Early-retirement wannabe
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Marine_life wrote: »I remember some years ago someone commenting on the high stress nature of the job that I do and that "we" will probably be the first generation to have done this for our whole working lives.
Work for previous generations was often far more physically demanding. No early retirement either. Shorter holidays. Longer working hours.0 -
I see. Reducing stress and workload seems to be the main aim. Good luck ! Curious what you do (as much you you feel comfortable to tell obviously ).The word "dilemma" comes from Greek where "di" means two and "lemma" means premise. Refers usually to difficult choice between two undesirable options.
Often people seem to use this word mistakenly where "quandary" would fit better.0 -
Thrugelmir wrote: »Work for previous generations was often far more physically demanding. No early retirement either. Shorter holidays. Longer working hours.
Are you saying we are spoilt nowadays and should stop moaning
Money won't buy you happiness....but I have never been in a situation where more money made things worse!0 -
I see. Reducing stress and workload seems to be the main aim. Good luck ! Curious what you do (as much you you feel comfortable to tell obviously ).
What i do involves numbers
To say its about reducing stress doesn't really give the right picture. Each of the three aspects of life has it's own stresses (those three aspects being demands from work, demands from home and personal ambition) and the key to a happy life (in my view) is getting the balance right between the three.Money won't buy you happiness....but I have never been in a situation where more money made things worse!0 -
According to at least one economist, total annual work hours may be a fair bit higher now than in the past:Thrugelmir wrote: »Work for previous generations ... Shorter holidays. Longer working hours.All told, holiday leisure time in medieval England took up probably about one-third of the year.
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During one period of unusually high wages (the late fourteenth century), many laborers refused to work "by the year or the half year or by any of the usual terms but only by the day." And they worked only as many days as were necessary to earn their customary income -- which in this case amounted to about 120 days a year, for a probable total of only 1,440 hours annually (this estimate assumes a 12-hour day because the days worked were probably during spring, summer and fall). A thirteenth-century estime finds that whole peasant families did not put in more than 150 days per year on their land. Manorial records from fourteenth-century England indicate an extremely short working year -- 175 days -- for servile laborers. Later evidence for farmer-miners, a group with control over their worktime, indicates they worked only 180 days a year.0 -
According to at least one economist, total annual work hours may be a fair bit higher now than in the past:
I don't think the comparison was being made to the fourteenth century, the last 100 years would be a more appropriate time scale!0 -
Marine_life wrote: »Are you saying we are spoilt nowadays and should stop moaning
Life isn't so bad.
My late grandfather was a mechanical engineer at the Tate & Lyle sugar refinery in Silvertown. Worked 6 days a week until he was 65. Lived 4 months into retirement. Physically a wreck. Looked closer to age 85 in todays world. Being German he was sent to coventry for the 6 years of the war by his work colleagues.0 -
According to at least one economist, total annual work hours may be a fair bit higher now than in the past:
I have to pedal my own bicycle in order to power my pc though. 0 -
Marine_life wrote: »and the key to a happy life (in my view) is getting the balance right between the three.
With you there ML
I've recently made a similar change to what you're considering, reducing my working week 30% to 3.5 days. The .5 is working from home too, but I don't have the same concerns as you on that front, mainly because it was their suggestion (I originally requested 3 days).
It does take discipline, as it's oh so easy to carry on working and/or check the Emails on the phone in this 'always on' world, but I think to myself "I'm not getting paid anymore" and that helps focus the mind a bit.
I have to say though that so far I am loving it, and it has certainly helped me to reallign that balance in my life that you mention.
Good luck with it. I think it could me a really good transitional step for you.0 -
Ok. So main reason then is to have more time and space to dedicate to other sides of your life ?The word "dilemma" comes from Greek where "di" means two and "lemma" means premise. Refers usually to difficult choice between two undesirable options.
Often people seem to use this word mistakenly where "quandary" would fit better.0
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