Sing Along With Me - "Work, huh, yeah \ What is it good for \ Absolutely nothing"

Work. noun \ ˈwərk \

Defined by Merriam-Webster’s as:

1:activity in which one exerts strength or faculties to do or perform something:
a :sustained physical or mental effort to overcome obstacles and achieve an objective or result
b :activity that a person engages in regularly to earn a livelihood
• people looking for work
c :a specific task, duty, function, or assignment often being a part or phase of some larger activity

I am increasingly convinced (and annoyed) that “work” is getting a bad reputation. You see – I do a lot of advising in my work as a college professor. Each and every year I see the fresh young faces beckoning my office door – filled with hope, promise, and yes, entitlement.

But the conversations are changing dramatically. Increasingly, the concept of “work” in one form or another is often discussed. But it’s definition has changed, dramatically you could say. I rarely see and hear the attributes presented in the above definition – “exerts”, “regularly”, “obstacles”, “some larger activity”. [by the way, all core cultural components of the American ideal]

Instead, I encounter definitions of “work” that I would describe as “at the extremes.” There are individuals who desire only to work where they find meaning, purpose, and passion. Or people seeking to exploit “work” solely for personal financial gain –as quickly as possible – a sort of professional career day-trading – expediting income as a singular goal.

These (and other) sentiments lead to a burgeoning default acceptance where working longer (as a part of life) is often not the goal – but I believe it should be.

We’ve all got a good picture of what young professionals are being sold today as the ideal mindset when it comes to work and life. Retiring in one’s early or late 60's is no longer the goal, as most individuals now seek to push forward that age by as many years as possible (i.e., 40? 50? 55?).

It’s easy to see where we’ve got these ideas from – it feels good; it sells; it takes our mind off the real issues (i.e., poverty, social unrest, income inequality). Yet at the same time, there is an obvious contradiction here given the vast majority of boomers can’t avoid to retire (and will essentially be forced to work well into old age).

For starters, most baby boomers began the “working hard enough to one day get to retire” narrative, thus making retirement the end goal for workers everywhere. To add to this, there’s the entrepreneurial dream that the media and those in venture capital/finance try to sell. The one that says if you get one great idea in your youth (just that one), it’s all you’d need to get rich quick. All of this boils down to an escalator mentality that gets us all stuck on the idea of finding a shortcut or easier way.

Subsequently, we’ve collectively formed ultimate goals of a dream lifestyle which are largely LESS work, and MORE leisure time. So essentially, FIRE (Financial Independence and Early Retirement).

Truth be told, everything about financial independence is appealing to me. What I have learned however, is that permanent leisure as the ultimate goal to aspire to in life is incredibly wrong. And that the decision to stop work as soon as I acquire my desired nest egg doesn’t guarantee fulfillment and happiness.

Chances are if you’re under 40, and you’re ready to retire, then you’ve struck gold on some trading or investment calls, or simply won the lottery. You know what I mean. Not the real lottery. The lottery of life – upper-middle class upbringing, access to a good education since birth, financial support systems, etc.

That said, I imagine if you didn’t get that lucky then you’ve estimated you’d retire somewhere between your late 50's and the age 65.

Or maybe not.

Some of you are still fantasizing about retirement before age 40. But have you ever been on a 3-week cruise? Or found yourself bed-ridden for several days or weeks?

Not to be a buzzkill, but I guess you also know that there’s only so much you can do to occupy yourself through all the hours of the day. Sleep. Food. Drink. Fun and Everything Else in Between, and then maybe more sleep… until you become bored senseless!

As a teacher, I love my job and its work (most, but not all) is a joy to me. On the other hand, I do believe in making time to enjoy the pleasures of life, and pursuing whatever my goals are in a smart, efficient way.

Yes, having more wealth than I’d know what to do with in this lifetime seems like it could have a lot of advantages to it. But as for how much satisfaction I would feel with this kind of money in the bank and no reason to work. Well, that’s the question and the answer remains to be seen.

You see, it’s not that my “work” is either 100% my passion or the cash cow that makes my lifestyle rock, it’s a fundamental part of my life and the science, shows that’s how it should be.

Regardless of work’s many benefits, it gets a bad rap. Why? Because most people question the need to work longer years (for fear of missing out on some fantastical other way of life).

So, Is Work Worth It?

Let’s see.

First, I think it’s worth stating that I am not of the opinion that life should be all about work. I understand that the choice to retire and when to retire is a personal decision. But let’s go over some of the many reasons to work longer.

Economic Benefits:
• Less number of years in retirement to require financing
• Greater number of years to accumulate bigger nest eggs (savings for retirement)
• More Social Security benefits and higher chances of Medicare eligibility.

Aside from the financial payoffs, some of the most awakening arguments for working longer and retiring later have more to do with attaining a better perspective.

Quality of Life:
• Higher brain activity that helps stave off declining cognitive functioning (as with dementia) usually associated with old age.
• A sense of daily purpose that reduces all feelings of boredom and offers a boost in overall physical and mental health/well-being.
• Maintained social connections and engagement in the community that encourage happiness.
• Reduces the chances of one losing touch with current technology and relevant skills required to experience life and society fully.

So, what do I think is the best way to think about “work”?

I think it comes down to how one views time. It’s important to align your abilities with how you spend your time. Rather than worrying about the quickest way to get out of working and into retirement, I’d like to think that a better life balance can be achieved with finding out what an appropriate amount of work is for you and making this an integral aspect of your life.

In the end, when done properly, I believe that work can be an attractive combination of happiness, satisfaction, good health, and freedom.

What do you think?