Does anyone else just work to live, and have no real desire to 'succeed' beyond living comfortably?

Andybtsn said:
It depends really, I took a job which had a big pay rise last October, we live a lot more comfortably and save a lot each month but I don't see my family as much...it's difficult where I live as well paid jobs are not there unless you commute 45mins+ each day which I have to do. I see my daughter for 45 mins before she goes to bed and we have a new born also.
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You say that as if a 45 minute commute is considered long :confused:
 
Delvis said:
Assume you follow the grading system etc? Its damn annoying, they ended up making up job titles for me last time just so I could go up a pay scale :p
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We've just undergone a "workforce transformation project" too through the council and they have proposed to drop my wages! I can see from the way they have evaluated my job they don't have half a clue about what I actually do.
 
I've never been massively concerned about achievement, but have been pretty much obsessed with money for as long as I can remember. As sad as it sounds, I doubt I'll be truly satisfied unless I've got a large detached house and several nice cars.

Having said that, where I live at the moment is pretty much the antithesis to my usual way of thinking - most people here don't earn a vast amount (after tax anyway!), they work far less and are generally less bothered about material possessions. And I'm absolutely loving it, to the extent that I would consider moving permanently. The quality of life is good enough to override pretty much everything else for me, although I'm not giving up on that Bentley just yet.... :p
 
I'm 27 and have a pretty good job, well paid for the industry and working with a great team. I'm not highly paid compared to a city executive but I'm more than comfortable. I would ideally like to move into a senior position in a few years but more so that my skills are acknowledged than for the salary increase.

Otherwise I have no career aspirations which offends our HR department no end especially each year when they do the performance reviews, they like people to be motivated by the next promotion, while I'm motivated by factors outside of work and view work as a means of achieving those goals.
 
I would like to 'succeed' but I'm happy where I am. I'm 26 and just bought a house with my finacee which we should be able to live in comfortably with some disposable income for holidays etc. We're both earning around the £16-17k mark but wanting kids the other half wants to cut down hours/change jobs (works in childcare) and I work in a school and now at the top of my wage band. So in a perfect world I'd like to push myself near to £30k to provide for my family.

TL DR: Not fussed about 'succeeding' just want to provide for my family like my parents did for me.
 
All I'd really look for is a small pay increase, and I'd be pretty happy with my current situation for years to come. I'm not really sure there's any chance of development where I am anyway.
If I could be bothered to save money, I could probably get out of rented accommodation after a couple years. I'm not fussed about the car I drive, and I don't really need the latest and greatest hardware.
 
Gaverick said:
We've just undergone a "workforce transformation project" too through the council and they have proposed to drop my wages! I can see from the way they have evaluated my job they don't have half a clue about what I actually do.
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I suggest talking to your line manager :p
 
I have jacked it all in and at 46 have retired:) Constantly on call working weekends the wife and kids planning stuff without me and I've had enough. Sold the lot off, I can either live comfortably or look for something to invest in.
 
ScarySquirrel said:
Basically, this is me. Yes, I'd love to be rich and have amazing cars etc., but I have a good job in an industry that I've been in for over 7-8 years now, I get paid a salary that I'd quite happily just stay on for the forseeable future. I don't want to take on more responsibility, of course I want to succeed at work and do well, but I don't really have any desire for that to take me anywhere. I don't love work, but I do love the company and people I work for/with.

People my age that I know and I've worked with obviously do have that drive, and one in particular is now a Commercial Director at a similar company, and clearly doing very well for himself.

I think a lot of it is lack of belief in what I can do, even though I do have moments where I realise I'm good at what I do, this lingering lack of belief must surely have held me back. I think about how I can change that but then I just realise that I'm happy with my work/life balance right now. I'm terrible with money and have debts to pay, so the obvious driver would be money I guess. I am living kind of comfortably in that I can afford to pay my debts off and still enjoy myself.

Sorry, I'm rambling, but does anyone else feel like this?
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Work to Live is my Motto.
I also earn a decent salary though so there is a trade-off.

As I got older I'm seemingly becoming more obsessed with money and think that getting reasonable wealthy and retiring early is my best option.

I don't think working less and having much less money so having to work until I'm older is a such a good idea. Having time on your hands now but no money isn't so relaxing either.
 
I have always believed in challanging myself I have never been content to sit in a role and do the same thing day after day..

That has meant pretty rapid career progression over the last 10 years which of-course has driven salary. Once you get to a senior / c - level position in most industries you realise you are working very hard to make someone else a lot of money.. so you either accept that you earn a good salary or decide that actually if I am going to work 60+ hour weeks then you want to be the one earning a lot of money..

I took the decision a couple of years back to start my own business with another guy who was in a similar position.. been a load of hard work but have loved the challenge and am now not mega rich but am well off..

We are clear together however that we have another 2 - 3 years of growing the business at which point we will sell.. take our millions, part company and do our own thing.. for me that will likely be a rest and then another challenge but with more time for the young family that I have.
 
Currently trying to start my own firm up and tbh I have no idea how people do it! Maybe im just a bit lazy, but its a massive ball ache.

I dont need to do this, but I would like to give it a go and see what happens. My current job is very well paid and apart from the 1.5 hour commute has good benefits - do what I like, when I want providing it contributes to the overall goals of the project.
I have become well respected within the company over the last 5.5 years and worked my way up well but still have the urge to break the golden handcuffs and try it on my own.

I think everyone should aspire for more, not necessarily more money but if your jobs all good then I think looking outside of work for opportunities (social, educational etc) will help you stop getting institutionalised or allow you to have a better mindset should things fall apart. Its very easy to fall into the trap of everything being just fine, and not accounting for the what ifs.
 
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Depends what you mean to succeed.

I joined a large blue chip company as a "grunt" 9 years ago and with a desire to succeed i quickly rose through the ranks to a middle management position. Now 6 years later I am exhausted after years of being run ragged working 16 hr days involving 400 mile round trips, constant battling to retain my position from corporate backstabbers, fighting to climb the greasy pole.

I am about to jump ship to a job that pays 11K and a company car less, returning to a "grunt" role , but hopefully my sanity will also be returned.
 
Honestly, i dont earn much but Im very happy.

If I want something, I save up for it, if I NEED it, I have a slush fund in savings, yeah sure id love a brand spanking new car, but mine runs perfectly and is pretty in my eyes (just want a change I guess) so I cant justify the cost!
 
D.P. said:
Work to Live is my Motto.
I also earn a decent salary though so there is a trade-off.

As I got older I'm seemingly becoming more obsessed with money and think that getting reasonable wealthy and retiring early is my best option.

I don't think working less and having much less money so having to work until I'm older is a such a good idea. Having time on your hands now but no money isn't so relaxing either.
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Yeah I was going to say something similar along these lines - it's a tricky balance because what might be 'working to live' now means that when you get older you are stuck in the 'have to work to live' category which isn't quite so appealing :p
 
I want to get to this point, but I'm not there yet.
Find a nice secure job, that you can't bring anything home with you. But also pays enough to live a comfortable lifestyle.

The jobs about right, cushy can't bring anything home. Just need the next grade or perhaps 2 grades up. That would be ideal.
 
Gambisk said:
I'm 27 and have a pretty good job, well paid for the industry and working with a great team. I'm not highly paid compared to a city executive but I'm more than comfortable. I would ideally like to move into a senior position in a few years but more so that my skills are acknowledged than for the salary increase.

Otherwise I have no career aspirations which offends our HR department no end especially each year when they do the performance reviews, they like people to be motivated by the next promotion, while I'm motivated by factors outside of work and view work as a means of achieving those goals.
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This is me pretty much, I hate corporate progress reviews :p To progress any further would bring too much stress & extra hours imo.
In most organisations, the sweet spot between salary/pressure/hours is to be found being a qualified specialist in a salary grade one below that of executive/management.
 
Andybtsn said:
It's a 80 mile round trip, I'm leaving at 7 and getting back at 6:30pm. It's a long day when you have small children. My commute prior was a 20 mile round trip.
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Sounds like the problem is your 10 hour days at work not your commute. Work 8 like a normal person :p.
 
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