get ahead, I work as little as possible and very happy, and try and treat everyday like the weekend. anyone else feel like me or does everyone think your not a man unless you bust your ass 12 hours a day I find most 17 to 26 year olds I had work for me believe they don't need to work. Most I know plan on a career of game designer or CEO. |
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Quoted: As long as he is also taking care of the future––I have no problem with that philosophy for life.Quoted: I know a guy thats a carpenter. He loves to fish. He works enough to go fishing. Pays his bills. Hes probably the happiest guy I know. Doesn't have a lot of "stuff" but what he has is his. If he could, he would fish every day. That guy has it figured out. But there are a lot that live like that, and they count on everyone else to take care of them when they can no longer work. They have nothing (or next to nothing) in the bank. The future? The government will provide. To me, working hard is not about busting your ass 12 hours a day just for the sake of saying that you are busting your all, but it is about taking care business. Giving your employer their monies worth, and making sure that you have covered what needs to be covered. Once that is done, you work for the time which is yours. I never desired to be rich (I have two brothers that are very rich), I always wanted to get more out of life than just money––I am too interested in too many things to spend all my time making money for no reason. Why hard work? If life demands it, then you need to be able to supply it. If it does not? Then enjoy life once responsibilities are take care of––but know what those responsibilities are. |
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I get sick of people saying work hard and you will get ahead, I work as little as possible and very happy, and try and treat everyday like the weekend. anyone else feel like me or does everyone think your not a man unless you bust your ass 12 hours a day Hard work will get you ahead, but the key is what do you consider "ahead"? If someone believes "ahead" is enjoying life and spending time with their family, they will still get more out of that if they put more into it. |
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I get sick of people saying work hard and you will get ahead, I work as little as possible and very happy, and try and treat everyday like the weekend. anyone else feel like me or does everyone think your not a man unless you bust your ass 12 hours a day we know you are a slacker. we don't care. OMG I hope you don't think I was asking if you cared about how I live, because I don't I was wondering what everyone else opinion was on working hard |
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gone Gault 10 years ago. So spend some time learning how to spell Galt.  No, you just misunderstood. If he had "gone Galt", he would have dropped out of the mainstream workforce and been doing menial tasks for minimum wage, withholding his natural talents and abilities from society. "Going Gault" is the French version - he works a little, complains about it, goes on strike two or three times a year and then takes two months vacation. 
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You've mentioned this philosophy before in other threads; I admit I'm curious what your lifestyle is like. I'm not calling you out, just curious. For me: I throttle my career so I can be with my family a lot more. It is costly (I could be making a lot more if I worked hard) but I enjoy my job and my family. It all came down to about spending time with my family so I looked for something easy and not time consuming we are your average family wife and I are 46, two kids one going to Grad school one is a Nuke Officer in the Navy Try to grow and raise as much food as I we can. but that has only been in the last few years as the economy started to fall apart No debt My biggest plus is when I bought my 1st bread route many years ago, had to work 6 hours a day 5 days a week for decent money, then another guy was selling his route which took 3 hours so bought that one, and realized how great this was home by 7am everyday to spend with the kids. sold my last route a Nov.10. now work for cash for route owners when they need off. My wife does work and loves her job, so she has the healthcare. only problem kids are gone and now have a lot of me time |
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I get sick of people saying work hard and you will get ahead, I work as little as possible and very happy, and try and treat everyday like the weekend. anyone else feel like me or does everyone think your not a man unless you bust your ass 12 hours a day I see a lot of people with this attitude and it seems to be rapidly on the rise. This is 100% the European attitude for the last 50yrs. Live in a little run down place, have total junker or no car, make just enough money to get by and buy alcohol. Hot wimenz don't seem as interested in money and rich guys anymore, more interested in a loaf of a guy who can hang out on the beach (or whatever) everyday. Makes it easier for those of us who want to be on top, to get there and stay there. |
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I work in a grocery store.... I used to bust my ass while I was there. I wouldn't take my breaks... no lunches... etc. But when you look at the way things are run and see that there is no incentive to push yourself; no incentive to be better than your co-workers... why bother?
Hell raises aren't even given out based on performance there.... they are based on how many hours you are clocked in. So now I take it easy. I get done what I get done. And I get paid exactly the same amount as I did before. |
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You've mentioned this philosophy before in other threads; I admit I'm curious what your lifestyle is like. I'm not calling you out, just curious. For me: I throttle my career so I can be with my family a lot more. It is costly (I could be making a lot more if I worked hard) but I enjoy my job and my family. It all came down to about spending time with my family so I looked for something easy and not time consuming we are your average family wife and I are 46, two kids one going to Grad school one is a Nuke Officer in the Navy Try to grow and raise as much food as I we can. but that has only been in the last few years as the economy started to fall apart No debt My biggest plus is when I bought my 1st bread route many years ago, had to work 6 hours a day 5 days a week for decent money, then another guy was selling his route which took 3 hours so bought that one, and realized how great this was home by 7am everyday to spend with the kids. sold my last route a Nov.10. now work for cash for route owners when they need off. My wife does work and loves her job, so she has the healthcare. only problem kids are gone and now have a lot of me time Fair enough. Thanks for sharing it. |
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Quoted: Makes it easier for those of us who want to be on top, to get there and stay there. Different people are motivated by different things. If 'being on top' makes you happy, more power to you. Being on top has absolutely no appeal to me. My dad worked his ass off his entire life and almost always missed birthdays, Christmas, etc. because of work. He was unfulfilled and unhappy. Then one day he dropped dead at work. I won't repeat his mistakes. |
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Makes it easier for those of us who want to be on top, to get there and stay there. Different people are motivated by different things. If 'being on top' makes you happy, more power to you. Being on top has absolutely no appeal to me. The 'stuff' (vacations, new cars, nice house) that comes along with being on top is what makes me happy. If you don't like stuff, more power to you. |
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I know a guy thats a carpenter. He loves to fish. He works enough to go fishing. Pays his bills. Hes probably the happiest guy I know. Doesn't have a lot of "stuff" but what he has is his. If he could, he would fish every day. The Parable of the Mexican Fisherman
A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.
"Not very long," answered the Mexican. "But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American. The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family. The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?" "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs ... I have a full life." The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. "And after that?" asked the Mexican. With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise." "How long would that take?" asked the Mexican. "Twenty, perhaps 25 years," replied the American. "And after that?" the Mexican asked. "Afterwards? That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!" "Millions? Really? And after that?" "After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends." The Mexican fisherman lives in a one room 400sqft "house" (four block walls) with no roof, and can't flush his toilet. His children get no education, his daughter regularly raped starting at age 13, and he dies at 48yrs old from lack of healthcare. I'd build the fishing empire myself. |
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Makes it easier for those of us who want to be on top, to get there and stay there. Different people are motivated by different things. If 'being on top' makes you happy, more power to you. Being on top has absolutely no appeal to me. My dad worked his ass off his entire life and almost always missed birthdays, Christmas, etc. because of work. He was unfulfilled and unhappy. Then one day he dropped dead at work. I won't repeat his mistakes. My good friend in high school dad died when we were seniors of cancer and had his crisp mind til about a half hour before he died, and the last thing he told his son (my friend) I am sorry I worked so much and spent no time with you. I did not put much into it til a few years later when I was talking to my friend, and I said you know what i never really did see your dad much and I spent just as much time at his house as i did my own. And my friend now owns a Ice fishing website, where he works maybe 5 hours a week and is the best dad you ever seen. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I know a guy thats a carpenter. He loves to fish. He works enough to go fishing. Pays his bills. Hes probably the happiest guy I know. Doesn't have a lot of "stuff" but what he has is his. If he could, he would fish every day. The Parable of the Mexican Fisherman A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them. "Not very long," answered the Mexican. "But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American. The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family. The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?" "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs ... I have a full life." The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. "And after that?" asked the Mexican. With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise." "How long would that take?" asked the Mexican. "Twenty, perhaps 25 years," replied the American. "And after that?" the Mexican asked. "Afterwards? That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!" "Millions? Really? And after that?" "After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends." The Mexican fisherman lives in a one room 400sqft "house" (four block walls) with no roof, and can't flush his toilet. His children get no education, his daughter regularly raped starting at age 13, and he dies at 48yrs old from lack of healthcare. I'd build the fishing empire myself. FWIW, I lived in a cabin that size in AK - it did have a roof, but it was still small. Outhouse = no problem. Educating your kids is a personal responsibility, and if I had that kind of free time I'd be sure my kids were reasonably educated. As to the child abuse, I would not live in a place where the culture tolerated that kind of bullshit. I think that a lot of poor folks live long and healthy lives, especially poor folks in cultures where the poor aren't fat as hell. |
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Makes it easier for those of us who want to be on top, to get there and stay there. Different people are motivated by different things. If 'being on top' makes you happy, more power to you. Being on top has absolutely no appeal to me. The 'stuff' (vacations, new cars, nice house) that comes along with being on top is what makes me happy. If you don't like stuff, more power to you. guess that's the difference between me and you, I have all those things except the new car, but not because I am on top, but because I am smart with my money . |