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Finally quit.

AlbertEinstein

AlbertEinstein

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 3, 2013
132
0
No more work during weekends, no more missing my kids birthdays and no more tiresome engineering! I worked almost 16 hours everyday for the last 19 years (maybe a little less during weekends) but now i'm finally free!

Time sit back and relax.:cool:
 
So you retired or quit?
Unfortunately, I started the 12-14 hour days when I was very young (18) and learned only in the last 6 months that it was not worth it. My decision has repercussions, but that's another story. Missing out on your kids growing up for a job is pointless. If you let your company bleed you dry then they will. I'm sure I will personally return to allowing a company bleed me dry, but I am too young to quit/retire so I have a good couple of decades left to give to the man. :D

Whatever the case for you, good for you. Enjoy your time and your family because not everyone has family and I think people take that for granted.
 
awesome, i worked for 15 years in corporate USA. i worked in a legal industry that basically ran 24 hours a day. obviously, i didn't work all those hours, but i was basically on call all the time. i semi-retired 4 years ago right before i turned 40. i have adjusted my lifestyle quite a bit, but it's well worth all the time that i get to spend with my family now.
 
Good lord. 16 hours a day nearly every day for 19 years? I hope they were paying you ridiculously well, because otherwise, that is simply not worth it. Hell, I don't even think being paid ridiculously well would make it worth that kind of time.
 
samiwas said:
Good lord. 16 hours a day nearly every day for 19 years? I hope they were paying you ridiculously well, because otherwise, that is simply not worth it. Hell, I don't even think being paid ridiculously well would make it worth that kind of time.
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His productivity was probably pretty bad after awhile. In the short term, you can get a lot done working extra hours. In the long term, it's not worth it since you are tired / burned out and you can probably get the same productivity working smarter for 8 - 10 hours / day as working constant 16 hour days.
 
Plutonius said:
His productivity was probably pretty bad after awhile. In the short term, you can get a lot done working extra hours. In the long term, it's not worth it since you are tired / burned out and you can probably get the same productivity working smarter for 8 - 10 hours / day as working constant 16 hour days.
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16 hours a day is not "some extra hours". That is living solely to work. No reason someone should be pulling those kinds of hours unless they are working for themselves and want/need to, and especially not if that amount of extra time is not compensated.
 
AlbertEinstein said:
No more work during weekends, no more missing my kids birthdays and no more tiresome engineering! I worked almost 16 hours everyday for the last 19 years (maybe a little less during weekends) but now i'm finally free!

Time sit back and relax.:cool:
Click to expand...

I'm deep green with jealousy!:(

Congratulations...enjoy your new found leisure time.:D
 
samiwas said:
Good lord. 16 hours a day nearly every day for 19 years? I hope they were paying you ridiculously well, because otherwise, that is simply not worth it. Hell, I don't even think being paid ridiculously well would make it worth that kind of time.
Click to expand...

Could be worth it if the pay is good and the person likes what they're doing
 
sviato said:
Could be worth it if the pay is good and the person likes what they're doing
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True (kind of). But working weekends, missing kids' birthdays, and "tiresome engineering" doesn't make it sound like he enjoyed what he was doing. So, then I guess the question becomes: why were you doing it that much?
 
samiwas said:
True (kind of). But working weekends, missing kids' birthdays, and "tiresome engineering" doesn't make it sound like he enjoyed what he was doing. So, then I guess the question becomes: why were you doing it that much?
Click to expand...

You know, you stay in it because you're making something wonderful, but then the management changes and suddenly you're nothing but a burden. Frying myself and spending way too much time in the hospital also taught me about the fragility of life.

It's sunny out here!
 
AlbertEinstein said:
No more work during weekends, no more missing my kids birthdays and no more tiresome engineering! I worked almost 16 hours everyday for the last 19 years (maybe a little less during weekends) but now i'm finally free!

Time sit back and relax.:cool:
Click to expand...

So did you get a pension or are just independently wealthy? ;)
 
AlbertEinstein said:
You know, you stay in it because you're making something wonderful, but then the management changes and suddenly you're nothing but a burden. Frying myself and spending way too much time in the hospital also taught me about the fragility of life.

It's sunny out here!
Click to expand...

I guess it must have been wonderful! I can't think of anything that would make me give up that much time with my family and friends for nearly 20 years.

I also very much understand the management changes and what that does to the mindset.

Glad you finally got out! Welcome to the world!

Huntn said:
So did you get a pension or are just independently wealthy? ;)
Click to expand...

I would hope by now he's pretty wealthy!
 
I work in a headquarters environment and so many people ask themselves, "How high can I go?" I always ask myself, "When can I go?"

Life is too short to be hung up on titles and power. Where I work we all make a good living so it becomes an obsession for some to then seek the power of positions or push to be "that guy"...the one who gives it all, all hours of the day or night, all weekend. I'm the opposite and I do just as good of a job within the hours expected of me and they all know, if you need me leave a message or send an email. I'll answer either the next work day. Weekends are mine with family, at least short of a real emergency.

Edit: Congrats! Life is short enough....hope you enjoy every free minute with those you love most.
 
Last edited:
Congratulations!

I too work in engineering and can echo the tiresome sentiments, and you can certainly work yourself around the clock at my company, and several do, all day all night all weekend every weekend and pulling all nighters.

I won't/don't, the 50-60 hours I give them is plenty more than enough for a lousy 3% raise and 3.5% bonus, neither of which even equated to a paycheck.

I don't know that I can do this for another several decades. There has been more than one day where I've looked out the window and seen some guy with a leaf blower backpack at the building next door blowing leaves out of the bushes and thought about how the grass is always greener...
 
AlbertEinstein said:
No more work during weekends, no more missing my kids birthdays and no more tiresome engineering! I worked almost 16 hours everyday for the last 19 years (maybe a little less during weekends) but now i'm finally free!
Click to expand...

I'm curious - you could not have possibly hated it that much, otherwise, you would have never stuck with it for 19 years.

What changed ?

-t
 
turtle777 said:
I'm curious - you could not have possibly hated it that much, otherwise, you would have never stuck with it for 19 years.

What changed ?

-t
Click to expand...

I simply found no joy in my work any longer. The latest management change (many years since the last one) made everyone in my division uncertain about our future, and once they ended our project we were getting moved around to other divisions. Suddenly i found myself developing a new battery system that everybody knew was going to get canned.
I quite simply went from making incredible products to wasting time on a dead horse.

I think the company will manage fine without me and they probably have many more exciting things in the pipeline.
 
AlbertEinstein said:
Suddenly i found myself developing a new battery system that everybody knew was going to get canned.
Click to expand...

So you worked for Boeing... :)

Seriously, I hope you enjoy your retirement. You may find after a while that it's not an all-or-nothing proposition. I know several people who retired from their original positions but continue to work part time for the same or other employers and are happier than ever.
 
AlbertEinstein said:
I simply found no joy in my work any longer. The latest management change (many years since the last one) made everyone in my division uncertain about our future... Suddenly i found myself developing a new battery system that everybody knew was going to get canned.
Click to expand...

Makes sense.

Working long hours in itself is not a bad thing as long as it gives you energy and fulfillment.

A 3 hour / week job w/o purpose can be worse than 60 hours of exciting work.

-t
 
AlbertEinstein said:
I simply found no joy in my work any longer. The latest management change (many years since the last one) made everyone in my division uncertain about our future, and once they ended our project we were getting moved around to other divisions. Suddenly i found myself developing a new battery system that everybody knew was going to get canned.
I quite simply went from making incredible products to wasting time on a dead horse.

I think the company will manage fine without me and they probably have many more exciting things in the pipeline.
Click to expand...

You quit working for APPLE!?!?;)
 
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