To me, work is inherently noble. It's the forces that corrupt it that are the problem, not work itself. Getting to enjoy work is an unfortunately rare blessing but I also think enjoyment of work is more dependent on the individual's mindset about their work than we often are willing to admit. It's a very complicated puzzle.
Work can be really enjoyable if you have more power to control how your time is spent. No one has complete control of how their time is spent, but that is true of life. If you aren't working you are still going to need to structure your time around activities like hobbies. At this point in my life work is one of my favorite hobbies.
This sounds like an unhealthy dependence on work to me. I enjoy my work but have far more fulfilling and enjoyable activities outside work. But hey, to each their own I suppose.
For me, I love to work on my own projects, even when they begin to suck; pushing through the grind is weirdly rewarding.
But the moment I have a boss telling me what to do, pressuring me to perform, and my work profiting someone else, my enthusiasm wanes toward mere professionalism; I perform the job, not live it.
Just because the work can get hard doesn't mean it can't still be enjoyable. For me, the enjoyment of work comes from the results you get out of doing it. There are times when I despise the actual work I'm doing but I enjoy doing it because I'm excited to see the final product.
Sure, I derive pleasure from work. But I don't work for free, and I would rather be doing a lot of other things that are more enjoyable, but less profitable, than working.
I enjoy my work, but it is just that - work. I give my work 100% in good humour when I am working, but I think the expectation that I'm going to go home and do more of the same on my own time is unfair and unhealthy. No other profession expects this.
Work can't satisfy everything. I enjoy making useless things, sometimes! I enjoy owning a project entirely. I enjoy helping friends. It's okay those itches aren't scratched by work, because work pays me.
I actually _enjoy_ the things I choose to work on.
That's why Ferriss defines work as the stuff you do primarily for money and would prefer to do less of. Even if you love your job, there is going to be some of that in there.
But I realize that things outside my control can force me into a poor working situation any day.
reply