How often are you excited to go to work?

[Via]

Every day, sometimes, never?

It's been hitting me a bit lately - I'm never excited about going to work. Don't get me wrong: I'm not unhappy by any stretch, and sometimes it's fun, but I'm never itching to actually get to my job. I don't ever have that "today's going to be a great day because I'm working on something really cool" feeling.

Is that normal, just how life is after a while? Should a person who's comfortable but not gaga over their job look for something else or just be happy that they don't hate it (provided they make enough money)?

 

[Vdubchaos]

Of course it's normal. I don't know of many people that wake up in the morning and are up in excitement about going to work.

If you make enough money and are treated right, just do your job.

Dream jobs are just that, dreams. Sure there might be people out there that LOVE their job and enjoy going to work each and every day.

Reality is, for every 1 of those there is thousands if not millions that feel just like you.

 

[Via]

My dad was.

He was an ENT, who did some plastic surgery. He loved going to work. He would talk about his procedures every night at the dinner table, and he never lost that excited edge in his voice.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I used to look forward to going to work. But they have added more and more paperwork to the process and taken away more and more of the real technical work from us. Now we are essentially spending 30% of our time managing offshore people, and 50% of our time doing various paperwork, 10% doing status of statuses of statuses and 9% procrastinating about paperwork , with approx 1% of the time being spent doing real actual work.

I love the real actual work (optimizing/fixing pro c code, ab initio graphs, sql, ksh, perl, etc.. ) but I'm so bogged down with 100000 miles of red tape, that Im not so pleased much of the time.

 

[clamum]

I don't think I have ever been "excited" to go to work. Like you OP I'm not unhappy, but I can't say I've been "excitied" either. I knew I wanted to be a software developer since junior high and continue to enjoy the discipline, but it would take something really special to get excited. Come to think of it, I'm pretty laid back anyway and don't often get real "excited," in my understanding of the word, anyway.

 

[TwiceOver]

I'm not.

I really wouldn't do anything. I know people "If I had the money I'd BLAH BLAH BLAH". Nope. I'm like Peter from Office Space. I wouldn't do anything. I don't want to do much of anything. I wouldn't be better at a different job. I don't even have a dream job. I'd just do nothing.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

one more down, 13 more days to go. Then it's NEW JOB TIME! Woohoo!

 

[Retro Rob]

Every day, sometimes, never?

It's been hitting me a bit lately - I'm never excited about going to work. Don't get me wrong: I'm not unhappy by any stretch, and sometimes it's fun, but I'm never itching to actually get to my job. I don't ever have that "today's going to be a great day because I'm working on something really cool" feeling.

QFT!

Only on Friday's I'm happy because its jean day! Woot!

 

[sixone]

Never. I am not a morning person.

 

[Paladin3]

Early in my career I was excited to go to work. How could being a photojournalist in a place like Los Angeles not be exciting? Every day was an opportunity to make exciting images of the world around me.

After about a decade it became a real drag. I'd hear breaking news on the police scanner and would run out of adrenaline before I even reached the scene and took my cameras out of the car.

Having to push myself to do work I didn't find exciting was a new experience for me. Eventually, I ended up hating more than just my work, but even photography itself.

So don't get too wrapped up in being excited about work. So long as you are relatively happy, you're really just there to provide for you and your family. Save the real passion for your personal life.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Every day, but especially Mondays. I hate weekends.

 

[JulesMaximus]

When I ride my motorcycle to work.

 

[soulcougher73]

Dont think ive ever been excited about it. I tolerate it as a means to an end. Plus im not much of a morning person so its rough having to get up for work.

 

[BikeJunkie]

So long as you are relatively happy, you're really just there to provide for you and your family. Save the real passion for your personal life.

This is excellent advice. I think this is where a lot of middle-aged depression comes from - people sulking in not doing something inspiring or world-changing. And I've been there too.

There are people out there who find great fulfillment in their work. Wonderful for them, but not obsess over trying to be them. Surround yourself with good, happy people, make fitness and healthy eating a priority (so the deck isn't stacked against your happiness), and find a good hobby or two that you can obsess about.

 

[Carson Dyle]

I'm not much of a morning person, either, so I make sure that the first thing I do after waking isn't brain work. I get up at 4:30AM, get in a 60-90 minute workout at the gym and then I cherish the 6 mile bike ride to work by 8AM. Typical 10-12 hour day and an easy 1/2 day on Friday. With six weeks of vacation and 10 personal days, it's a breeze. I honestly hope to work until I'm 80. Retirement is for slackers.

 

[ndmrpwr]

15 years ago when i was building award winning high end competition car audio I always looked forward to using my brain. It was great then after 10 cars or so it just became more slave labor.

 

[rudeguy]

I'm rarely excited. The only time I get excited is when I get a new toy or when I buy lil rudeguy a new toy and I get to see him open it.

I love my job, my company, my coworkers. But I'm not some super happy, giggity giggity I get to go to work guy.

 

[Exterous]

Its almost always bumper to bumper traffic to work which I hate so that puts a damper on most days.

I do get to travel occasionally for work which I really enjoy so there's that. Having my rental car frequently upgraded to a camero helps

 

[Gooberlx2]

Never. I never really dread it either, but work is work.

It was much easier to be excited about work back when I worked with cool animals. But I didn't make any money. I'm overall happier when I'm not freaking out about paying the bills.

 

[Engineer]

There are times that I'm happy to go to work but most of the time lately, doesn't matter one way or another. Of course, there are those days that I dread too.

 

[smackababy]

I am never excited to go to work, but once I get there, I love it. I have the luxury of actually really enjoying what I do. But, then again, that is most software developers / engineers. If you don't like coding, chances are you don't make it your career.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Never, its work not play.

 

[NetGuySC]

I look forward to it most of the time, I generally have a really great time at work. My boss and coworkers are pretty awesome most of the time and rarely does a day go by that I don't laugh multiple times...

 

[xSauronx]

excited? nah, not really. but i like my current job a lot and look forward to most of what i do there right now (only started a month ago)

i hated the everloving fuck out of the last job i had so i quit.

 

[rudeguy]

excited? nah, not really. but i like my current job a lot and look forward to most of what i do there right now (only started a month ago)

i hated the everloving fuck out of the last job i had so i quit.

THIS

What are you doing now if you don't mind me asking?