3 months ago I left my job of nearly 20 years in a fairly large international corporation, working for the last 8 as an IT manager, to become a carpenter / contractor / entrepreneur. I’m now working with/for a small (2 other people) GC company doing additions and remodeling. I’ve done a pretty good variety of work so far, culminating today in erecting a small timber frame structure that I made all the parts for. The boss did the design and helped with a lot of the layout and taught me quite a bit of technique, but I pretty much made all of it. Its 30 x 14, half of of which is a pergola and the other half a porch. It’s not perfect (maybe timber frames never are – I’ve never really looked hard at one until today) but it didn’t turn out bad.
I have really enjoyed ALL of the work (framing, trim, etc.) for these months, but building the frame parts has been the best, and today was just awesome.
Thats it, just wanted to share my good feelings and good fortune.
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Haven't gotten to payday yet, eh?
Yeah, payday, thats another issue. I took a huge pay cut to make this career and life change, but I have to say, its well worth it. Not that I don't have some worries about it sometimes, but not squandering your energy day after day on organizational BS is really good. The corporate life was good to me, I have a nice house, some good toys, and decent money stashed in the 401k. We're a long ways away from being financially independent, but I think we'll get by.
Isn't it great to really enjoy your work, and get paid for it, too?
I just installed 4 solid walnut window valances and a walnut overmantle, I spent the last couple of days making. The customer was so appreciative that it was almost embarassing.
And she's talking about quite a bit more work.
Got pics??
Not yet. I forgot my camera yesterday.
But I told her I wanted to take some pics the next time I was there.
Way to go. Here's a high five for ya'. Keep up that enthusiasm, that's the secret.
...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
Not much better than finding joy in your work
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Nice to know that others, besides me, enjoy what they are doing. Sure,I know some days are loooong and tiring but at the end of them it's great to have the satisfaction of knowing "I did that!" I recently removed a mantle, hearth and surround. I replaced it with slate for the hearth and surround with an entire mantle I designed and fabricated from poplar. Sure the check the customer gave me helped but her appreciation was what made it worthwhile.
Glad to hear that. That is one of the major steps towards personal happiness. Then that carries on to your family and people around you. Even when things get tough where I work, I just think about how much I love what I'm doing.
Just this winter, my wife and I started working part time as a ski / snowboard instructors, kind of on a whim. There is no way that I would be doing this for the money, it just doesn't pay much. Tonight I taught one group and had a great time. Then went and skied a few runs. My kids are now skiing too. This really keeps the family doing something together.
Then some other days I go to my real job, and don't dread it. I think that most people either hate or dread going to work. I actually usually end up going to work a little early because I enjoy it.
Great job on having a sense of adventure and trying something different. Way too many people never find a job that pays back in anything more than just money.
Congratulations on both, having the courage to make the move, and building something that's personally meaningful. Many others here have taken a similar route, at some time in their lives, in choosing this kind of work.
I made my living in sales for several years during my early twenties and tried a few other types of white collar jobs before deciding to learn carpentry.
At first I just wanted to learn enough to build my own home but I soon discovered that there are other great advantages to working in this trade as a small contractor.
Some of my early moments of revelation came when I was building my first timber frame. As you said, it's a remarkable feeling.
Thanks for reminding me of those days. May we all have other great experiences in building to celebrate as you are now.
Edited 2/1/2008 12:14 pm by Hudson Valley Carpenter
That's great!!! And it is interesting at when we make these life altering decisions, the world doesn't cave in as we often fear.
Back in '99 I did some reassessing at where I was going. Founding principal of an architectural company that had 18 employees and, at age 47 thought "Is all this work really what I want to do for the next 20-30 years?" I looked at other people and saw a pattern of everyone working their fingers to the bone into their 70's only to one day pass on and leave behind a bunch of money they never really needed. The"golden years" for most people seemed mostly measured in single digits with really not all that high life quality.
I wanted to do other things before I got too old.
Sure, I had financial concerns, I was not indepentantly wealthy. I still had to work. And I had fears about paying my bills.
But I up and left and went to work out of my house 15-20 hours a week. With a SUBSTANTIAL income cut.
Things have worked out fine. I've gotten into building which has helped my architectural consulting to other builders tremendously, I've done extensive traveling with my wife and I took up running which I do about 10 hours a week.
Running alone has taught me much about charactor, dedication and having no excuses; either you do the work or you don't. I can usually place in the top 3 in my age group in a race. Qualified for and ran the Boston Marathon last April.
I wouldn't be able to do these things if I had took council of my fears regarding income and stability.
There is truth in the saying "We have nothing to fear but fear itself".
Congrats on your career change and all the best.
Runnerguy
Thanks to everyone for the positive feedback. It is a scary thing to make such a decision. The 'system' can lead one to think that its crazy and impossible to abandon security and a good income to do something different, but while it may be crazy :), its not impossible. Of course the right opportunity has to be available, and typical of my general good luck in life, one was.Runnerguy you mentioned working too hard. I know I was - long high intensity days every day, filled with distraction. I'm a pretty high energy guy, but the environment, or my reaction to, was compounding my natural tendency to be impatient and irritable. And the biggest problem is not the expenditure of energy, it was the waste of energy, on all the friction inherent in a larger organization. This change has enabled me to become more patient, and to give proper attention to whatever I'm doing at a given moment, whether its some cool woodworking or building process, or just loading up the dump trailer. Of course this personal development is a work in progress . . .
You're not alone. I worked for an airline for 18 years and had a very good job but life's changes with getting married and kids as well as the pay cuts at the airline got me to rethink a few things . Life hasn't been better since I took control of how I make $$$.
My favorite is being able to point out tangible things to my kids that I've done. Hard to explain a French-US bi-lateral CAD excahnge system, or a multi-variable Excel spreadsheet simulation of different configurations of Toastmaster's assembly lines.
Always just wanted to imagine and make stuff.
Closest we're ever gonna' get to the gods.
Forrest
Good for you i love to hear this kinda stuff, When i was young in NJ all the suits would walk to the bus or train with miserable looks on there faces never talking to each other, They just did not seem happy at all, I dunno maybe they were. I never did anything else sept tree work. What makes me feel good is when people tell my wife i was the hero and they would never get anyone else, Or my sons friends telling them they worked for me and looked up to me.Keep up the good work
Best wishes for a continuation of your feelings. Not that many people love their job, although that should be high on anyone's priority list.
me too
"It is like hitting yourself in the head with a hammer: it feels so good when you stop"