To ask WHY you work

Money

I could become a SAHM as DH salary would afford that but we would have to change our lifestyle and when I asked my DD6 if she would prefer mummy didn’t work like some of the mums in her class she said ‘No Mummy, I like going on holiday’ so looks like I’m staying in work as I also like a holiday

Purely money. I’ve been doing it for 40 years and it’s always been about the money. I’d be out like a shot if I could.

To keep a roof over our heads and food in our bellies

Money. To support my family. To contribute. I have chronic anxiety and full time work helps me to manage that - gives me distraction, routine, helps me keep things in proportion.

Definitely just money.
Weirdly my part time job just working in a pub is more beneficial to my well being than my full time office job working for a charity.
I benefit from the in person interaction and feeling like part of a team. So maybe just doing that.
Life is busy and full enough that I could happily not work and still have plenty to do without missing work, if someone could just cover my bills for me that would be great 😂

I have only ever worked so I can pay for a roof over my head. If I won the lottery I'd never work another day! I'd spend my time helping my loved ones (and travelling of course)

Because I enjoy living in a house and eating food.

I can only work 10 hours a week (15 if I include travel) in a job that’s way “below” what I’m capable of - not just financially but in terms of capabilities, but that’s because of my severely disabled DC.
Why I do it is a) a tiny bit of independence financially b) feeling like I’m not just a benefits loser living (or trying to) off carer’s allowance, c) I work outdoors with children- it’s fun and I get gentle exercise and fresh air d) I’ve met some lovely staff (and children) which will stay with me for life as a joy that helped lift me out of the tough time I was having before I could work (death of mum, PTSD from an incident). Just be being who they are I mean. E) I’d rather do something rather than nothing - I’m 50 and I dread not working again. It’s fine to garden, read, walk the dog, paint (all things I love) .. but 7 years of that is quite enough

Not far off retirement age but can’t imagine not working. My work gives me a sense of:

achievement
fulfilment
structure
routine
doing something worthwhile and rewarding
socialisation

and of course I earn money !!

No, it really isn’t about finding the right job. I don’t find my job dull, I’m very good at it. I work with nice people and for an organisation that does good things. I’m in exactly the right kind of job. What I don’t understand is when people can’t think of anything other than work that would occupy them and give them a sense of fulfilment. I’m not criticising them at all - I have friends who feel that way, and my sister’s like that too. I just can’t imagine ever feeling that way. If I had enough money to have a reasonably pleasant lifestyle without working, I would have absolutely no problem filling my time with all sorts of things.

Because I'm divorced with a child at university (just started). Also because if I didn't have a job I would be a couch potato watching telly all day. I need a reason to get out of the house! I have enough to sustain myself, but I'm not ambitious or entrepreneurial. I am a shy introvert so the human contact thing is annoying but necessary.

Ha ha I love that joke. I do what I do because it needs doing and I am good at it. Not to polish my halo but it has a science/saving lives element to it. I don't always enjoy it but am motivated to keep going, so far.

Yes I agree but some work to get more than they need, always looking to be have more, bigger, better.

We are in our 50s, mortgage repaid so now we are saving/ spending and putting towards our pensions. I think I’d like to work part time but have my pensions in my mind as I’m 54.
Love that analogy though. We’ve never been super ambitious around money but just want security and a comfortable le retirement.

For money. I have crippling anxiety and struggle to work even part time. After a shift, I panic all night about the things I might have done wrong and I'm usually exhausted the next day due to no sleep. I wish I could win the lottery so I never had to go through it again.

Now in my mid-forties, it's for money and nothing else. I have so many other things I would like to be doing with my time.

Don't get me wrong, I worked for a long time in a job for purpose instead of money. And I even just spent a couple of years improving my skills towards a different career which again would be for purpose rather than money. But at the end of it all, I realised I could just get by in my well paying secure job and use that money as a tool for everything else I want in my life. I struggled against that concept because I thought work should have meaning, but I have let that go now. I'm much happier for it.

Money, but also I do enjoy my job (though I'd much prefer to do it part-time if I didn't need a ft salary). I have done the same job for 30 years (in different workplaces) except when I took a break for a couple of years to be a SAHM. I also considered changing career, but realised that my job is a large part of my identity and I would actually miss it. It was pretty awful in some workplaces, but my current one is great and I plan to stay, go pt then retire.

For money - to live on and to top up my pension.
if I came into money tomorrow they wouldn’t see me for dust.
im late 50s and starting to suffer a bit of ill health though.

I love my job. I worked hard to get it and I’m making a difference. Money is also nice.

The poster that described fishing as ‘Basically a hobby’ obviously didn’t grow up in a fishing village. 😂

The Fisherman in the parable is a bit of red herring, if you excuse the pun.

He's doing what most of us doing..working enough to be happy and comfortable.

For him, the income from his small boat is presumably enough to put a roof over his and families head, feed them and clothe them, pay bills and be happy.

Essentially, that is what we are all doing.

Yes some people..Medical professionals, emergency services are responding to some kind of calling and internal need to help others, but most of us are just slogging away to keep a standard of life that society has foisted upon us.

I'm the low scale fisherman in your analogy. I save nearly half my income each month. In other words, I don't need to work as many hours to cover my needs, but I do this so that I can retire early. If I cut back my hours to relax now day to day then I wouldn't be able to stop early. It's either one or the other, for me I prefer to have some time that's without commitments. A couple of decades of busy following my nose and being in the moment.

Money, human connection and a feeling of contributing to society. I’ve been a teacher for 20 years and I love the challenges of dealing with tricky students (most of the time!). My current role is very niche and specialised and what I do makes massive difference to student outcomes. There are kids out there who would not have got their qualifications and gone on to university or got a job without my direct intervention and that is something that I treasure. I’m also very well paid considering I have the holidays off and have an excellent pension and job security. If I won a million pounds I would outsource some of the domestic side of life (cleaner, Gardener, dog walker etc) so I could enjoy more of my time at home.

Money. I detest the job now, am dragging myself in whilst hunting for another - but they'll be the same as all the sector is asking more for less.

1 Money

2 Mental challenge

3 Sense of satisfaction at doing something well

4 Enjoyment at doing something impactful for others

5 Mentoring and seeing junior staff develop

If I won the lottery I'd volunteer part time doing something to keep 2 -5 going.

Self respect, a sense of purpose, showing my kids that you should work hard.
Id love to be at home crocheting and gardening, but it’s never going to happen. I will die before I can retire