Current Events > how do you motivate yourself to go to work every morning

(+) Yeah! (+)

I need money, therefore I must work.
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Up at 530 every day it sucks

Leanaunfurled posted...

green butter posted...

can you provide an example of what kind of job you are talking about here? my experiences as a professional and those of the people around me have not shown me anything in between these two categories

I'll name random things I'm not necessarily interested in. Makeup artists, something that most everybody doesn't even think of, or any behind-the-scenes type of work for stage productions, news channels, etc. If someone likes fixing or building, there are prospects in electrician, architecture, tower technician, and especially if you're good at repairing technology. The people who type shit in court can make good $ (forget what they're called, my bad). There's working in health such as therapist,mental or physical, vet, nutritionist, speech pathologist, audiologist, and the other day I met a woman who was a traveling nurse (which I didn't know that was even a thing) that loved it. She said it's only good for those who don't have a family of their own, though.

If you're good with dead people there's a funeral director, embalmer, autopsy. And with technology being the ruler of our world, there's shit like web design, app developer, graphic design, art animation. And overall random crap like real estate, interior design, landscape, event/wedding planning, freelancing, food stall/truck, air traffic controller, technical writer, translator, travel/blogger, museum, etc. etc.

Honestly, I see where you're going with this, but it's not realistic.

A lot of those jobs you've listed are either very low paying (landscaping, working in a food truck, travel blogger, etc), actually are mostly typical office jobs (web design, art animation, technical writing, etc), are definitely over and above a 9-5 (physical therapist, air traffic controller, etc), or are shit like being a funeral director that I don't think very many people would voluntarily do as a profession ("if you're good with dead people" lol).

Ultimately there are a whole hell of a lot more jobs working in Accounts Receivable than as a Museum Curator or French Literature Professor, and if you want to be able to afford a comfortable lifestyle, be able to provide for yourself and possibly a family, and have a level of security for the future (401k, be able to build equity, health insurance, etc) you have to accept that you are going to be "touching base" in conference calls and typing shit into spreadsheets for hours, regardless of what topic the shit you're typing into the spreadsheet is
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bluezero posted...

I need money, therefore I must work.

basically this.

but literally every. single. morning. i contemplate calling in sick. "it's so easy, just email the boss and say you have a headache". but then i start to feel guilty about lying, because dishonestly doesn't sit right with me. so i force myself to eat breakfast and take a shower and if i STILL don't feel like going in, then i can call off. i've only actually called off twice in the last six years since taking this approach.

honestly, once i get to work it's not really that bad. my job keeps me busy enough and when i do have occasional downtime (such as while i'm compiling or deploying), i browse reddit or CE.

one thing i've found that helps the days go by faster is instead of mentally preparing to deal with the entire work day at once, i chunk it up. once i arrive in the morning, making it until lunch is easy, that's chunk one. then lunch itself is, of course, easy. when i get back to the office after lunch, it's only two more hours until our afternoon coffee break. then, after the final break is over, there are only like 2.5 hours left in the day.
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I like my job and I like money.
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I've got a couple of thoughts based on the OP and other posts I've seen in this topic.

1. I agree with those saying that professional life sucks. I have been working a traditional full time job over 5 years and I still do not accept the 8-5 working schedule as the way to live. It's horrible, unproductive, and damaging to your health. There needs to be an overhaul. I'd support 3-day weekends, for example. Or at least, jobs where you make your own office hours as long as you get your work done. Several companies are trying these new methods and productivity has increased. Most employers are just too afraid to change.

2. TC, what you gotta do is make yourself invaluable to your employers so they give you more slack. Work your butt off for a few years and impress them enough that when you start cutting corners later on, they'll turn a blind eye. With my current job, while traditionally 8-5, I would come in at 7:30 and leave at 6pm. I took the tasks no one wanted. I met all deadlines and churned out quality work. A few years in, I started coming in at 9am instead of 8am and no one cared. I'd take 2 hour lunches and no one noticed. After a tough meeting or event, I'd tell my boss I'm heading home early and they didn't care. They knew I was doing my work. And when I threatened to quit to pursue other interests, they bargained with me to stay but making my schedule even sweeter. They allowed me to come into work at 10am every morning and let me do the rest of the hours "from home". I had earned my spot in the company. Obviously, the flexibility of your hours vary from field to field, but I'm sure there are gains you can make somewhere.

3. Another recommendation is to have side hustles. Always be looking elsewhere for possible career opportunities in case you get tired of your current path or are looking for something different. In the last 10 years, I have worked as a substitute teacher on my off days, I've been a teaching assistant in after school programs, I've been a TV weatherman on the side, I've been paid to do short radio ads, I got a research grant in my graduate program to get paid to do some research on my own time, I started a business (more on that below), I self-published a few books and made money off the royalties, I rented out rooms in my house for extra income, and i learned some new trades and skills.

4. Lastly, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of business ownership. Building off of the previous note, find something you like to do and make a business out of it. Like web design? Sell your services on Fiverr.com and then start your own business when you have a decent portfolio. Know how to fix cars? Create an LLC and do it for people locally? Like video games? Become an indie game developer and experiment with things. Sure, the money is great if you make it big, but even if you don't, being your own boss in a business you work hard to nurture and grow serves as your motivation to go to work every day. I started a laser tag business. At first, it was mobile, so I bought some guns and some inflatable walls and travelled on the weekends to set up birthday parties in back yards. It wasn't much money, but it was my business and nobody told me how to run it. Bad days at work were made more tolerable knowing I had my own thing going on. Fortunately enough, business picked up enough that I was able to open my own brick and mortar facility. Even while running that facility I still work my full time job until the business is profitable enough on its own that I can quit (there is still a while to go). But claiming ownership of it helps me wake up in the morning and deal with the day-to-day bs at work. More people really need to start businesses and offer more services for our communities.

Honestly, the majority of people relegating themselves to middle-management or hourly jobs are what makes the fat cats richer, as less people own more of the business profit share. More people should venture out and start businesses of their own.
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Giant_Aspirin posted...

but literally every. single. morning. i contemplate calling in sick. "it's so easy, just email the boss and say you have a headache". but then i start to feel guilty about lying, because dishonestly doesn't sit right with me. so i force myself to eat breakfast and take a shower and if i STILL don't feel like going in, then i can call off. i've only actually called off twice in the last six years since taking this approach.

this girl yesterday told me she might have pink eye and we were meeting for a date and it turned out it was just allergies, but I was contemplating going and getting pink eye so I wouldn't have to go to work for a few days
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drunkmuggle posted...

Giant_Aspirin posted...

but literally every. single. morning. i contemplate calling in sick. "it's so easy, just email the boss and say you have a headache". but then i start to feel guilty about lying, because dishonestly doesn't sit right with me. so i force myself to eat breakfast and take a shower and if i STILL don't feel like going in, then i can call off. i've only actually called off twice in the last six years since taking this approach.

this girl yesterday told me she might have pink eye and we were meeting for a date and it turned out it was just allergies, but I was contemplating going and getting pink eye so I wouldn't have to go to work for a few days

yo lemme get her #
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This is why office space motivated me to get a construction job and I'm happy now. Make way more too.
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drunkmuggle posted...

Giant_Aspirin posted...

but literally every. single. morning. i contemplate calling in sick. "it's so easy, just email the boss and say you have a headache". but then i start to feel guilty about lying, because dishonestly doesn't sit right with me. so i force myself to eat breakfast and take a shower and if i STILL don't feel like going in, then i can call off. i've only actually called off twice in the last six years since taking this approach.

this girl yesterday told me she might have pink eye and we were meeting for a date and it turned out it was just allergies, but I was contemplating going and getting pink eye so I wouldn't have to go to work for a few days

pink eye is awesome because you're technically sick and contagious so you can stay home but you don't feel bad at all
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COVxy posted...

The main thing that separates you and the person that does indeed have your dream job is the motivation to work for it. People give up in the face of adversity and decide that everyone hates their job, so they should just take a job they hate like everyone else.

Agreed
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I've been working for 20 years now and my motivation went from; buy stuff (single and living at home), to buy stuff and pay bills (single and living on my own), buy some stuff and pay bills (married and only one working), to pay bills and buy my kids stuff (married with two children).

The latter has been the biggest motivation. I have three people dependent on me, and the only one that can hold a secular job. I've done shit jobs. I've done two jobs. And I've done jobs that weren't a stress; like my present job. But I've never worked a job "I love" and I assume like 90% of working US citizens I never will. That's why it's called a job. No one wants to do it for free.
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green butter posted...

or are s*** like being a funeral director that I don't think very many people would voluntarily do as a profession ("if you're good with dead people" lol).

Funnily enough, my friend just got her license for embalming bodies. It's actually a pretty decent gig. Lots of job openings since most people don't want to do that stuff. What she does is take over phone coverage for mom and pop funeral homes who don't have employees and want a weekend off. Basically, when it is slow, Ma and Pa will go on vacation from Ma and Pa's Funeral Services, they call my friend to hold the phone for them for those three days and pay her for it. She may or may not get a call about a body that needs taking care of. Either way, she gets paid. And she can still do her regular job during the week.

In today's work environment, side jobs are honestly the best thing you can do to stay motivated. Not so much for the money (as the money in side jobs is hit or miss), but it gives you something to look forward to. Sometimes, I'll use the down time at my regular job to do research or other tasks related to my side job. Feels good.
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Giant_Aspirin posted...

but literally every. single. morning. i contemplate calling in sick. "it's so easy, just email the boss and say you have a headache". but then i start to feel guilty about lying, because dishonestly doesn't sit right with me. so i force myself to eat breakfast and take a shower and if i STILL don't feel like going in, then i can call off. i've only actually called off twice in the last six years since taking this approach.

honestly, once i get to work it's not really that bad. my job keeps me busy enough and when i do have occasional downtime (such as while i'm compiling or deploying), i browse reddit or CE.

one thing i've found that helps the days go by faster is instead of mentally preparing to deal with the entire work day at once, i chunk it up. once i arrive in the morning, making it until lunch is easy, that's chunk one. then lunch itself is, of course, easy. when i get back to the office after lunch, it's only two more hours until our afternoon coffee break. then, after the final break is over, there are only like 2.5 hours left in the day.

bro this sounds exactly like my daily routine lol. I think of ways to call out but never do it and break my workday down into smaller segments that include snack times and coffee breaks.
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I wish I didn't like my boss so much that I didn't feel bad lying to her about being sick. :( She reminds me of a school teacher. Firm but fair.

Without a job there is no money, without money there is no bills
Paid, no house payment made and no roof over our heads. So you become a functional member of society and do your part.

Can't buy games if I don't have a job that gives me the money for them.
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I am thinking of creating a network in my management class to get together, read relevant literature to the subject and discuss it to relate it to current issues people have in their jobs to help solve them and to help reorganize companies to allow better managerial practices to create more value for the company.

This would hopefully catapult us all to acquire new skills and insights to apply in our work, which hopefully will propel us into new lines of work with more responsibility and challenge.

It really depends on how much of your attention you will focus on changing your life to meet your expectations.
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Can't wait for Leana to get a bullshit job and finally understand what the grown folks are talking about.

I remind myself that I need to pay bills, who knows what could happen, and its better than sitting at home alone I guess.

I worked in fundraising for a few years but hated it so I went to grad school and worked my ass off to make connections and build a resume that let me get enough leverage to find a decent paying job doing something I like that also gives me a ton of flexibility
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clearaflagrantj posted...

Can't wait for Leana to get a bullshit job and finally understand what the grown folks are talking about.

I'm quitting my bullshit job, sweetheart. But keep shitposting, I know it's the only thing you know how to do.
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Dat sweet dollar.

Also I admit I kind of like what I do.
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emblem boy posted...

Lol. I say work really hard while you're young, get rich, then enjoy life.

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Leanaunfurled posted...

clearaflagrantj posted...

Can't wait for Leana to get a bullshit job and finally understand what the grown folks are talking about.

I'm quitting my bullshit job, sweetheart. But keep shitposting, I know it's the only thing you know how to do.

I bet $10 you're quitting your job because you suck at it and you're chasing your "dream job" of putting makeup on models or some shit and your posts in this topic are just self validation to make yourself feel good.

Real life is 99.5% of people work jobs they hate because that's how it fucking works. That's why it's called work and not "playtime"

Leanaunfurled posted...

clearaflagrantj posted...

Can't wait for Leana to get a bullshit job and finally understand what the grown folks are talking about.

I'm quitting my bullshit job, sweetheart. But keep shitposting, I know it's the only thing you know how to do.

where do you currently work

clearaflagrantj posted...

Real life is 99.5% of people work jobs they hate because that's how it fucking works. That's why it's called work and not "playtime"

agreed, but i'd say it's more along the lines that 99.5% of people work jobs that they can just tolerate. working a job every day that you actually hate is something i wouldnt wish on my worst enemy (ive been there).
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Leanaunfurled posted...

clearaflagrantj posted...

Can't wait for Leana to get a bullshit job and finally understand what the grown folks are talking about.

I'm quitting my bullshit retail job while I am still in college, sweetheart. But keep shitposting, I know it's the only thing you know how to do.

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clearaflagrantj posted...

I bet $10 you're quitting your job because you suck at it and you're chasing your "dream job" of putting makeup on models or some shit and your posts in this topic are just self validation to make yourself feel good.

Real life is 99.5% of people work jobs they hate because that's how it fucking works. That's why it's called work and not "playtime"

How stupid are you that you think just because you're passionate about something, that suddenly doesn't make it work? Lifeprotip, you can actually do a job, work at it, and enjoy it. W@W

And even if my dream job was a make-up artist, so the fuck what? You're invalidating the thousands of people in this country whose job is that very thing because...what? You're a snob? Get over yourself.
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I like my job. It's in no way a dream job, but it's easy, mindless, and I don't have to interact with any customers. I like to make money so I can go out and enjoy life when I'm not working.

green butter posted...

agreed, but i'd say it's more along the lines that 99.5% of people work jobs that they can just tolerate. working a job every day that you actually hate is something i wouldnt wish on my worst enemy (ive been there).

Couldn't agree with this more. My last job was one I hated, and I did it because of the pay. But it made me miserable enough to get on anti-depressants for the first and only time in my life. Every other job I have had has been tolerable to quaint. Working isn't fun. That's why I still don't like cutting the grass, or laundry or grocery shopping, and would rather be playing BotW. But that's a part of adult life.
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clearaflagrantj posted...

I bet $10 you're quitting your job because you suck at it and you're chasing your "dream job" of putting makeup on models or some shit and your posts in this topic are just self validation to make yourself feel good.

Real life is 99.5% of people work jobs they hate because that's how it fucking works. That's why it's called work and not "playtime"

i think most people are far less dissatisfied with their lives than you are even though you're objectively much better off than most people

probably between you and leana is the norm
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Man, life is depressing.
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Balrog0 posted...

clearaflagrantj posted...

I bet $10 you're quitting your job because you suck at it and you're chasing your "dream job" of putting makeup on models or some shit and your posts in this topic are just self validation to make yourself feel good.

Real life is 99.5% of people work jobs they hate because that's how it fucking works. That's why it's called work and not "playtime"

i think most people are far less dissatisfied with their lives than you are even though you're objectively much better off than most people

probably between you and leana is the norm

or a lot of people are just better at compartmentalizing their lives than clear is

half the people i work with that are middle aged pretty much just go to work and then go home and watch TV, supplemented with taking their kids to sports games and stuff if they have kids (and all the people I work with that have kids tell me not to have them LOL)
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Only reason I accept getting up early is the fact the pay is worth it, I enjoy the work most days, and how my current job was something I got into after being at a really shit job.

I think everyone needs to work at a shitty job at somepoint in their lives to appreciate a good one so they can really see how good or how much better the good job is. I still am not a morning person but I get up because it is a job I want to do.

When I want to do something else I will use my freetime to start looking into the next field or career I want to do,
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I wouldn't tell that green butter. Just like most things in life there are ups and downs, and kids are no different. But once you get past infancy, the ups are rewarding enough to get through the downs. Gaming with my kids as they grew up has been great. And seeing them each develop their own gaming tastes is really wow. :-)
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green butter posted...

or a lot of people are just better at compartmentalizing their lives than clear is

half the people i work with that are middle aged pretty much just go to work and then go home and watch TV, supplemented with taking their kids to sports games and stuff if they have kids (and all the people I work with that have kids tell me not to have them LOL)

I mean after I got my BA I worked as a crew member at mcdonalds for minimum wage and I was happier than clear was and so were most of my coworkers even though they mostly either had charges or no education or both

I mean, they didnt give a fuck about their job so they didnt care that they were there for it. Clear also apparently doesnt give a fuck about his job but cares ALOT that he needs to be there to do it.

also whats wrong with watching tv? I like watching tv. there are a lot of shows I need to catch up on.
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actually, I remember clear complaining that he "had" to move to Tennessee from NYC with his parents even though he had graduated and had a full time big boy job in engineering and was like 21 or 22

meanwhile I was supporting my deadbeat parents on a minimum wage

its just hard to take complaints, even if they are legitimate, from someone who complains about everything
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I work with a lot of attractive women. It helps me get my flirting energy out of my system. Then I go home and bang my gf after getting all worked up.
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Balrog0 posted...

Clear also apparently doesnt give a fuck about his job but cares ALOT that he needs to be there to do it.

Yup, because I'd rather spend 45 hours every week doing literally anything else.

Balrog0 posted...

actually, I remember clear complaining that he "had" to move to Tennessee from NYC with his parents even though he had graduated and had a full time big boy job in engineering and was like 21 or 22

To keep my savings rate up and improve the age I retire.

I am close to potentially doubling my salary within four years, 36.4K to 80K+bonuses, I have no regrets.

clearaflagrantj posted...

I have no regrets.

we all know this isn't true
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I pretend like a group of Ringwraiths are about to descend upon my house and send me back to Mordor in a box
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Balrog0 posted...

actually, I remember clear complaining that he "had" to move to Tennessee from NYC with his parents even though he had graduated and had a full time big boy job in engineering and was like 21 or 22

nothing worse than being broke and alone in NYC, or at the very least turning 30 and realizing you have nothing to show for it but a lease on a 2br apt you share with 2 other people and a Macbook Pro

Conflict posted...

My friend told me I'd be likely to find a job in my field if I was proactive about internships, building relevant skills and working on a portfolio, but reading through this topic it almost seems like I'd be bound to work a job I couldn't stand that really isn't in my field

(Major is Digital Media)

if you are proactive about all the stuff you listed above, live in a good market for the field (probably a major city), and are very lucky, you can land a job in Digital Media. There are people that work in it.

but you have to accept that even a job in your field is still going to most likely be an office job, where you'll deal with office politics, long hours, commuting, doing tedious shit, periods of instability, etc. that is professional work in general.

as i said before i think the biggest myth about working (which is perpetuated in college ad nauseam) is everyone has some kind of hobby, interest, or "passion" that you should be leveraging into a career.

some people might have a passion for programming (for example) and will get their dream job, but even then a lot of the time you'll be putting up with workplace bullshit to get those checks. for the rest of us, though, there isn't some burning desire to be a CPA or work in Accounts Payable or do really any of the millions of bland, uninteresting jobs that exist in this world to help keep the world economy going. You just gotta do what you gotta do, every day
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Jiek_Fafn posted...

I work with a lot of attractive women. It helps me get my flirting energy out of my system

Huh... Maybe that's what's wrong. I haven't been doing that lately.
You may be onto something

clearaflagrantj posted...

Yup, because I'd rather spend 45 hours every week doing literally anything else.

Like trolling because you hate your life.

Honestly just bills.
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It's tough that's for sure. But I love my house and the means but which I live and in order to maintain that I have to work. So I work.

No lie though if I won one of those ridiculous Powerball jackpots or something I would put my two weeks in ASAP.
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Sada_Pop posted...

Honestly just bills.

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drunkmuggle posted...

it's amazing a college student who couldn't handle a retail job is trying to tell working professionals how to live their lives

That NUKE has been DEPLOYED and it's HEADING FOR THE MAINLAND!
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