Is this really work?

For those people who have never worked a physically demanding job like gardening, landscaping or building. Take note, this could come as a painful shock to your body and soul, should you ever have to make the career change.

Since the lockdown hit last year, I start my day in a warm house wearing my expensive leather slippers and sipping a very nice coffee. I then sit in my ever so comfy office with my favourite music playing in the background. 

Not a bad way to start the working day?

True but it wasn't always like this.

Rewind just a few years and I found myself managing a team of 45 people, landscaping, building and generally doing outside work. It was hard, dirty, wet and not for the faint hearted. As a team we were strong and focused, nothing was impossible and the six month waiting list proved we were good. 

The work involved twelve hour days moving soil, building walls and all manner of physically challenging tasks. At the end of the day every part of my body hurt, I lived by the rule that I would never ask anyone on my team to do something I wouldn't do myself. Keep in mind several of my team were half my age, I found myself cleaning out ponds, covered in mud and even learning how to drive a digger.

This is hard work and I respect anyone that makes a living this way.

Now, I spend my days developing a market and working with clients across the globe, all from the comfort of my office chair. To be honest, I love it. I wake up in the morning and run through all the client projects I will be working with today, the specific challenges and requirements. I can't wait to start work each day and I would do it for free (please don‘t tell my CEO)

It does pose the question, is this really work? Or should we be digging holes and building houses for us to feel like we are doing a proper day's work?