How hard do you push yourself for career success?

Blue Velvet said:
I would have made a great nun. I may as well have been — all the action I'm seeing around here. :p
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Hi there. ;) :D heh.

Erm yeah... how hard do I push myself for career success? Doctors bitch about doing 60 hour weeks. Doctors don't have a f**kin' clue, put it that way. ;)

Then again, I don't really see what I do as either a job or a career, it's more... more a passion. ;)
 
iGav said:
Then again, I don't really see what I do as either a job or a career, it's more... more a passion. ;)
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Exactly. Sometimes it's hard to get that across to other people...

Just a job? Nope.
 
I don't really have a "career". I have a job that "pays the bills". And with that I am completely satisfied. I did the whole "work 80 hours a week, have no life, get raped in taxes" schtick and it only made me miserable. Financially speaking, I don't really have any aspirations, as long as I can pay the bills and have a little left over to play with I'm happy. Of course, I am a firm believer in the saying "the best things in life are free". They really truly are.
 
Blue Velvet said:
Exactly. Sometimes it's hard to get that across to other people...
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tis :D

I spend my weekends at the Tate Modern, Design Museum, Photographers Gallery, Kemistry Gallery, Brick Lane etc etc. In other words... when I myself am not being creative, I usually wish that I were. :( You'll never, ever find me lying on a beach for example. ;)
 
VERY, VERY, HARD!

Had a thread on recent success. #1 at the end of the first quarter. I am in sales as well, and it occupies all spare thought. I do take vacations (wife and 3 kids can pull you back to reality).

I don't plan to work this hard forever, just making a great first impression, then get the job I really want.

Most weeks I work between 60-80 hours (yes some saturdays in there too).
 
The hubby will attest that I have a work ethic that is very determined. Once I start something I have a hard time stopping until it's completed--even when I'm not working on it I'm still thinking and planning in the back of my head. I suppose that was the main reason I opted for a job where computer programming wasn't the main focus otherwise I'd never leave the office. :D I tend to work up to the very last possible second before I have to go meet the hubby's train (when I can meet his train), and on the nights he has night class I'm usually working up to the point where I have to go pick him up at 9PM.

However, over the past few years work has begun to take a back seat to other things, including family life. I want to be a part of my family's life and I want them to know that they are more important to me than work. I know I can get caught up in things if I'm not careful. That's why I'm thankful for the hubby helping in that respect by helping me establish some rules/limits. At the risk of limiting my career ambitions and promotion potential, I took a work from home position so that I could have more time with him (and the kids when they start coming). Also, unless I've got something extremely pressing or critical the work computer gets turned off when he arrives home. Since implementing these changes I've noticed that we have a lot more quality free time together and we are generally happier. He doesn't feel like I'm neglecting him and I don't feel as overly stressed about work/life as I would be if I just buried myself in it. As Applespider said, generally the extra amount of work I've put into a project doesn't lead to the same amount of benefits.

I guess what it comes down to is finding the right balance. Yes, work is important to the sustaining of one's livelihood, but it is not the be all end all. Looking back when I'm at the end of my life I want to feel a true sense of accomplishment. I know I'll only feel that if the people that really matter in my life have been satisfied and known that they were loved. If they went through life thinking that they weren't a priority or that they weren't my top priority then whatever material accomplishment I did achieve will be for naught. So with that said, I'm okay with not having the highest paying job or reaching the top of the career ladder so long as my family and I are provided for sufficiently, are able to spend quality time together, and are happy.
 
I think that careers are getting harder and harder, with less time for personal use and family. It's a sad state of affairs in the 21st century.

It's Easter weekend. This week I've been on-call so I couldn't go and see my parents / family (I work for a telecoms company in the UK). On-call ended at 08:15 this morning. However Bank Holiday Monday 04:30am > 07:00 I had to work on a customers system monitoring it which I do every 3 days in a rota.

Once every 3 weeks I'm on-call, followed usually by a week on site in Istanbul which leaves 1 week in 3 with evening being my own. However work pressure at the moment means that during this week I'm usually working in the evenings as well.

I get the feeling that weekends no-longer belong to me, and if I do get a weekend completely free I end up checking my work e-mail, replying to customers and generally being unable to chill and relax.

These were my hours from a couple of weekends ago

Friday night planned activity on customer system 23:00 ~ 01:00 (2 hours)
Saturday on-call work 11:30 ~ 22:30 (11 hours)
Saturday night planned work 23:00 ~ 02:00 (3 hours)
Sunday am checks 04:30 ~ 7am (2.5 hours)
Sunday am customer called me out 09:00 worked til 17:00 (8 hours)

Thats about 26 hours work, after most people have finished their week !!!!

The other week I just booked a last minute flight and flew off to Spain to go and see my ex-girlfriend ! I'd had enough of work and anything was better than stopping in the UK where I had access to cell phone / e-mail !
 
At this point, I'm getting re-energized in my work. I've been at this place for 21 years, and have been fortunate in that I always loved what I was doing and never stayed in one spot too long. Ran cutters, folders, and stitchers in the Bindery for a couple of years, then ran the department for a couple more, moved into Customer Service, then ran that department for several years, took over Scheduling for a spell, then was made a VP and moved into PrePress as we made the transition to digital impo/proofing and CTP. After 8 years in prep, I was getting bored, as there were no more big transitions to move through. As I have recently moved to a new department to develop our digital printing efforts, I have something new to sink my teeth into.
Generally, I work from 6.30a until 5.00p 5 days a week, plus weekends as needed. Even without the 1.5 hour commute (total for both ways), I'm putting in 50+ hours/week minimum. That's pretty typical at our company for salaried management positions.
The early days in prep had me working more like 70 hour weeks. I'm sure when the equipment hits our floor I'll be back there again. It's fun, in a stressful, "how am I ever getting all this done?" kind of way.:cool:
 
calculus said:
What a strange value system you have.
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To even equate 'real creativity' with raising children is a pathetic slur on all those for their own reasons can not or will not have children and a grossly over-valued view of the importance of procreation for an individual's value fulfillment.

I feel sorry for you that you can't find your job or career as rewarding as raising your family. It must be such a draining and fruitless working life that you lead, so in that case I can understand your sniping at those who relegate your priorities to the sidelines.
 
floriflee said:
Now, now... there's no need to start getting nasty. Let's keep this thread civilized and remain open to others' points of views....
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I second that.

I think the main issue with people is that everybody likes to think that they work a lot harder than everybody else! It really is everywhere you look. Case in point:

I'm at uni (which has a minimum attendance of 5 days a week 9-5) I juggle two jobs at 10 and 15 hours each respectivly, I also try to build my career as a Composer in the Media, and get out and have fun...there is always something to do.

The other day, I was saying to my Girlfriends mom that I was tired...her reply; "You want to try working a 9-5 job."

There just isn't a reply really to somebody so ignorant as to anybody elses situation.

So; chill! Everybody works at their own capactiy, and definitions of what is or not "hard work" is entirely irrelevant in the society we live in...EVERYBODY has a million and one things to do at any one time. Its how we deal with it that counts.
 
I think in my 20s I wanted to work hard. But, working for my father was very difficult and it basically beat me down. After doing that for ten years, I went back to college to complete a degree in business. Since then I've had two jobs for three years each, and various others for a year or two. It took me that long to realize I no longer had the motivation for the business world. I also realized that I was/am depressed, and have been for a long, long time.

Currently, my motivation lies in my family, supporting my wife, who has obtained a wonderful job, and completing my masters in teaching. I realized I've always wanted to teach, and these classes are some of the most motivating events I've ever taken part of. I've wanted to teach for 20 years, and part of the depression is not having the confidence to think I could actually do something.

I've also been a youth minister part-time or volunteer for over 20 years. That's been a fairly positive experience, and I think goes along with my motiviation to want to teach at the secondary level.
 
Blue Velvet said:
To even equate 'real creativity' with raising children is a pathetic slur on all those for their own reasons can not or will not have children and a grossly over-valued view of the importance of procreation for an individual's value fulfillment.

I feel sorry for you that you can't find your job or career as rewarding as raising your family. It must be such a draining and fruitless working life that you lead, so in that case I can understand your sniping at those who relegate your priorities to the sidelines.
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No slur intended - people are free to choose to do whatever they want. I am perfectly fulfilld in my working life thank you very much but it is not the be all and end all of my existence - and yes my family is more important. You started the sniping with your sarcastic remark about a diploma.
 
I work hard when I'm at my job, but I don't consider my current job to be a "career"... it's just what I do to pay the bills for now.

Also, for me nothing is more important than my family. In my current job, I get 2 weeks of paid time off (which includes both sick time and vacation time) - which just doesn't leave me with enough free time.

So, I'm now plotting and planning to start my own business working from home, so I can choose when I want to work so that I can spend more time with my family... and at the same time do something I'm passionate about that benefits me more directly than my current situation.
 
njmac said:
Calculus is just making us with families look bad. Ignore the troll.
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I have the greatest of admiration for those who manage to bring up families in today's world. It takes a level of patience, dedication and self-sacrifice that I am, for various reasons, am unable to give.

If I had the responsibility of care of children, it would represent an enormous setback and obstacle to my career goals.

That is the point I was trying to make... to call these values 'strange' and 'a substitute' is highly inflammatory.
 
Blue Velvet said:
To even equate 'real creativity' with raising children is a pathetic slur on all those for their own reasons can not or will not have children and a grossly over-valued view of the importance of procreation for an individual's value fulfillment.

I feel sorry for you that you can't find your job or career as rewarding as raising your family. It must be such a draining and fruitless working life that you lead, so in that case I can understand your sniping at those who relegate your priorities to the sidelines.
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I don't think there's any need to feel sorry for someone because they find a different path to a rewarding life. In fact, this is one of the things that seems to plague every woman I ever come in contact with.

The women without families feel sorry for the women with the distractions (and believe me there are many) of having children

The women who work outside the home full time feel sorry for the women and actually give them snide remarks and seem to look down on mothers who choose to stay home with their kids.

The women who stay home with their kids feel sorry for the women who are putting their kids in daycare all day and working.

I hear these ALL the time and I try and tune it out. I have my own reasons and you (that's a general "you") have yours. Everyone finds fulfillment in their own way. Our differences make the world go 'round. :)

Blue Velvet said:
I have the greatest of admiration for those who manage to bring up families in today's world. It takes a level of patience, dedication and self-sacrifice that I am, for various reasons, am unable to give.

If I had the responsibility of care of children, it would represent an enormous setback and obstacle to my career goals.

That is the point I was trying to make... to call these values 'strange' and 'a substitute' is highly inflammatory.
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I absolutely agree. I have great respect for you and all women who have a passion for what they do.


EDIT:

Also, more on topic - when I work, I work hard! I can't see the point of doing a job half-assed. Right now, I'm very busy. I'm trying to get a couple of different projects off the ground to see what really works. I have a local business giving cooking lessons and I'm looking on how I can expand to be a little more lucrative, yet less time consuming. I have some ideas so stay tuned....;) :)
 
Blue Velvet said:
I have the greatest of admiration for those who manage to bring up families in today's world. It takes a level of patience, dedication and self-sacrifice that I am, for various reasons, am unable to give.

If I had the responsibility of care of children, it would represent an enormous setback and obstacle to my career goals.

That is the point I was trying to make... to call these values 'strange' and 'a substitute' is highly inflammatory.
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I understand your point and I am not making any judgement about your circumstances - just saying what's important to me. I do think that 'family life' (and I know that can mean a whole lot of different things to different people) is undervalued by society in relation to 'work' (this can also mean many different things). I guess we all make our own choice about what we are prepared to give up.
 
calculus said:
...I guess we all make our own choice about what we are prepared to give up.
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Yeah. At this rate, the only people I'm going to have at my 60th birthday party is a bunch of similarly-aged old fogies moaning about their knees. :D

When I've got to a certain stage in my career, I've been thinking about getting into mentoring.
 
njmac said:
I don't think there's any need to feel sorry for someone because they find a different path to a rewarding life. In fact, this is one of the things that seems to plague every woman I ever come in contact with.

The women without families feel sorry for the women with the distractions (and believe me there are many) of having children

The women who work outside the home full time feel sorry for the women and actually give them snide remarks and seem to look down on mothers who choose to stay home with their kids.

The women who stay home with their kids feel sorry for the women who are putting their kids in daycare all day and working.

I hear these ALL the time and I try and tune it out. I have my own reasons and you (that's a general "you") have yours. Everyone finds fulfillment in their own way. Our differences make the world go 'round. :)
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Your analysis is spot on I think.
 
Blue Velvet said:
Yeah. At this rate, the only people I'm going to have at my 60th birthday party is a bunch of similarly-aged old fogies moaning about their knees. :D
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Well, I think it will be the same for me!
 
Blue Velvet said:
Yeah. At this rate, the only people I'm going to have at my 60th birthday party is a bunch of similarly-aged old fogies moaning about their knees. :D
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Is that an invitation?;)
 
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