Published on 12, July, 2020
I have recently retired from work. It was long awaited and I have not missed the job at all ( the people I worked with were nice, but the job itself had become a mixture of stressful and tedious)
I have never particularly enjoyed working. I have got some sense of satisfaction from doing a job well during certain periods of my working life, but in most jobs I had there were people - mostly managers - who I really did not enjoy spending my days with. I get bored quickly and so jobs became mundane in a short period of time, and if I put myself forward to do higher level tasks (that I was capable of) I was either refused the role or ended up doing the higher level stuff without getting the extra pay for it. And I've suffered burn out from time to time due to the stress of work making me exhausted.
I know that a lot of autistic people are unable to work but would like to, and that many people get a sense of self worth from working and a better lifestyle (due to having wages) But I feel that society may over value work in some ways, and that maybe it programmes us to think that not working is lazy or unproductive? However there are some wealthy people who do little to no work and nobody calls them lazy. I heard a saying somewhere that I like: "we're human beings, not human doings". Perhaps that's a good answer next time someone asks - "so, what do you do?"
I just wondered what everyone's views were about working?
If you currently work, would you give up working if you became financially independent?
If you do not work but would like to, or want a career change, what would your dream job be?
If you do not work and have no wish to, or are retired or cannot work due to health reasons, how do you structure your days?
I’ve always worked and for a majority of it worked in my fathers business. I now realise how much I was ‘carried’. I am quite good with solving engineering problems but as I was often told, not a people person. For the last 10 years I have been lucky enough to work alone, I used to really enjoy the work, I restore classic cars. For the last 3 years I have had zero interest, I’m bored every single day and don’t enjoy any of it. This happened on the day I realised I’m autistic. Gone from insomniac to constantly tired.
Now moving to the Cornish coast and have bought a house with another cottage attached to it and no neighbours, both houses need a lot of work and then a stone barn to convert. Hopefully this new direction will give me a new interest. The cottage and barn will hopefully be holiday lets. I love learning new skills but once mastered can lose interest very quickly and then need to learn something else. I’m 57 in a few months so hopefully my health will holdout and then can semi retire.
I am the same. I do return to some interests. some atrophy if not persisted in, like language studies.
Roy well done you and no neighbours sounds bliss I live in Devon and lets just say have not found many friendly locals!