Friday, January 21, 2011

It's a grind

I am always on the lookout for a business that I might want to own. It's not that I'm unhappy with my job now, but the side business with a partner isn't doing great, and never will be something that I'll do full time. I also think about retirement, and the best way to keep working past 65 is to own your own business.

I have looked at sandwich shops, bookstores, a wood business, etc. When I talk about them with friends and my business partner, they always say that those are a grind and do I want to go do that work every day?

They're all a grind. Every job, no matter how exciting to you and how creative, becomes a grind. You do the same things over and over, and while you might get more variety in some, you still mechanically do the same things over and over. Tune someones's computer or car? Always new things that break and new types of items to work on, but the process of troubleshooting, talking to customers, fixing issues is a repetitive process over time. Make pens, assemble sandwiches, pour drinks, they're all the same.

I'm not sure how you get away from this, other than to find the thing that you really enjoy. Even that can be hard as often a hobby you find exciting becomes a chore when you have to do it, and repeat what you've done.

No solutions today, but just a recognition that life is hard, and hopefully you find the thing that you do enjoy doing over and over again.

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