how old are you and how many hours do you work

[Anonymous]

 

[Dibs-h]

Your hours - weekdays sound like around 12.5hrs and weekends 12hrs, week in week out, aren't good combined with the monotony. Hours like that for a short\medium time frame aren't an issue if the work is engaging\interesting.

Dibs

 

[Blister]

Andy

All I can say is " Get A Life "

If you have a partner , do they remember you ?

And as for the children Do they have a Dad of just someone who picks them up from school

Sorry to sound harsh but you need to include family time

European working time directive suggest a 48 hour working week in my job but I do 40 or less

Time off is living time , Time at work provides a lifestyle for you and the family

So why not try 6 x 8 hour shifts for a week and see how thing go

 

[woodbloke]

I don't really class myself as old, I'm only 40, but over the last few years I am finding things really hard. This is making me sound like a negative person already but I'm not, I have quite a bright out look on things. I am currently snowed under with work and normally get up at 5 and am in the workshop for half past. I knock off at 3 for 15mins to pick the kids up then back in till about 6 when I come out for tea before going back till about 9ish. Then bed about 10 gives me 7 hours kip. Weekends are slightly better and I don't start till about 9 and just do 12 hours. It's a lot of hours I know but I have always done the same throughout my working life, I was taught if you want something you have to work for it and work hard. Days off have always been few and far between but thats just what I'm used to.

However recently it's getting really hard. I'm sure I have got some one elses legs as these sure as well don't feel like mine. Last week I went for the kids and was a touch early so sat it the van a few miniutes. Next I knew one of the other parents was banging on the window, I was fast on. A while since I went to the doc's as I thought there might be something up with me and I don't normally do doctors unless I think I might peg it. Doc's anwser, cut down my hours, reduce my stress levels and stop smoking, oh brill thats easy then :?

Making things worse is I'm on the same product day in day out, have been for the last 18 months or so and to press can't forsee an end to them. A very basic item, knocking 10-15 a day out with no thinking what so ever but good margins. So adding the monotony to the tiredness levels it's a wonder I havn't had to change my user ID, oh the 9fingers id has been used :wink: I read the posts of mailees and really don't know how he does it. No disrespect intended Mailee but in some of your pic's mate you don't look like a spring chicken Your either very fast or just super human :?

So after a rather negative sounding thread how many hours do you work & how old are you. How do you stay focused and motivated when you are on monotonous jobs. May be conformation that I'm not on my own might push me forward and get in front with the orders then I might even get a bit of family life back.

Sorry to be a burden

Andy

A difficult one. With the way you're working and the hours you commit to the business, my guess is that the combination of those factors (hours worked, stress etc) plus consumption of ciggies (and booze maybe?) mean that by the time you see 50 you may (stress may) have some serious medical issues which you won't welcome.
I'm not in your position and never have been, being essentially a hobbiest woodworker, but I would try and diversify into better paying, fitted mdf furniture along the lines made by DanBradTtheAlchemistNaylor. Having had a look at your web site, a change in direction could easily be accommodated on it.
At the end of the day, once your health has been shot away, it's almost impossible to get it back (or at least takes a very long time) and in my view, that's the most important thing to consider.
I don't think it's too late to change, but I'd do it now rather than later - Rob

 

[Dibs-h]

Andy

All I can say is " Get A Life "

If you have a partner , do they remember you ?

And as for the children Do they have a Dad of just someone who picks them up from school

Sorry to sound harsh but you need to include family time

European working time directive suggest a 48 hour working week in my job but I do 40 or less

Time off is living time , Time at work provides a lifestyle for you and the family

So why not try 6 x 8 hour shifts for a week and see how thing go

Yes - work to live, not live to work (unless you can help it - or work is awesome!)

 

[Benchwayze]

Andy,

I empathise completely, but I think you are burning the candle from the middle outwards. I understand the problem as you are clearly self-employed. I wouldn't like to think at my age though I would still have to work. All kinds of things keep happening to the old body, and even taking on the occasional job for friends gets wearying and stretches out the time-frame for completion. I have to engage the help of my son, who is your age, and although he isn't a woodworker as such, he is a boon to me. I can't offer a solution except try to employ someone? Either way you have to make time for family and fun, whilst bearing in mind how long you can keep doing this; and what will happen when you feel it's time to retire.


All the best and take care

John

 

[Anonymous]

thanks for the coments

couple of points

Kids/ wife
They know where I am, if they want me they come and stand at the workshop door :lol:

beter paying MDF fitted gear
I know very little about the MDF side of things. I see some of the work thats posted on here and some times think how long it must have taken and how much I would want to produce it. I then think would I be prepared to pay that amount if I were the customer and the answer is always no! Might just me me not understanding the mdf market. I clear a moneky a day with what I am on with and am not sure I could do the same with mdf.

booze, thats easy I don't touch the stuff, not even a sly one

staff
Been down that road. Before we moved house I have a bigger place and half a dozen staff. Turnover goes up but profit don't go up at the same level. At the moment I can't set anyone new on without some investment is H&S

what I do know is it won't be for ever, the product bubble will burst. I have found other items where there is a bit of a gap in the market and made good money but people cotton on and then the price falls if you get my drift. At the moment I have a money eating monster that can eat money far quicker than I can earn it [otherwise known as a house under restoration] and need to make hay while the sun is shining. May be when the bubble does burst I can sit back for a while.

Andy

 

[Dibs-h]

thanks for the coments

couple of points

Kids/ wife
They know where I am, if they want me they come and stand at the workshop door :lol:

beter paying MDF fitted gear
I know very little about the MDF side of things. I see some of the work thats posted on here and some times think how long it must have taken and how much I would want to produce it. I then think would I be prepared to pay that amount if I were the customer and the answer is always no! Might just me me not understanding the mdf market. I clear a moneky a day with what I am on with and am not sure I could do the same with mdf.

booze, thats easy I don't touch the stuff, not even a sly one

staff
Been down that road. Before we moved house I have a bigger place and half a dozen staff. Turnover goes up but profit don't go up at the same level. At the moment I can't set anyone new on without some investment is H&S

what I do know is it won't be for ever, the product bubble will burst. I have found other items where there is a bit of a gap in the market and made good money but people cotton on and then the price falls if you get my drift. At the moment I have a money eating monster that can eat money far quicker than I can earn it [otherwise known as a house under restoration] and need to make hay while the sun is shining. May be when the bubble does burst I can sit back for a while.

Andy

Monkey a day - I don't think you'd make that doing MDF as a one man band!

 

[Anonymous]

Monkey a day - I don't think you'd make that doing MDF as a one man band!

no me either, nor am I geared up for site work.

 

[StevieB]

Personally, I think you need to take a step back and decide what you want from life and how you are going to achieve it. You say you are clearing a monkey a day - by clear I assume you mean profit rather than turnover. With a monkey being £500 thats 3 grand a week, 12 grand a month and 156 grand a year. Think what other jobs pay that kind of salary - not many. Take a good look at what you earn, what you spend and how you might reduce the latter to be able to reduce the former. If its all being ploughed into a restoration then look at extending the time the restoration is going to take. People live to their means! Making hay while the sun shines makes good financial sense, but there is a limit.
Step back, even if its only a day off or a weekend away, sit down with the missus and decide what you want, how to get there is a reasonable state and then work to that. If you keep on at the current rate you WILL burn yourself out. The most important thing you can give your kids is your time - trite but true I am afraid. Take a step back now and think things over - the fact you are posting the question here means you know within yourself you cannot keep on doing what you are. You have admited it to us, now admit it to yourself.

Steve

 

[JMcK]

Weekends are slightly better and I don't start till about 9 and just do 12 hours. It's a lot of hours I know but I have always done the same throughout my working life, I was taught if you want something you have to work for it and work hard. Days off have always been few and far between but thats just what I'm used to.

I'm not clear from your post but if you mean 12 hours a day both Saturday and Sunday I would suggest you really should reconsider that.

Seven days a week ends up being unproductive. All very well for a short spell but in the end it catches up with you and performance drops of severely. It also isn't good for your mental state, forgive me for saying so, but it seems from your post that you are getting a bit depressed about it.

If I have misunderstood I apologise but, if not, for your productivity and, more importantly, your long term health one day off in the week would be IMO a must.

 

[softtop]

Andy,

I am the same age as you and I work pretty long hours, though it is split between a desk and more physical stuff. I always try to take 1/2 a day off a week to spend with my kids as they grow up so fast it's easy to miss it. Of course then all they want to do is run around and climb on me when I'm feeling tired, but you can't have everything!

I agree with the others - you know you have a problem you need to address which is why you posted the question, but it's down to you to find an answer. If you are genuinely making a vast pile of cash then perhaps you should say you will take a week off once every six weeks or something? I don't know - you need to find your own solution and I wish you good luck in sorting it out.

Regards,

Henry

 

[Anonymous]

Personally, I think you need to take a step back and decide what you want from life and how you are going to achieve it. You say you are clearing a monkey a day - by clear I assume you mean profit rather than turnover. With a monkey being £500 thats 3 grand a week, 12 grand a month and 156 grand a year. Think what other jobs pay that kind of salary - not many. Take a good look at what you earn, what you spend and how you might reduce the latter to be able to reduce the former. If its all being ploughed into a restoration then look at extending the time the restoration is going to take. People live to their means! Making hay while the sun shines makes good financial sense, but there is a limit.
Step back, even if its only a day off or a weekend away, sit down with the missus and decide what you want, how to get there is a reasonable state and then work to that. If you keep on at the current rate you WILL burn yourself out. The most important thing you can give your kids is your time - trite but true I am afraid. Take a step back now and think things over - the fact you are posting the question here means you know within yourself you cannot keep on doing what you are. You have admited it to us, now admit it to yourself.

Steve

Thanks steve, looking at it like that makes me look like I am on really strong money. £500 a day is focused and on the ball but I can't sustain it 7 days a week, I fall beside the way side. Out of the year you have also to take out days at the wood yard, days out delivering larger items. can't see be earning much today sat typing either.

Weekends are slightly better and I don't start till about 9 and just do 12 hours. It's a lot of hours I know but I have always done the same throughout my working life, I was taught if you want something you have to work for it and work hard. Days off have always been few and far between but thats just what I'm used to.

I'm not clear from your post but if you mean 12 hours a day both Saturday and Sunday I would suggest you really should reconsider that.

Seven days a week ends up being unproductive. All very well for a short spell but in the end it catches up with you and performance drops of severely. It also isn't good for your mental state, forgive me for saying so, but it seems from your post that you are getting a bit depressed about it.

If I have misunderstood I apologise but, if not, for your productivity and, more importantly, your long term health one day off in the week would be IMO a must.

Yeh when I thougth about posting this morning I was sure one of you guys would come up with something lite hearted and everybody lived happily ever after sort of thing, feel a bit depressed and fecked off now. Wheres that joke thread :lol:

 

[Lardman]

This is one of the main problems with being self employed - its not industry specific either. SteveB's advise is spot on the money, you can't have and do everything.

If you're clearing that sort of cash get some help in, even if its just for a while to ease your load. Working flat out for extended periods is counter productive and detrimental to your health, I and probably lots more on here will speak from experience on that.

Walls without plaster won't kill you - a heart attack will.

 

[tomatwark]

Andy

Being in the same boat but a couple of years older I know where you are coming from.

I have just been through the same excerise, but I am having to change my working patterns because I am going to looking after my 11 month old daughter one day a week when my wife goes back to work part time in September.

So instead of working similar hours you do I will now be at home on a Monday, because the child minder could not have my daughter on a Monday this has forced the issue.

I would look at how your working week is broken up, and try to make time time work better.

You say that you go and collect your wood, get the supplier to deliver it if you can, because even if they charge it will still be cheaper than your lost production time, if they say no you must be buying enough to force their hand by threatening to go elsewhere.

Fix your self a day for paperwork and running around etc and try to stick to it, this gives you a point in the week were you know that you are going to out of the workshop.

And lastly even if you cannot take every Sunday off make it at least every second one and go and do something with the family.

For my part it is going to be a hard transition but one that I am really looking forward to.

Good luck and try to stay positive

Tom

 

[wobblycogs]

I agree with everyone else, you should take some time off but I understand that is hard when you have a cash cow and you don't know when the next one will turn up. Considering how much you are making though is there a possibility you could invest some money automating part of the process. For example perhaps a CNC could let you produce the same number of pieces but in 8 hours rather than 12. It's a risk but so is working so hard.

 

[Tusses]

I have set back up in woodworking again this year, out of necessity money wise, and I find myself working those hours, for a week or so at a time, but when I find myself still working at 2 or 3am, I 'adjust' my prices up a bit. Yes the work dies off, depending on how much I put the price up. But when I've caught up, I put them back down again. I haven't yet found the happy medium, and I am making no where near what you are, but enough to pay the bills, and that is what matters to me in the recession period we are in.

So, if your work is web site best, you might try putting your prices up 2 or 3% and see what happens. Only repeat customers will notice the price rise, one off buyers will just see the price on the screen !
Youll get less work, but paid more for the work you do . Win Win . If you could balance it that way, you may be able to get back to a more family based work regime .

Giving up smoking will help with your health and energy levels, but you dont need me or the Doc to tell you that.

Make sure you eat healthily. I find myself grabbing what I can when I can, which isn't good.
Take multi vitamins - they can only help and not harm.

My worst trait, is I have a beer or two to take the monotony away. Not when using sharp hurty stuff, but when painting/finishing/packing etc ( Doesn't packing just take forever ! ). Something I know drains my energy :?

A tough one, as you say. Hopefully it wont be for too long before things improve.

Look after yourself !

Rich

 

[RogerP]

how old are you and how many hours do you work

I'm 69 and retired ... if I'd worked the hours you do I doubt I'd be here now.

Think about it please.

 

[Anonymous]

Tomatwark, Most of the timber is delivered but there are always job that crop up that require you to see what you are buying. This also acts as a break as it gets you out of the four walls.

Wobblycog, at the moment a cnc would not help with the job I'm on with. There is another product I have in mind which would but I have enough on without starting with someting new.

Tusses I know what you mean with food and I am my own worst enemy with it, skipping meals and grabbing junk on the run, it doesn't help.

Rogerp Taken on board bud!

A few keep jumping back to money so I will clear it up. Am I on 156K pa - I wish, do I earn a monkey a day - Yes, can I do it seven days a week - not on your nelly. 3-4 days a week at the most, not that the works not there I just can't keep the pace. At that rate it leaves no room for errors or the mess I leave in my wake. Some days I spend the first 2-3 hours clearing the mess from the last few days [yes I know clear as you work] There are then days when the phone just doesn't stop or email keep coming [and even posting on forums] all of which affect how much I turn out. All of you that are SE will fully undersatnd this. I pulled the rate up in comparrision to the mdf work at the start of the thread. If I was working the mdf I would still have the clean up/days out etc.

The kids are out to night, I think the wife had ideas but I have news for her. We are going to have to have a look at this. I think I have been miss lead, I just thought everyone that was SE worked their n*ts off.

Andy

 

[wobblycogs]

I'm SE too but I don't work those sorts of hours most of the time. Occasionally, say once a year, I'll do hours like that but I normally try to keep it to 9 hours a day. Why chose 9.5 hours - because that's about what I'd end up doing if I was employed and had to commute.

I love my business, ever since I was a kid I've wanted to work for myself, and it pays fairly well which is good but I made a concious decision to make sure it didn't become the be all and end all of my life. I sat down one day and had a think about what I actually wanted, I came to the conclusion that I wanted enough money to get by and to have time to enjoy with my family and friends. If my business couldn't fit in with that then I'd have to get rid of the business even though it would break my heart. My main concern with what you are doing is that you'll look back in years to come and regret not spending time with your family and a big pile of cash and a finished house will be poor compensation.