What do you all do for a living?

[ramrezz425]

I am an Independent Real Estate Broker and work nearly every day. No, Everyday. I see alot of rides and ride reports where the rides go on for several days. I would give my left nut to just take an afternoon off to enjoy this California weather. Ultimately, I want to plan a ride up to Atwater on my B36 ride, then on to a little Yosemite jaunt.

How does one cope with a busy schedule and still take time to go on these journeys?

I am trying to get experienced agents to handle all my open houses on the weekends, Real Estate is still healing after some crazy ass years, I feel like if I let go and go riding I may lose pace on restoring my business.

Has anyone been feeling the same way in their work?, No matter what the business, I think we all took some hits in the last 5 years -economy wise.

ps. I realize most of us has posted our job on each profile, so please dont tell me to go there and look, my question is more relevant to todays economy.

dr

 

[fastpappy]

+1 No time for anything. Too busy making a living to Live. Sometimes the short commute is the only thing that saves my sanity but now that the winter is here and snow ont the ground :crazy:

 

[Geezer]

I work for a very large technology company and have done so for more than 30 years. I get 5 weeks paid vacation plus a few personal days. Of course I still have to get a year's worth of work done each year regardless of how much vacation I use. My kids are grown so my vacation is my own to use as I please. That still isn't enough time to do all the riding I want to do.

In your case, it really is up to you. I suppose if you scheduled a couple of weeks to shut down the business it would cost you some money and maybe even chase away a few customers. Only you know if you can afford that and what your priorities are.

 

[TriggerT]

While I work crazy hours, and put in 55-60 hours a week, I am always off on the weekends. As far as the three weeks of vacation time I have, I still work while away from the office, since I have the cell phone with me, and check in with my laptop once and awhile. Ultimately, I think you have to really make up your mind to say "**** IT," and understand that while you are off actually living, some of the work things just aren't going to get done, and that might mean lost opportunities and lost money. However, unless you are a surgeon or something like that, no one is going to die because you are not at work. The world will go on without you working.

The other thing I do is ask if the work I am doing is really going to matter in 5 or 10 years. 99.9% of the time, the answer is no, so that makes it a lot easier to take time for MY LIFE and my family. It is a sign of getting older, and understanding that there are only so many days you will have to be able to ride and enjoy life that allows you to let the rest go, and understand that as long as you are able to provide for yourself and your family, the rest of the work related things just aren't that important.

Sorry for the ramble, but I really struggled with this same thing for years, so I thought I would let you know how I have worked on dealing with it. Good luck.

 

[Jim Morrison]

I'm in purchasing, been doing this for about 13 years and will hang it up after being with the company 38 years... that will be in about 750 days....

 

[HaulinAshe]

Most people on the forums think I'm retired. I'm not. I manage Production and IT for a daily newspaper/communications company. I have people working 24x7x52, and my job never sleeps.

After going as long as eight(8), yes eight! years without a single full day off, I decided to stop throwing away more vacation than most people earn, and do some serious bike traveling.

I feel and understand your pain of economy, and the price of taking time off. It's all waiting for you when you return, but it stinks more too!



My best advice is spend time doing careful advance planning. You can make trips much more affordable and predictable with careful route planning and advance, online arrangements. It does remove some of the spontaneity many of the retirees cherish. But for the still-working stiffs like us, it helps get us places in a predictable and affordable vacation time frame.

The GF and I have managed some long trips of 11-days (and more) at a total cost of less than $3,000. That's for two people, hotels, meals, tires, gas, everything. No camping, no roadside overnighters.

Be warned that I'm not talking about stopping to take a lot of pictures. We average 450-500 miles per day. And it's been named the HaulinAshe Point&Pee Tours. But we get to see a lot, meet a lot of great people, and both hold down regular and demanding jobs.

 

[Geezer]

The other thing I do is ask if the work I am doing is really going to matter in 5 or 10 years. 99.9% of the time, the answer is no, so that makes it a lot easier to take time for MY LIFE and my family.

You make a good point. I try to prioritize my work and some things get pushed down and simply fall off the bottom of the stack without ever getting done. The trick is to be able to recognize the things that must be done and the ones that can fall off the bottom.

 

[nik.hisham]

Well, I do a couple of things.

- Full time employed with a large local Systems Integrator delivering software infrastructure solutions

- Part time work with a photography studio shooting weddings

- Freelance photographer for a bike tour company

Of course I'm still a full time husband to a lovely lady, and a full time dad to my two teenage kids.

I takes a lot of careful planning to make this work.

 

[flapsup]

I'm an administrative law regulator/investigator for a state agency, and we feel the economic pinch the same as everybody else. No overtime money available, no replacement staff available when someone leaves, but must maintain the case load in order to justify our existence and provide a high level of service to the good citizens of our fair state. More work, less people, less resources.

The best thing I ever heard out of a human resources director related to time off was: "If you think you are unreplaceable, if you think that you are the only one who can handle a situation, if you think the job won't get done if you are not here, then die. Then look back and see how quickly someone picks up your reins."

Since you posed the question, I would offer that for your sanity, blood pressure, longevity, and general happiness, etc., learn to delegate and take some time off. You'll be a lot happier and more productive.

 

[Fairlaner]

ummmmmmm.

R

 

[beemerdons]

ummmmmmm.

R

Well, since I don't play golf, I guess I'm even more worthless than Fairlaner! I do ride my motorcycle every single day and look after my two sons, Seth and SkooterG!

Not completely worthless, I walk my Labrador Retriever "Bear" around our park every morning! Operate our Boston Whaler powerboat and wait on our tabby cat Gary.

 

[Old Michael]

...with the company 38 years... that will be in about 750 days....

...but who's counting, Jim?

:lol:

 

[NMRoadRunner]

I'm an industrial contractor. my work would last about 6 to 8 months a year and I would ride the rest. I've been really busy the last three years and have been working full time. I don't wait for the time off, I TAKE the time off! :yahoo:

 

[Old Michael]

...Well, since I don't play golf, I guess I'm even more worthless than Fairlaner!

Fer god's sake, Don.

That's gotta be at least a slight exaggeration.

 

[TriggerT]

I realized I didn't answer the original question:

1) I am a father and husband, and wish I could spend more time focusing on both.

2) I am a full time (55-60 hours a week) project manager for an architectural millwork company.

3) I have a total of about 20 acres to maintain and work on.

 

[Willie]

If you wait long enough you will be able to say I should have done this I should have done that. Last year I was trying to decide if I could afford our trip out west to see so many great national parks and travel roads we had not done before. The key was I didn't want to be so wishy washy about the expense of the trip and let circumstances take away my choices. While the trip got cut short in Clyde Park by a suicidal forest rat, we are glad to have seen what we had seen. We are planning to redo the trip this coming August. (Maybe Glacier NP and the GTSR will be open)

My advice is don't wait so long to enjoy your life before you run out of life to enjoy.

Willie

 

[AVGeek]

I had one of "those" years last year. I work for a company that provides audio visual support for meetings and events, and I travel all over the country to do so. I spent 160 days on the road last year, and still managed to squeeze in "some" off time. Wherever possible and practical, I take the bike (like for the month I spent in LA last February), but for the most part, I'm logging some serious air miles. I also had to move from Las Vegas to Phoenix (that was a huge source of stress). In the end, it all boils down to what you'll look back at and regret either doing or not doing. I know this year, I have an open ended plan for when I pick up the new bike in Texas (depends on when it comes in, and what our work load is at the time).

 

[Mr Bill]

If you wait long enough you will be able to say I should have done this I should have done that. Last year I was trying to decide if I could afford our trip out west to see so many great national parks and travel roads we had not done before. The key was I didn't want to be so wishy washy about the expense of the trip and let circumstances take away my choices. While the trip got cut short in Clyde Park by a suicidal forest rat, we are glad to have seen what we had seen. We are planning to redo the trip this coming August. (Maybe Glacier NP and the GTSR will be open)

My advice is don't wait so long to enjoy your life before you run out of life to enjoy.

Willie

 

+1

What Willie said.

 

Of course I do 95% of my work in a third of the year so I have a lot of time outside of tax season. Opps I'd better get back to these tax returns so I can buy gas this summer. $5 a gallon this year?

 

[scubatech]

I worked for the Dept. of Transportation operating heavy equipment,roads & bridges for 30 years. I decided to get jobs I would like so I sold motorcycles for 3 years and I have been repairing and servicing scuba diving equipment for ten years. This will be my last job. I want to learn how to be off all the time but I would go nuts in the winter.So hopefully in four years I will draw my Social and go part time.