What Motivates You to Go to Work Each Day?

adorblepuppy · Jun 29, 2009

Well if it helps any minimum wage is suppose to go up next month. I worked in a nursing home for two months and hated it. I am now working at walmart and it is not bad at all. I only work part time but still my sanity is worth more than that money. I wish you the best. And i understand about the father having custody of the kids. So if you ever want to talk just give me a hollar. take care

dedream · Jun 30, 2009

I was in your shoes not to long ago.My fiance and I went through this struggle together. Walking past all the rich people in Manhattan, the big houses, just knowing that one day, we will be there( hopefully):yeah::yeah::yeah:.

Im soooo there with you, I walk past them everyday on my way to and from work cant help but wonder if their lives are easier......but as you say we struggle through it and we will come out smelling like roses. Good luck Girl !!!!!!!!!:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat

My motivation is just to have a home of my own where my kids can have their own rooms and I can come home to my own space with peace and quiet. I live with family because of recent layoff. Some days all I can do is look down.

itsmyturn · Jun 30, 2009

You have to hang in there and tell yourself on a daily basis that you are lucky to have your job and try to be optimistic.

Money is about being able to live comfortable and it is out there for everyone. When I was younger, I remember having only $20 for the entire week after everything was taken out. We ate rice a lot. My hubby had to eat his sandwich while others had the money to go out at lunch. Sometimes we did without so our child could eat. It could have been looked at as we were dirt poor and let it get to us that we scraped by and even though we busted our butts, it seemed that nothing would ever come of this. One time we had to get food stamps and we borrowed money from relatives for that money we did not have for gas. You get it.

But, each week as we cashed that check, we told ourselves instead that times would get better and as we gained more time at work we would gain more money. We put 5 in the collection plate and all of our extra change in a jar. We never got credit cards and as we got promotions, we built up our wealth and kept on trucking. I spent 5 yrs saving for nursing school before I actually got into one. My son got A's so he could get grants to go to school for free at a university. Life is tough but life is directed according to how you look at it.

Now, we are in our early 40s. My house and both vehicles are owned outright. My son is 1/2 way through a bachelors and still getting money for good grades. My husband just retired from a 20 year service with law enforcement and I am working part time as a nurse making 25 an hour as an LPN because I work incentive shifts instead of fulltime regular shifts. We are doing well. And the reason is because we began our venture with the idea that everyone deserves what they want but in the process patience and hard work is what it is going to take to get a person where they want to be. You do things that may make you wonder "why" but in the back of your mind you must carry on and keep the demons from tearing down your dreams.

You will get there and you will do it well...just keep the faith and go get what you want and give yourself time to get it and grow in order to handle it.

The way I see it, is you are o.k. from what you write and YOU have a valued job that others are clawing at to have. No, it does not pay much but you are not stopping there because you have already set a new goal. Meet that goal and set a new one and keep going until you get to where you need to be. And always remember, that you will never have enough money because there is always something you really want and we all live within our means.

mari12345 · Jul 8, 2009

Money....just working to pay the bills

davidgreenenpr · Jul 10, 2009

I am so struck by your story, franharmon. I'm actually a public radio journalist looking at nurses and other people who work for minimum wage. If you would be willing, can I learn more about your story? You can email me at [email protected].

coffee4metech · Jul 11, 2009

Bills , daughter, rent , and car payments !!!!

Murse7 · Jul 11, 2009

As a CNA or tech considering nursing or any other health care education, you should be constantly paying attention to what is happening on your unit, as this will help you immensely in school. This is what motivates me to go to work each day. The job may be tedious, and not as intellectual as what we really want to do, but the learning process is what makes it great, from patients, nurses, doctors, etc. Read the charts, learn a little more about the patient so it doesn't seem like if you're just doing "tasks". Ask the nurses and doctors to explain things. I think this will help me so much when i start nursing school.

GCTMT · Jul 12, 2009

Some days its really hard for me to for get out of bed for 6.55 an hour (especially for a six hour shift.) Honestly, is forty dollars gonna make or break me? Don't get me wrong, I get up and go. I just don't want to.
Today was one of those days. I told my little girl, "I don't wanna go to work." She said, "Well, you want that apartment don't you!" She is my motivation. I do want to get that apartment.
I know jobs are so hard to find now. I looked for work for three months before I got this job. We put out a now hiring sign last week. We had 15 people a day come in and apply for a minimum wage, part time job. Fear also motivates me. I do not want to be jobless again.
I like working hard. I take pride in knowing that I give my all on the job, even though it is minimum wage. It feels good to know that I earn my paycheck. It feels so good to come home, shower, and relax after a hard day's work.
I want to be able to make it on my own. I value independence. I can't wait until I am an aide working 40 hours a week at 9.00 an hour. Then I can support myself.
I want to have meaningful work. I want to know that I am caring for someone who really needs my help. Working a drive through window is not rewarding.
What motivates you?

Sorry for your troubles.

I am motivated by the pay-check. I am a CNA in an LTC and currently an RN student. Don't get me wrong, I like most of the residents, and co-workers but the families often get in the way and we are over-worked, of course. One CNA to 16 residents on night shift, that's too much if you ask me.

I go to work to get experience, money, and to re-affirm that I do not want to be a CNA forever, I want to be RN.

prettyindecent · Jul 21, 2009

I work in a nursing home currently, as a Dietary Aide, and what keeps me going every morning is knowing that in less than a year, I will be a Nurse Aide. I will make enough money to support myself, and I will be doing something I've been wanting to do for years. What also keeps me there is our residents, even when they aggravate me it still makes my day to be able to help in any small day. Someone's gotta do these jobs, I know, but the best feeling is the feeling of giving back.

Butterfliesnroses · Jul 21, 2009

I go each day with the end goal in mind. To be a nurse. I'm just taking it one step at a time. I've been an aide for over 4 years now. While I enjoy my job the pay isn't nearly enough. I'm lucky that my boyfriend is disabled so we qualify for housing for disabled people. While I feel fortunate (there is no way I could pay all my bills if we didn't have a discounted rent), I want to give my daughter better and that means going to nursing school. I also want this for myself. I've wanted to be a nurse for a long time now. I go to work with the thought that another year of this and I should be a nurse. Also I go to work to gain knowledge on the residents and disease processes. I get in on all the procedures I can. Nurses I work with know my goal so they'll explain disease processes, why someone or there body is acting a certain way, etc. I also go for the residents, they need a smiling, caring face in their day. This job isn't just a job. If it is then you are in the wrong line of work.