Feeling it’s wrong to love working

Ever since leaving school, many many years ago (37 years ago ?) I can safely say I have loved every job that I’ve done.

These roles have included:

YTS (yes remember those) in a toy shop and Marks and Spencer.
A further 6 years at M&S working my way up through the ranks
Stacking shelves etc in One Stop
Managing a designer clothes store
Various other management roles in retail for River Island and Gap
Taxi driving for 5 years
Looking after asylum seekers in Wigan
Owning my own footwear and clothing retailers
Website development
Social media management and coaching

There’s obviously quite varying degrees of effort (mental and physical) required for all of the above, but other than a few off days, I can safely say I have loved every one of the jobs.

Fast forward to today and I’m still loving what I do, probably more than all the other roles, but if you’d asked me at any stage of my career i’d probably have said the same thing!

I’ve always felt that to say this, especially in the UK, sort of gets sneered at. My time in London in the 90’s enabled me to mix with people generally more inclined to be happy to talk about ambition and goals but in the past 15 years or so I feel the North has caught up in many ways.

I feel quite sorry (not in a patronising way), for people who hate the job they do, spending much of their time pining for the weekends, holidays and ultimately retirement.

Most of us leave school, fall into a sector, then due to financial commitments having to just stick in that role for years and years without being able to test out other job roles, to find something that they really enjoy doing.

There’s always been the stigma attached to flitting from role to role, especially when in an interview situation, feeling like you have to make excuses, rather than just feeling at ease to say it as it is.

Maybe I have just been fortunate with regards to not creating financial commitments that I’ve had no alternative but to just stay put, but as I’ve got older it’s become more apparent that we only live once and it seems a shame to spend much of that life not doing something that fills us with joy.

End of rant!!!!