If you could change your life?

[Ollieollie]

As the old saying goes "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride".

Wish in one hand, #### in the other and see which one fills up first

[Thunderbird]

My cousin is a part-time fireman, and before that he ran a youth hostel. He said the training was physically though (for the fire service, not the YHA... ) but not too bad, and he enjoys it.

 

I've changed career a few times. In some ways I envied my brother, who knew what he wanted to do from the age of about 12, and still does it now.

 

I also know people who were propelled through school and university by family pressure/privilege, and ended up skidding headlong into 'good' jobs like law, medicine, aviation, accountancy, only to get fed up with it pretty quickly.

 

I always think it's a shame that many young people feel forced into forging themselves a career they have no real way of knowing they'll enjoy, long term.

 

Making a change, and shaking things up can be a good thing. Too many people live in the prisons they build for themselves.

 

 

[WGD]

I neither love nor hate my job. I like simple things for recreation... foxing, stalking, dog training, rough shooting and a bit of DIY round the house and time with the wife and kids, but equally I like some of the nicer things in life that I couldn't afford to have if I lived the idyllic simple life.

 

My aim is to retire from the slightly fractious business I run when my kids are through school and the mortgage is paid off, probably around 10 - 12 years time in my late forties and hopefully have enough money to allow me to live the simple life but with reserves to spend a bit on whatever I feel like, within reason.

 

The weekends and days off are special because of what they are, if every day were like that I would get bored I think.

[jasper3]

Would love to be a smallholder but its an unrealistic pipe dream in this country at least. The wifes Polish and I have been tempted to go there and give it a go as she wouldnt mind it either.

 

Its not impossible..its just hard work getting there…i am on that road at the moment…more knock backs than an a boxer… but you have a dream, you live only once…chase it

[geordieh]

Retired at 55 wish I had done it at 18.If I could start again I would get some bird up the duff half a dozen times and work the benefit system like some of my mates have

[thepasty]

I dont love my job but being self employed it means I can get the work life balance right, I run at about 50/50 at the moment and I'm very happy

[Scully]

I think the only thing I would change is having my kids when I was younger so I had more time to spend with them, and taking my artwork more seriously at an earlier age.

[safc1973]

I dont love my job but being self employed it means I can get the work life balance right, I run at about 50/50 at the moment and I'm very happy

Same for me - gave up a PAYE job 18 months ago and now earn less money but have a much better life.

[jasper3]

I would change a **** load of things… the MK1 wife would never have been…. thought with my thing in the underpants department on that one

[Mungler]

My job is pure stress but I love it - no day is the same.

 

Since going into partnership (and effectively working for myself) back in 2006 I get to choose the people I work with and the work I do. I believe it's that that has made the difference for me - in my last job I knew my time was up when the alarm went off in the morning and I'd spend 10 minutes in bed arguing with myself about going into work. I've always had a good work ethic and so I'd end up going in but hating it - the partners I worked for could only be best described as angry and bitter old men - they hated each other and they hated their staff.

 

I had to remortgage my house to 'buy in' and then fund a consultancy for the outgoing partners (7 years down, 3 to go). I'm just now coming out the other side.

 

Edit

 

Would I change anything? Not really. Maybe going self employed sooner and consistently finding time to exercise, go shooting and do 'stuff' that's not work. The only thing I worry about now is dying early from being the bloated desk jockey that I am.

Edited March 3, 2014 by Mungler

[ack-ack]

My job is pure stress but I love it - no day is the same.

 

Since going into partnership (and effectively working for myself) back in 2006 I get to choose the people I work with and the work I do. I believe it's that that has made the difference for me - in my last job I knew my time was up when the alarm went off in the morning and I'd spend 10 minutes in bed arguing with myself about going into work. I've always had a good work ethic and so I'd end up going in but hating it - the partners I worked for could only be best described as angry and bitter old men - they hated each other and they hated their staff.

 

I had to remortgage my house to 'buy in' and then fund a consultancy for the outgoing partners (7 years down, 3 to go). I'm just now coming out the other side.

I had know idea toilet trading was so rewarding.

[overandunder2012]

I had know idea toilet trading was so rewarding.

and he's earning well

[four-wheel-drive]

They always say that you make your own luck in life if you work hard at something you will get what you want in the end this is correct to a degree but also so much in life depends on other things like who you now being in the rite place at the rite time having the rite mother and father look at all of the singers who have hit songs most of them are nothing special but they have the rite song at the rite time and they are in the money most of it is down to luck I'm afraid.

[Mungler]

and he's earning well

 

It's not too bad. I saw KW's post in one of the tax threads and was comfortably reassured that I was paying a lot more tax than him, and thus as a self employed sort, I get to occupy the moral high ground as well

Edited March 3, 2014 by Mungler

[Mungler]

They always say that you make your own luck in life if you work hard at something you will get what you want in the end this is correct to a degree but also so much in life depends on other things like who you now being in the rite place at the rite time having the rite mother and father look at all of the singers who have hit songs most of them are nothing special but they have the rite song at the rite time and they are in the money most of it is down to luck I'm afraid.

That's the spirit

 

That is of course horse poop. To quote Samuel Goldwyn "the harder I work, the luckier I get".

 

If you're out there doing it and giving it your all, you will make you're own luck.

 

Like sales cold calling - the bloke turning 100 calls a day is a lot luckier than the person making 60 calls.

[team tractor]

I always wanted to be a bike mechanic but my dad said don't mix pleasure with work so I went to work with him as a joiner as I knew the basics before I left school then did 3 years at burton college and 2 years learning bike mechanics at tamworth college at night followed by another year at Lichfield college at night learning carving .

I love my job making nice things for people but the customers spoil it moaning looking to knock money off on purpose even tho it's perfect :(

[team tractor]

I'll never get bored of making stuff like this

But I wish I'd never met the ex in my life and I can't take that back :(

Love my kids tho

[overandunder2012]

It's not too bad. I saw KW's post in one of the tax threads and was comfortably reassured that I was paying a lot more tax than him, and thus as a self employed sort, I get to occupy the moral high ground as well

maybe kw is better at getting paid in cash and not paying tax

[Brad93]

I wouldn't become a farrier if you want to be able to walk around or move any joints and not be in pain 24/7.

It's also a saturated market so everyone is undercutting everyone else, yet the costs are going up. In the end less profit for you. It can take a long long time to build up your reputation and gain the loyal customers.

[subsonicnat]

As the old saying goes "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride".

I am 70, and have never heard this expression :

is it the same as "Pie in the sky" .

[fortune]

If I had changed my life >>. I could have had a gorgeous wife, a big yacht, six-figure salary, Months at a time on holiday, Nahh >> It would be so boring. The stress, the harassment. Still isn’t that my life now? I wanted to be a pilot on the RAF. But then again I might have been shot down in the Falklands.

[big bad lindz]

I am an Instrument technician and I have been in the oil & gas and associated industry for far to many years but it will see me out till I hang up my boots. Its been good to me and I realy dont have any complaints.

 

If I had the choice, looking back I would like to have done something country related ie small hold farming (crofting), game keeper, gillie (although I dont fish) etc. I have a small plot of land

(2 acres) and enjoy pottering about on it although no livestock. I have only been involved in shooting for a short while but I realy enjoy listining to some of the keepers and the like talking about there lifestyle. I appriciate that it is not for everyone and I may now be looking through tinted glasses having had the lifestyle that I have had.

[kent]

Now don't get me rong I'm not a bum, I'm doing my deploma in aircraft engineering, welding and aircraft sheet metal so I'm building a career but I was sitting at work today welding away , then staring at a CAD drawing for ages trying to work somthing out when I started thinking....... WERE DID MY DREAMS GO!

 

for as Long as I can remember I wanted to be a fireman and after applying 6-7 times gave up, this was a few years ago now.

 

But of I could change my career at the drop of a hat I would, for about 6 years now I quite fancy being a farrier, or going off to agricultural college to study and possibly become a game keeper.

 

now I don't hate by job but I don't exactly spring out of bed in the morning. So I was just curious if you could go back and re plan things, what would ur career choice be now? low paid job you love? High paid stressful job you hate?

To some degree the jobs we have done and do today shape our character, if you actually became a fireman you should be a different person today through your life experiences- is that what you want good and bad? If so its time to change.

I hated some of the things I have done to earn a living but don't hate the way those things have shaped me as a person neither do I hate were they put me fiscally (though today through this downturn I should rather be skilled in other areas of higher demand, coz I am bored stupid at present) There is nothing to stop a bright enough guy changing from being a welder to anything they want to be other than determination and natural ability, exactly what I did and to be fair so did a lot of the guys I worked with (hence the age skills gap in engineering 40-55 yrs)

 

If I have one regret it was being born into the family I was as it limited my scope on schooling and put traits into me that are less desirable in certain situations (not much anyone can do about that). The only thing I can do about that is bring my own two up different which is hard at times because there is a certain amount of learned experience knocking about in my head

[Thunderbird]

maybe kw is better at getting paid in cash and not paying tax

 

Quite...after all we ALL do it..nudge nudge..

[amateur]

I am 70, and have never heard this expression :

is it the same as "Pie in the sky" .

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_wishes_were_horses,_beggars_would_ride