Hands up all those who never really enjoyed working!

When I was young I hated being at home, I loved being with my children but I felt bored and I wasn't using my brain. Now I love being retired with time to go to art galleries, theatres, meet friends, paint and provide childcare for GC. Going back to work when our children started school meant that our standard of living drastically improved and I was pleased that I could contribute and ease the burden on my husband. I also liked being independent and having my own money, as I do now. Perhaps perceptions of work v home are coloured by what jobs we had open to us?

Let's not forget that the 'stay at home' option has largely disappeared and most young women count themselves lucky if they can afford to take a year's maternity leave. It's not a question of wanting too many consumer goods or foreign holidays, simply the need to pay the mortgage and feed the family.

I love my job but feel that by the time I can retire due to government pension changes I will have lost the enthusiasm and love I feel now sad really as unlike those who were able to retire at a reasonable age I don't think I will look back at my job with the same thoughts.

@oldgoose So happy for you. I, too, can't wait to retire and do what I like (within reason, renting & not much pension but enough to live on). Paid off my last vet bill in April (took 2 years), started drawing my state pension in August & paying off a credit card bill till CMas. Planned to retire then. But now my dog possibly has same thing as before - not sure if I can extend my working to pay that one off so a bit of a worry. I love the job (copy editing) just hate the material I'm working on - and don't have the confidence to freelance & work on something I enjoy. Ah well. Loads worse off than me. I still might retire at the end of the year, just won't have any savings/funeral fund.
Been counting down to retirement for about 20 years now. Tell all the young people I work with to find a way out of the 9-5, or at least, find a job they enjoy. Much harder now than when I was a gal tho

I always wanted to work with animals but my mother forced me to leave school at 15 without taking my gce's and to work in a shop that didnt last long and i had a succession of jobs none of them with animals now 65 and retired i have been working for a few years as a volunteer with the dogs trust this has been so rewarding and i wish i had all those years ago stood up to my mother and found a job with animals i am sure my life would of been so much happier,

Hi old goose, I too did market research gorgeous around 10 years, it started off as a brilliant job but as you said targets and varied work patterns became more arduous, I changed career and ended up teaching in college working with students with behavioural issues (among other things). I loved it but now having finished work am beginning to get a bit bored....wondering if I should go back, I don't want to make a commitment time wise to voluntary work as we want to travel but miss my colleagues so much. Trying to work out ways of meeting new people.....

I worked in an office when I left school and really enjoyed it. Then I had my children and stayed at home to they were school age my husband worked in those days we gave up our jobs to raise the children. I was offered a job in the school where they went as a meal supervisor and a TA which was lovely at first when my children went onto secondary school I could have left and gone back to work in an office but I stayed. Do wish I had left because along came ofsted and Mr Blair with his education education and is wasn't so nice it was too stressful. Was glad when I could retire.

The jobs I loved included working in a GP surgery and also hospitals both of which I enjoyed, however it was sometimes unbearable because of bad management. I was happy to leave and look after my DGC. I won't get my pension until I'm 66 having just missed out but as a lot of us know that's a whole different rantstory!

My first job was in a bank and I hated it. My mother's boss had 'had a word' with a Rotary colleague (or some such) and that was that. Terribly bullying and snobbish environment back then and I walked out after 4 months. I was 16. My next job was as an office clerk but after 2 weeks was asked to do an aptitude test for the new-fangled computer system. I became a key punch operator and loved it. Did some voluntary work when we lived abroad then back into the computer arena. Demanding work at times but speed and accuracy were well rewarded back then and I met some great people. Redundant 3 times though and my last job was just a 9-5 to put a roof over my head and food on my table. When my DGC was born and DIL needed to go back to work I was glad of a reason to retire. Now don't know how I ever had time to go to work

Love my job as TA in infant school where have worked for over 20 years, but am finding it more tiring these days and there are now so many observations to do and records to keep! Would like to retire but can't draw state pension for another 3 years and don't think we could manage without my income, even though DH is still working full time. Have had extra part time jobs in retail over the years but never felt happy doing that. The big question is do I hang on, or do I retire early and we just live on less money? It is not any easy decision to make.

A bit off piste, but I am reminded of My DM's first job. At 14 she went into service at a farm house. She was dreadfully homesick, suffered badly from period pains (no sympathy from employers), and could hear the rats skittering around the rafters when she was in bed. This was in 1922.

My last job was payroll. I loved the actual work but hated all the crap that went with it. Like many of you have said, the appraisals, the targets, the management initiatives which took everything back to the start if you were there long enough.

I have read all your stories with interest. I have worked in many jobs following my army husband around and fitting in as best I could, always looking forward to a posting as it would guarantee a good many months at Home! I eventually became a medical secretary and have worked in the NHS now for 20 years which I used to really enjoy. However cut backs, change in manager, general slog v grandchildren and the opportunity to retire early gave me an obvious choice for my future. I leave work on Friday and am so excited! So good to hear from others who have obtained control of their own lives and opted to enjoy life 'not working' - though I have a list of things to get up to as long as your arm...

Congratulations hopeful1 on your retirement and enjoy your last week Have a break before starting on that long list of to-dos, they don't all have to be done in the first few days and you won't get a bad appraisal if they're not

oh thank you Swanny. I may take your advice. The list is so long I dont know where to start - like a child loose in a sweet shop!! What do you do in the grand scheme of things?

I was a nurse all my working life, spending over 25 years doing the night shift ... still can't believe I stuck it so long!!!I'll admit it was a good job to have when I was bringing the DD up single-handed as I worked weekends and she went to her grandparents. However although I was good at it, it certainly wasn't the job of my dreams. Not really sure what was if truth be told.
My last 5 years was in a 9-5 job and at first it was great ... until a change of boss and sudden bureaucracy overload. After being dumped upon by my immediate boss once too often I decided enough was enough and started investigating early retirement.

Absolutely the best decision ever. I retired at 55 (skipping out the door!!)a month before DH.

Being able to do exactly as we like (babysitting is our only tie)is the best thing ever and a million times better than work!!!

I was a self employed driving instructor for forty years and loved it, retiring at 65, then for the last ten years a foster carer. I seemed happiest with challenging work, but now totally retired and loving it too.

Well done Thingmajig, I find your story inspiring that it will work out, though Im having to restrain the skipping til Friday. it took me a year longer than you to realise i could at 56 - do as i please. what a waste lol!!

My first job was in a solicitor's office where I suffered sexual harassment on a daily basis and was in a constant state of anxiety. I loved being a social worker in the charitable sector - and far from being profligate our income was spent very wisely. Like others, I came to hate my job as a statutory social worker. After the introduction of so-called Care in the Community it became intolerable and I was glad to have a career change. I loved (still do) teaching - I enjoyed the camaraderie of my colleagues and it was a joy to see the children flourish.
Now I am 'retired', but continue to work three very responsible jobs in the charity sector as a volunteer. The joy of this is that I meet three disparate groups of people and I have no worries about taking time off if I'm ill or need/want to go away.

I've worked a total of 40 years. I left school st 15 worked 4 years then took a few years off to have a family. I never liked working and as a result have had more jobs than I can remember. When I got bored I moved on. Now I've retired I'm loving it. Last week I was able to "enjoy" being ill , no worrying about colleagues having too cope with my work as well as their own and taking my time to recover not having too rush back before I felt well enough. Like other retirees I indulge my hobbies and help out my stressed working daughter with her children. Bliss !

I had a great decade in early years education, the last 7years (and the reason i left) were awful, New Labour and Tony Blair arrived and the downward freefall started,Too many pointless changes, stupid rules and dangerous practices were introduced wether the wanted or needed but the worst part was NOTHING was done with the children in mind. It broke my heart to see the education and care of that generation thrown in the gutter.

Just made me look up our 'rules' !
I have to do 45 years at 50 contributions a year to qualify for a full pension,it takes me officially to the age of 65 and 10 months. (In the Channel Isles)
So I am going to make enquires to further discover the full extent of my current status as I know that so far it is this.
Started working at 15.
3 children, very little time off work.
A couple of years traveling.
Quite excited now at the thought of no more work, or more to the point, being able to stay at home

I've read your various posts with interest. I would love to leave work, but am only 62 so 4yrs to go. Am now the oldest person at work, and am totally put upon by a younger staff who are themselves trying to get to grips with stressful jobs. Anyone know how it affects your pension if you retire early? Any help gratefully received!

Just noticed your post granny piper, I'm in education too, and the the system is run as just another business. The welfare of our children is sadly not at the forefront and they also are pushed around without knowing what's going on half the time! Hence my feelings as in previous post.

I was a teacher. I love being retired and can still work in education as a volunteer without the stress and work load.

Teaching was wonderful for the first few tears but then OFSTED, observations, targets, examination corruption, bureaucracy, data collection, rolling initiatives, the loss of discipline and cock-eyed management ruined it. By the time I was 55 I was heading for burn out and a breakdown and was happy to leave with only 75 per cent of my pension.

Retirement is the gift that goes on giving. I can OFSTED myself and I do not have to get an 'outstanding' or even a 'good'. I can be a person, live in the moment and enjoy walks, reading, cleaning my house, mowing my lawn, cooking and all the mundane pleasures that tell you life is good and time is precious.