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Re: Your working life.
Sure. I have been in the employment market for 32 years
By calculation I think I have worked for, or freelanced consulted for around 23-25 companies / organisations, public and private sector, and about 5-6 different industries, some UK and some abroad. For 22 years that was working for myself.
Off the top of my head I would maybe 15 years was enjoyable and interesting. I can honestly say that certainly 7 years of it (with four different companies) was awful, where I woke up in the morning with absolute dread, physically aching, mentally all over the place and drinking heavily. For two years my stress levels were so high that wanted to knock out the Russian and Ukrainian people I worked with, but it was also my time of peak earnings that I could never have dreamed off at 18, and it put me in a position of being able to semi-retire 8 years ago and pick and choose what I did for money. So long term, the stress was worth it.
The other ten years was just OK where it was just routine, easy and people were OK. Ticking over, collecting good money.
I would say that despite the torrid times I am in no position to complain, even though there were two periods that affected my mental health due to the sheer pressure of where I worked. I came close to the wire a few times I think, on mental health
But sticking with it allowed me to set myself up for life and I learned things about the way the country is run that I could never have known ofherwise. Plus I was fortunate that through the support of a top psychologist, corrected diet and a gym programme that I was able to repair my mental health and so far (fingers crossed) there isn’t any long term damage and I feel great.
In summary I was one of those people who took a gamble with physical and mental health, and family to chase the money, and it paid off. I did a job I was capable of doing, and grew my skills along the way. But sometimes I carry some guilt about the people I have had to screw over along the way to network, survive the game and win. Did I ever love my job? Never. It was OK and mentally analytical, extremely challenging and I learned so much about so many things. But I never “loved it”. Life goals achieved, but no love for my work. For many people that may be an untenable way to live.
Sure. I have been in the employment market for 32 years
By calculation I think I have worked for, or freelanced consulted for around 23-25 companies / organisations, public and private sector, and about 5-6 different industries, some UK and some abroad. For 22 years that was working for myself.
Off the top of my head I would maybe 15 years was enjoyable and interesting. I can honestly say that certainly 7 years of it (with four different companies) was awful, where I woke up in the morning with absolute dread, physically aching, mentally all over the place and drinking heavily. For two years my stress levels were so high that wanted to knock out the Russian and Ukrainian people I worked with, but it was also my time of peak earnings that I could never have dreamed off at 18, and it put me in a position of being able to semi-retire 8 years ago and pick and choose what I did for money. So long term, the stress was worth it.
The other ten years was just OK where it was just routine, easy and people were OK. Ticking over, collecting good money.
I would say that despite the torrid times I am in no position to complain, even though there were two periods that affected my mental health due to the sheer pressure of where I worked. I came close to the wire a few times I think, on mental health
But sticking with it allowed me to set myself up for life and I learned things about the way the country is run that I could never have known ofherwise. Plus I was fortunate that through the support of a top psychologist, corrected diet and a gym programme that I was able to repair my mental health and so far (fingers crossed) there isn’t any long term damage and I feel great.
In summary I was one of those people who took a gamble with physical and mental health, and family to chase the money, and it paid off. I did a job I was capable of doing, and grew my skills along the way. But sometimes I carry some guilt about the people I have had to screw over along the way to network, survive the game and win. Did I ever love my job? Never. It was OK and mentally analytical, extremely challenging and I learned so much about so many things. But I never “loved it”. Life goals achieved, but no love for my work. For many people that may be an untenable way to live.
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