How do you feel about your job?

levi 2.0

Treehouser
Joined
May 27, 2019
Messages
219
Location
Colorado
Is it just a job, a means to an end or is there something more? Are you like some who seem to keep enthusiasm about the job after decades, constantly finding new challenges and aspects of the work to occupy the mind I guess. Some love it so much they go home and watch videos of other people cutting trees in their time off. I used to do that but the thrill wore down for some reason or another, I haven't really looked forward to going to work for a few years now let alone had the urge to watch someone else do it, should I try a new career?
 
Might be time to re-invent the job. What else can you dove-tail into your services? Milling? Edible urban forests, from nuts to fruit to mushrooms? Hugelkultur? Some of this stuff could be in greenhouses for the well-heeled Boulderarians. My friend built a greenhouse in Truckee, CA. Maybe not as cold, but as high.

PHC? RCX/ care, Root zone care? Deep root irrigation?


What do you offer besides pruning and removal?
 
I'd think twice about leaving a really good crew that you like IF that's what you have now unless you have a guaranteed spot with them whenever you want to come back. A place where you fit in well is very important and can be more or less hard to find.

I would take a break and learn some new skills. I tend to get burned out on certain interests pretty quickly if I don't have much variety. Years ago I would spend a few months cutting and selling firewood, but 2 months of that continuously got old fast. Then a couple months later I'd get itching to do it again. The variety tree removal has helps me enjoy it for longer swapping out the different areas of work: in the bucket, running the miniskid, chipping, climbing... getting to walk on roofs or work at night are fun little changes. I know eventually I'll still get tired of it, but I try to get only part time positions, so I have time to do other things.

I have to enjoy what I do, or I can't do it. I certainly want to get paid well doing whatever I do, but at the same time I have to enjoy it. I wouldn't take $50/hr if I hated my work. I will say; some of the "worst" days according to how things went doing tree work, I was still able to smile and enjoy myself through all of it. I remember one of those clearly: an overly long like 14hr day, and the miniskid broke down a couple times, and the bucket truck stalled with a dead battery, and hornets stole my phone with the boss on the line... but I still had fun
 
changed careers. Don't miss tree work to be honest.( maybe a big crane job..a little)

Working on a cardiac/vascular surgery unit is bat shit crazy though. Shit ton to learn........life is short.
 
I didn't mind going to work .Then again I had a damned good job the last 29 years before I retired .If it were not for the fact I had to tap into my 401 K's at age 70 and a half I would not have retired .So weather I worked and drew on the 401' or not draw the amount of taxes would have made it really not an option .On the other hand retirement is really kind of neat .I can do what I want when I want .Take a beer break instead of a coffee break. Problem is I still wake up at between 4 and 5 AM every single day .Old habits die hard they say .
 
I will let you know this fall.

This shit is relentless out here...........nearly twisted off yesterday.

If it drags you down once in a while I would say dont sweat it Levi. Humans aren't supposed to be happy all the time.

If it drags you down every day I would start looking for something else to do.
 
Levi, another great thread, so glad you're back, man :drink:

Yeah there is a heckuva lot to break down with your question. What Sean said is excellent imo. If you can make new ventures pay, at least in the long term, that is a great way to increase interest and engagement.

Are you burned out? Are you getting enough R+R after work/on weekends/on vacations? Are you getting enough sleep? My point is that too much of something can give you a strong distaste for it. I more or less love my job overall (though there are plenty of aspects I more or less hate), but if I get just too damn much of it I'll start to hate it, and that persists until I get some rest and then I'm usually very pumped up about the prospect of more work.

Such a big topic, I'll start with that.
 
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  • #13
It's not that I really mind going to work, I'm just not thrilled about it.

Sean, good idea with the greenhouse, I'm going to give that some thought, sounds like it could be fun. We've been talking about building some decks and fences too, used to do stuff like that before trees and liked it. We been doing rcx for a few years, we mostly do pruning and planting. It ain't terrible by any means, I'm grateful to have good work for good pay, especially being uneducated.

I'm not depressed about work or anything just a bit bored maybe and a little sick of "selling" the work, get's old. I hear ya, Jim, I'm not really out to be happy all the time but wouldn't mind a break in the routine.

Largely curious about others' experiences or "stages" as Butch said.
 
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  • #15
Levi, another great thread, so glad you're back, man :drink:

Yeah there is a heckuva lot to break down with your question. What Sean said is excellent imo. If you can make new ventures pay, at least in the long term, that is a great way to increase interest and engagement.

Are you burned out? Are you getting enough R+R after work/on weekends/on vacations? Are you getting enough sleep? My point is that too much of something can give you a strong distaste for it. I more or less love my job overall (though there are plenty of aspects I more or less hate), but if I get just too damn much of it I'll start to hate it, and that persists until I get some rest and then I'm usually very pumped up about the prospect of more work.

Such a big topic, I'll start with that.

Yeah, I'm a bit burned out there's no doubt about that. I have a decent balance of work/ r/r +sleep. I do like finishing a job and getting the cash! Coming back on here and seeing people August who seems to love it so much he goes to great length to document the work etc kinda makes me feel a bit like a burnout, or maybe he's the crazy one, lol.

rcx- root collar excavation
 
Coming back on here and seeing people August who seems to love it so much he goes to great length to document the work etc kinda makes me feel a bit like a burnout,

"Compare and despair"
 
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  • #17
True it can be dangerous to enter the comparison trap, but I do think a little compare and contrast is very valuable as well, good to get some perspective of the landscape so to speak. I'm off to do like 15 bids today so I gotta run and sacrifice a lamb quick!
 
The good news is I have 15 bids. The bad news is I have 15 bids :whine: Do you make notes and write/email and estimate later or do you write them on the spot.

Writing estimates has become one thing I strongly dislike
 
Yeah, I'm a bit burned out there's no doubt about that. I have a decent balance of work/ r/r +sleep. I do like finishing a job and getting the cash! Coming back on here and seeing people August who seems to love it so much he goes to great length to document the work etc kinda makes me feel a bit like a burnout, or maybe he's the crazy one, lol.

rcx- root collar excavation

BTW, youtube pays. My guess is that there's a reason he gets to demo big chippers, etc.

Youtube is a fake world.

Decks are a great compliment to making their home and their landscape complete. People will be outside, enjoying the world without ceilings and interior corners (the things that freak people out if they get used to living outside and sleeping outside for extended periods). That reminds me of a customer. They have a summertime, outdoor guest room at a lake house, next to the outdoor shower. Fancy not shabby-chic.

I saw a cool, and SO simple slab-bench design, cut free-hand, even.

You can integrate.

I caught the term "emotionally-important wood". Benches, shelves, molding, trim, etc, salvaged from trees. Even if you just mill a large (or small) pruned limb, and make a second-hand mirror come to life with a live-edge frame. Bandsaw sleds let you mill small pieces on a cheap, homeowner carpentry bandsaw, not a sawmill.

Chainsaw mills are dirt cheap.

Live edge, or other cool wood accents onto fences and decks.

Living fences.

Bonsai.


Make kids' stacking blocks from tree-parts...nature-play. You know there are tons of hippie parents that recognize the value. Up-cycled.
I'm going to get in on this, so shhhh!

https://www.discountschoolsupply.co...MI7cmcqdfm4gIVFNtkCh2SZQVEEAQYAiABEgKOMfD_BwE

That's DISCOUNT school supply. Not full-priced or outrageous cost-of-living priced. You've got to have locally-made type of shops in Boulder, right?







How much shop/ yard space do you have?
 
I'm not sure if you had vamoosed before or after I sold my tree business(was lucky to be able to do so) , f-caked around for a bit chimney sweeping and then went to work at a local plywood mill. Union, great pay, benefits, pension. Zero stress. Such a flip from being self employed. Now I worry about nothing for work. Got a locker there my boots don't even come home with me. Vending machine spits out any ppe I need for free. Zero concerns, show up with my lunch. I also work a different shift there which allows me loads of free time for enjoying life. I put in two 12hr shifts a weekend which nets me 30hrs pay, then only work another five 8hr shifts every four weeks to top up to 40hrs a week. So I work way less than I did when self employed. Way less.

For me it's been a great decision. Yes I'm not in charge of anything. Lol. but then again, I'm not in charge of anything! Despite the work being repetitive and what most would consider boring. I really like the machines/process and find it very chill. My stress levels are way down.

I still hang out here at The House, not because I miss treework. Just because I like y'all. Lol.
 
Whatever tree work,saw work I do is at my own pace . I'm not a pro which doesn't mean I don't know how it's done .That part I enjoy but if I did for living it would soon be not so enjoyable .I like working on chainsaws etc but again if it were a job the same would true .I figured it out a long time ago .Get into something there is a demand for that pays decent money and get real good at it .Let your old brain make you money because everybody gets old in time if they are lucky .Thus spanning over nearly 46 years being a union electrician worked out very well for me .
 
I had am indoor growroom, Naturarbo. I guess you coulda called it "all mine."

What is your first name??? Mine is Butch.
 
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