I love my job…

This was said (or something in the similar sense) in the last decade by quite a few people I knew. Nothing wrong with that. The only problem is that you might be loving something which is outside your control. If you have own business, you are controlling most of it. With the job there is no control over what are you doing there, what people you work with and when the job will finish. In four months, four years or four decades. It WILL finish anyway and you should be prepared for it. By JOB it can mean also career.

Prepare

While you are working, please keep in mind that your job or career can end any time. Employer’s decision, retirement age, technology advancement, injury, illness. All of this is  outside your control. What you do control is how would you live and work after the job is finished. Your skills update, studying for new career, or have a stash to take it easy for a while. Also you ALWAYS have to think about your life outside your job. Some people think they ONLY are what is their profession. Problem with that is that when the job is finished, what are you going to do now? Your profession might become redundant, you might have injury or illness that you cannot work there any longer or you are past standard retirement age when it is close to impossible to source another positions. Here hobbies, sports and side gigs come to place.

Death

Unfortunately lately in my family and acquaintances circles were quite a few unfortunate events which makes you think if you want to work hard to 67 as we are reminded by our government and enjoy retirement only then. In last year my neighbour passed away in his early sixties only retired for a few years. Couple years before that my relative stepped down from his stressful top management position in August only to die in December at 63. His wife died before him still working at 55. Both were quite well off and looking after their health all their lives. Close relative went straight from employment to disability pension at 55 being seriously ill. He definitely is not enjoying retirement when he dares only to supermarket for daily needs and medical center for many regular checks.

Another relative stopped working due to her health being damaged by her profession at 64 again to the point when enjoyment and quality of live is discutable. One more relative retired at 62 again with serous diabetes and kidney disease. Not easy to enjoy your retirement when you have to inject yourself insulin 4 times a day. He doesn’t have to work and doesn’t financially struggle, but his life is not easy. Another relative passed away in his chair writing invoices for his business. He was 62.

Readyto retire?

This relative was extremely devoted to his employer of many decades. He has done very well and progressed to the executive management. He was very well respected and loved by his colleagues, friends and relatives. Then time to step down came due to the retirement age. He found it difficult to adjust as he has always devoted his life to his job. They do not teach you anywhere what to do with your free time. Either you learn it somewhere and keep the free time to yourself for hobbies, family, etc. Or the job will take away most of your time and you will never learn what to do with it. How to enjoy it. Especially workholic types (which luckily I am not), will find it difficult to enjoy time without working.

Unfortunately this relative had funeral today. Retired only for a week. Family is totally devastated. He was 62. He should be going for overseas holiday, spend time with his kids and grand kids and enjoy his freedom. Unfortunately he will not. The only good thing about this is that we can learn from this misfortune. This can happen to any of us.

Life is tough

What I am trying to say is that it doesn’t matter when you will stop working. You will stop at some point. And then what? Make sure you know what will you do with your time and test it. No point to dream for 30 years how you will take caravan around the country when you retire and then after a week you find out, you do not like camping. Also please realise life is not always fair. The above experiences can be easily ours, so please do not expect you will start enjoying your life only once you retire. There are pretty high chances, we might have at least some issues with our health if we survive to the standard retirement age in Australia at 67 at all. Live today.

Gym

I will bring my experience in. When I was employed I went almost every lunch time to gym. With many bosses, some did not like it. I still kept going. By now I am exercising for ALL my life and I am always trying to make sure there is some exercise I can do even if I am injured or ill. That lunch hour in the gym was more important for my life than the job. Jobs finished but my love for exercise did not. Currently I am doing couple of high impact sports like soccer or martial arts when it is in doubt how will I do it in my fifties. But I know it and I am trying to enjoy it now as much as I can now. When I stop for health reasons I will replace it with some other sport I can do.

Cliff

Same thing was when I always felt urge to go home from work to my family. Many colleagues did not seem wanting the same. I understand that sometimes there is something urgent and you have to stay back. But in my view it should be exemption. Your personal time belongs to you, your family and your hobbies. Personal time is not suitable for overtime. Overtime is not good for stress and I believe stress is one of the biggest dangers to humans. If you see 500m steep cliff, you will keep away from the edge because it is dangerous to go too close to the edge. With the stress it is the same thing. One difference is, it is bit difficult to see where exactly the edge is. Just many people go often with no fear close to the edge until they fall.

Please. Live today.