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Do you live to work or work to live?

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I work to live for sure. I am lucky in that I like what I do and do it well, but I could easily think of a ton of other things I'd do if money was no object...like travel extensively. But if money was no object I'd probably want to work but on my own terms, either volunteering for no money or opening my own small business where it didn't MATTER if I made a living (like a bookstore or a floral shop). We both have a lot of hobbies and of course our new kiddo...we could stay busy if money was no object.

We both wish we could work LESS to live, but unfortunately in the area we are in that's not the case!
 
Date: 3/26/2010 7:02:34 PM
Author:ZoeBartlett
My husband and I were talking about this the other night. He would quit working tomorrow if he won the lottery. He works because he has to. I don't think I'd quit working if we won the lottery though. Sure, I work because I have to, but I can't see quitting my job either. I think it's part of who I am.


What about you?

We fantasize about this regularly...ha.

Well, if I won a substantial lottery, I won't lie...I would probably quit so my husband and I could travel the world as we always talk about. However, I would not be opposed to doing some volunteer work during those travels either related or not to my current career.

That being said, I also very much enjoy my work and cannot see being in a rush to retire or such. I do not foresee every leaving the work force entirely, unless circumstances demand it, and even then I would imagine it would be temporary.

I need to have a balance. I have had jobs where I worked to live, and hated that few hours everyday I worked. It affected my personal life even though it was "just a job" because I did not feel fulfilled in it. Which is why I went back to school for a professional degree. That being said, I also have no desire to make work my "life" (aka be a workaholic or sacrifice a healthy personal & family life). So, I do find it important to me that I have some personal fulfillment and value in my work, and that my work also does not define me or my life wholly. Explained in another way, I do consider my work to be part of me and part of my life so cannot work in a job that is "just a job" at this point in my life without some personal fulfillment, but at the same time I do not identify myself through my work or by my work and also find personal fulfillment outside my work.

DH also says if we win the lottery he would leave a job he did not enjoy. If he enjoys it (he is still searching for that career he never wants to retire from though!) he probably would not entirely. Right now he is not working (he is back in school after an early retirement from the military). We would definitely take at least some time to travel though, and how much time depends on how much money we won!
 
Hmm tough. I guess I work to live in that my main focus is family and friends, and I have a lot going on outside of work. That said, I''m the kind of person that needs to have a fulfilling career. I''m not happy if I''m not busy and challenged. Am I cheating if I say I work to live, but that work is a big part of that life??
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Work to live. If I won the lottery I''d be outa here so fast I''d get a speeding ticket.
 
Date: 3/29/2010 2:53:47 PM
Author: Porridge
Hmm tough. I guess I work to live in that my main focus is family and friends, and I have a lot going on outside of work. That said, I''m the kind of person that needs to have a fulfilling career. I''m not happy if I''m not busy and challenged. Am I cheating if I say I work to live, but that work is a big part of that life??
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That is what I was getting at...but you said it far more clearly!
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Date: 3/29/2010 2:53:47 PM
Author: Porridge
Hmm tough. I guess I work to live in that my main focus is family and friends, and I have a lot going on outside of work. That said, I''m the kind of person that needs to have a fulfilling career. I''m not happy if I''m not busy and challenged. Am I cheating if I say I work to live, but that work is a big part of that life??
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Yeah this is pretty similar to how I feel as well. I''m definitely not currently in a career where I feel like I''m getting paid for what I love or anything like that and I don''t intend to stay in this job more than 2 more years. But at the same time I am happiest when I am busy and feel like things I''m doing have a purpose beyond just self entertainment. I''d love traveling more but I don''t think I could ever stop working entirely. Mostly I just wish I was a bit busier at work than I am now. I have way more down time during the day than I''d like (aka why I can write this post right now). I am much more career focused than SO even though he is way more passionate about what he does. He''d gladly be a stay at home dad whereas I don''t think I could be a SAHM for more than a year because I would be depressed if I didn''t work for that long (not that raising kids isn''t a TON of work - I''m well aware that it is, I respect SAHM 110% it''s just not for me.)
 
I "work" to live. Since I''m a SAHM, taking care of my kids is a job regardless of financial position. If I won the lotto, of course landscapers and housecleaners would be tending to the other tasks I currently take on, but I''d never hire a nanny so I''m always going to be working to make sure dinner is cooked so my family can live.

(Even if I didn''t have kids, no matter what job I had, I''d still quit if I won the lotto. I''d travel, drink, and shop. . .
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