Why work?

I have had a whole variety of conversations in the last week that has brought me to this fundamental question. Why work?

I have been interviewing all nine participants from my last Cure for Career Insanity webinar series looking for input. I designed the series on the premise that if you have to work let’s choose the work environment so that you get what you want.

I wrote two posts on the IBM Transition to Retirement program. There have been some very interesting discussions on the IBM Alumni LinkedIn group that has gotten me thinking about why we work and how our perspective can change at different times of our lives.

In that forum a very nice gentleman wrote:

“”work” of some sort is linked to a “pay check”, which allows one to fund their life project, which I equate to raising the next generation to take over from us.”

About the same time, I was getting my daily Sudoku fix, (yes I am a sudoku addict) which I get from the LA Times website. You have to sit through some very good commercials before you get the game. There was a video from the Mormon church that told a story of a single father who saw his role in life was to raise his two sons. He works because he had to.

There were several more posts on the IBM Alumni group from various IBMers who had retired and were no longer working. They were enjoying life. They had worked because the had to and are now choosing not to work or retire. The important part of this is they have the financial resources to make that choice.

Many baby boomers for most of our lives worked because we had to.  We needed to:

• Pay the mortgage
• Feed our families
• Educate our children
• Save for retirement….

Until a year ago I worked because I had to. I have paid off the mortgage, my child is educated, I have enough money to feed my family and I have enough money to retire (that is what my financial adviser tells me).  I work now because I want to work.

The question I have today for you is Do you work NOW because you have to or because you want to and WHY?
This is assuming you have not retired.

My next post will address the topic of choosing to work because you have to or want to or retiring. The choice for many will be difficult because the majority of Baby Boomers will not have the assets to retire in the manner that they planned.

Download my whitepaper “Don’t Retire Even If you Can and What to do Instead – A Baby Boomer Manifesto”

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The next round of the Cure for Career Insanity  starts on July 30th.  Go the the Cure for Career Insanity page for more information and to register.

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Marc Miller Career Design Specialist