I Choose Work

For most our lives, work is not a choice but rather a necessity. Even when financial independence is reached, the early retirement fallacy rears its ugly head. Whether employed or not, work is something that will follow us just short of the grave. We create goods and services whether we mean to or not. Often we trade money for these goods and services. I have often made these arguments as if the choice is rather passive. But the truth is that I choose work. Despite financial independence, despite the complaints of loathing the changes that have occurred with medicine and Medicare.

Why do I do it?

World Travel

I want to travel the world. I want to see as many countries and partake in as many adventures as possible. The idea of exploring foreign lands, climbing the highest peaks, and laying on a beach in the best tropical climates is awe-inspiring.

For awhile.

My experience with traveling is that it is fun for only so long. You can only see so many museums, climb so many mountains, and sun yourself in so many exotic locations. It gets tiring. After a few weeks of sleeping on uncomfortable beds and lugging my luggage through airports and trains stations, I am done.

One of the reasons that I choose work is that vacations are partially luxurious because they signify change. When everyday is a vacation it stops being special and different, and just becomes plain old, boring, life.

Relationships Stupid

Financial independence allows for an abundance of free time. What better way to savor the hours and minutes than to spend it with those you care about? No better time to concrete those long-term friendships, spend quality time with the kids, or get a little extra time with a mate.

Except that your friends all work and have no interest in spending the hours on a Monday morning in a coffee shop. The kids are too busy with school, or friends, or whatever activity fills their time. What teenager wants to hang out with their parents anyway?

And your significant other may want to spend every moment with you, or they might be like every other human being and have their own hobbies and interests. They may even still work.

I choose work partially because you can’t spend every moment deeply engaged in human bridge building.

The Thrill of Chill

How many dream of retirement and envision sleeping late each morning, channel surfing on the couch, and endless leisure? The thrill of chill is especially exciting to those in high stress jobs that leave us on edge.

Even a staycation sounds better than a grueling day in a relentless W2.

Until it doesn’t

The only thing worse than being overworked is dying of boredom. Even those who crave financial independence to the maximum need a purpose in life. Often that purpose goes farther than family, friends, and experiences.

I choose work because being a doctor brings it’s own sense of purpose and identity. Maybe other jobs don’t carry as much weight in this manner, but even the daily routine of showing up each morning is a cause unto itself. It creates a reason to wake up, take a shower, and brew the coffee.

It gives you a destination to start each day.

In Conclusion

Not everybody loves work. in fact, a great many are trying to escape it. But I choose work because it is a nice counterbalance to all those other important things like travel, relationship building, and chilling. As my finances get more and more certain, I have the luxury of downsizing my job to exactly what I want it to be.

I suspect that for most, a little bit of work is good for the soul.