What do you prefer regarding work and stress

[Special K]

Originally posted by: Descartes
I disagree with the notion that stress = more money. I look at success as a mountain, and if you choose to climb it you're going to have to suffer the consequences. The higher you go, the more stressful it tends to be on the body and mind. Reach the top, and the climb back down is increasingly easier on the mind and body, and once you reach the bottom you have the success from reaching the top.

Not sure if that made sense or not, but it does in my head. The point is, sometimes a concentrated level of increased effort can pay multitudes later on. It's generally these people, the people that have climbed up and down the mountain, that have it easier than just about everyone else.

The trouble for most people is that they don't even know there is a mountain to climb at all, and instead spend their careers helping others do the climbing only to find themselves out of energy and with nothing to show for it.

By climbing down, do you mean retiring? What opportunity does your "mountain" represent? Can you give some examples?

Another point I would add to the general theme of the thread is one's health. I am not sure what tolls a highly stressful, time-intensive job takes on one's body, but I personally value my health a great deal. Developing stress-related conditions can keep you from enjoying the qualify of life you are seeking by putting in so many hours at work. I would never trade money for my health.

Although medical science has advanced a great deal, there are still many conditions that cannot be fully cured that I would imagine would reduce the quality of one's life.

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: Special K

Originally posted by: Descartes
I disagree with the notion that stress = more money. I look at success as a mountain, and if you choose to climb it you're going to have to suffer the consequences. The higher you go, the more stressful it tends to be on the body and mind. Reach the top, and the climb back down is increasingly easier on the mind and body, and once you reach the bottom you have the success from reaching the top.

Not sure if that made sense or not, but it does in my head. The point is, sometimes a concentrated level of increased effort can pay multitudes later on. It's generally these people, the people that have climbed up and down the mountain, that have it easier than just about everyone else.

The trouble for most people is that they don't even know there is a mountain to climb at all, and instead spend their careers helping others do the climbing only to find themselves out of energy and with nothing to show for it.

By climbing down, do you mean retiring? What opportunity does your "mountain" represent? Can you give some examples?

Another point I would add to the general theme of the thread is one's health. I am not sure what tolls a highly stressful, time-intensive job takes on one's body, but I personally value my health a great deal. Developing stress-related conditions can keep you from enjoying the qualify of life you are seeking by putting in so many hours at work. I would never trade money for my health.

Although medical science has advanced a great deal, there are still many conditions that cannot be fully cured that I would imagine would reduce the quality of one's life.

I completely agree with you that the stress takes a significant toll on one's body.

Longer hours means less energy/time to workout

The stress can either make you lose your appetite and not eat healthy, or it can make you gain weight

grey hair galore

 

[RKS]

In my case money comes with taking on more clients which in turn leads to more stress. I actually enjoy the stress as it motivates me to meet deadlines, keep clients updated, and I am required to create a more concise/efficient work product. Plus with a full plate, the day flies.

I don't really take my work home and I come in some Saturdays for a couple hours to catch up on files or mail. I know some people come in on Saturdays to get out of household chores.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: Special K

Originally posted by: Descartes
I disagree with the notion that stress = more money. I look at success as a mountain, and if you choose to climb it you're going to have to suffer the consequences. The higher you go, the more stressful it tends to be on the body and mind. Reach the top, and the climb back down is increasingly easier on the mind and body, and once you reach the bottom you have the success from reaching the top.

Not sure if that made sense or not, but it does in my head. The point is, sometimes a concentrated level of increased effort can pay multitudes later on. It's generally these people, the people that have climbed up and down the mountain, that have it easier than just about everyone else.

The trouble for most people is that they don't even know there is a mountain to climb at all, and instead spend their careers helping others do the climbing only to find themselves out of energy and with nothing to show for it.

By climbing down, do you mean retiring? What opportunity does your "mountain" represent? Can you give some examples?

I could give a lot of examples, but it's difficult since it involves personal information and people don't generally believe it anyway.

Suffice it to say that climbing down the mountain does not mean retiring. It means having a mountain of resources behind you, be it financial or otherwise. This could mean knowing partners in a Big 4, CEOs, other entrepreneurs, etc. If you've climbed that mountain, it's easier to work less and achieve more. The experience of climbing that mountain is worth a lot to many people, and you can leverage that in an advisory role (e.g. board member), entrepreneurial role or anything else. It takes a lot of effort to get there, but once you do it's a relatively easy path.

Another point I would add to the general theme of the thread is one's health. I am not sure what tolls a highly stressful, time-intensive job takes on one's body, but I personally value my health a great deal. Developing stress-related conditions can keep you from enjoying the qualify of life you are seeking by putting in so many hours at work. I would never trade money for my health.

I agree.

[edit]Edited out some superfluous details.[/edit]

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: Descartes
I could give a lot of examples, but it's difficult since it involves personal information and people don't generally believe it anyway.

Well if you can change the names, places, etc. enough to protect identities, I'd be curious to hear the examples.

Originally posted by: Descartes
Suffice it to say that climbing down the mountain does not mean retiring. It means having a mountain of resources behind you, be it financial or otherwise. This could mean knowing partners in a Big 4, CEOs, other entrepreneurs, etc. If you've climbed that mountain, it's easier to work less and achieve more. The experience of climbing that mountain is worth a lot to many people, and you can leverage that in an advisory role (e.g. board member), entrepreneurial role or anything else. It takes a lot of effort to get there, but once you do it's a relatively easy path.

The problem with this approach I suspect is that most people, myself included, wouldn't even know where to begin. How do you write a guidebook for something like this? Being a hard worker doesn't help if you don't even know how to start. For many professions, you could give a step-by-step guide detailing how to obtain them. The steps may be extremely difficult, but the sequence of steps is well-defined. For what you are describing, I am not sure that such a sequence could be made.

 

[Kyteland]

"Happiness lies in being privileged to work hard for long hours in doing whatever you think is worth doing." -Heinlein

 

[Special K]

bump

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: Special K
bump

i crawl out and you pull me right back into the fire

good morning everyone