To ask WHY you work

[BeatriceAlbert]

Got in a discussion about retirement/early retirement and why people actually go to work in the first place. I know it seems obvious to answer ‘for money’ but this was off the back of the parody about a fisherman.

A businessman on holiday spots a fisherman lounging by his small boat after catching a few fish for the day.

Businessman:
“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?”

Fisherman:
“Why would I?”

Businessman:
“Well, with more fish, you could buy a bigger boat!”

Fisherman:
“And then?”

Businessman:
“With a bigger boat, you could hire a crew, catch even more fish, and eventually own a whole fleet!”

Fisherman:
“And then?”

Businessman:
“Then you could build a company, go public, and become a millionaire!”

Fisherman:
“And then?”

Businessman:
“Then you could retire, relax by the sea, and spend your days fishing!”

Fisherman:
“…Which is what I was already doing before you interrupted.”

Money primarily, but also mental stimulation, ambition, to contribute to society etc.

My mental health takes a nose dive when I'm not working.

I don't disagree, but it one has to work it's extra satisfying it you feel like you also have a purpose /make a difference

I agree. I just think you could do that without working and probably enjoy it more, if you had the choice!

For money but also for sense of self - I'm not very good at many things but I am good at my job so I get quite a boost from it as generally in life I'm a bit under-motivated and below par. I do also love my job - it involves helping other people and I get a huge kick out of seeing them progress and hearing about their success.

Society wouldn’t function if people didn’t work, aside from a number of things, who would fund housing for all the people who didn’t work

I work because from a young age my father ( who had 4 daughters) drilled into us the importance of being financially independent and getting a good education…..if I had a load of money I probably wouldn’t work so much and retire early though

I feel exactly the same.

My career was everything before children. Now they are everything and I find it hard to balance work and family. I want to give my all to everything, which is impossible, so currently feel that I’m failing at everything.

I do remember why I loved my job though, so I suppose I’m fortunate to have had that. I hope that I can keep going until the feeling returns. Or I win the lottery and quit.

PS. I also want to know what @ForZanyAquaViewer does!

Money.
I do a 'worthwhile' job, and I have always put it before family life and probably my own mental health at times. But increasingly, my job is not actually my job.
I love parts of it. It gives me a buzz. But it's killing me. I look knackered. My mind is on from 530am until I fall asleep.
I am mid 40s and dog tired. I fell asleep at 8pm tonight. That's not a life. But hey, as long as our results hold, we're doing fine.

If i could keep the salary I'm on, I'd retire tomorrow and do some tutoring to keep sharp.

Money and a sense of purpose - people who retire early do seem to get old faster unless they are very, very affluent and do huge dynamic projects involving lots of time with other people outside the home and remain very driven by that- which is a lot like working. Retiring to potter around the garden and do some vague amount of volunteer stuff which ends up only being a day a month seems to lead to quite an elderly attitude within five or ten years maximum, often a lot less.

People of my parents' generation who early retired 25-30 years ago on professional final salary pensions seemed to be quite full of the joys for the first few years, but slipped shockingly fast into a very pottering lifestyle, dominated by stretching tasks which they would previously have done efficiently in an hour after work out to take all week and spending the rest of their time worrying about their own minor health issues.

For 95% of people the world shrinks dramatically when they retire, or after the first handful of years of retirement if they do big "bucket list" travel etc. in the first few years.

I have friends, who earn more than me, who claim they wish their jobs had a purpose. But none of them are willing to jack it in and re train!

I work for money, I’d rather spend my time reading and gardening.

How old are your children?
Work bringing a sense of purpose - especially if your work is socially useful beyond just meaning you pay tax etc - comes into it's own again as your children become adults.

4, 2 and 0! So I appreciate I’m in the thick of it. I have managed to enjoy my job when I have returned from my previous two maternity leaves, but now wondering how on earth I’ll juggle it all. I know many women do, so I hope I can too.

Money and mental health i need the routine and purpose

Money. Having to earn a living really gets in the way of my life. If I could, I’d never work a day in my life again.

I don’t even want to be “rich” I just want to have enough to live on and get a chippy tea once a month.

in an imaginary scenario where you don’t need to work for money, you could have routine and purpose without a job though, couldn’t you?

Not aimed at you, but I find it pretty sad people can’t imagine having purpose without a job.

Honestly? I feel like the fisherman and the real answer IS "for money". I worked part-time, the minimum I had to work to afford the lifestyle I wanted, because there are a million other more interesting things I'd rather be doing. Note that my job was not something like doctor (ie it's not essential for society or intrinsically worthy or motivating).

God knows why I'm still working.
I'm a front line NHS clinician, been qualified 35 years.
I don't need the money as DH has worked hard to support us and financially we are sorted.
I get abuse off the public who have been waiting far longer than they should have and also because we no longer have the resources to provide the care they expect.
I get pressure off the managers to work ever harder.
The other day I realised that I am the oldest in our Trust by several years.
I guess I carry on doing it because I feel I am helping but I'm going to retire soon as I've just had enough of the stress. Finally putting my family first.

Purely for the money. We’re lucky that I don’t need to work FT. I do two (albeit very long) shifts a week and spend the rest of the time with my toddler - second child on the way. I love this balance and absolutely couldn’t work 5 days per week with young children and miss out on their childhood, but appreciate we’re in the lucky position of being able to afford this. But we couldn’t afford for me to not work at all.

Money, I was a SAHM with one school aged child briefly, quite frankly I was bored rigid and missed the mental stimulation but 20 odd years later and being in my early 60s I am so over working. I could find a zillion other things to keep me entertained.

Luckily my job is still bearable as I work for a good organisation and to some extent I still find my job enjoyable.

To contribute to society. To do something interesting and challenging. To support myself and family.

We are at an age where we don’t ‘need’ to work but we do due to the first two factors. We believe that if you can work and contribute, you should work, so we do. That’s how we brought our children up also. For me that meant swapping jobs as the career I’d had for decades wasn’t really compatible at all certain age, so I swapped for something where my bum could be parked on a seat, and the hours would be more like a standard working week. DH didn’t need to make adjustments as his was always a desk based job. We’ll keep going until we physically can’t due to some kind of ill health. That’s also what everyone’s know does so it’s normal in our circles.

Money. Husband’s salary covers our expenses. Having mine allows us to travel, save, potentially buy another property. We both plan to be retired in our early 50s.
My mum never worked, I love having my own money.

Money for a good retirement, sense of purpose, holidays and dignity - there’s no dignity in sloth.

Money but also to be a role model for my children. It also provides me with a sense of purpose and wellbeing as my work gives something valuable to society as a whole. I work in public protection and risk management.

I work because I can't live on fresh air alone, that's the only reason.