Do you actually like what you do?

[Haironyourchest]

For me, the key was about getting real about my own nature and capabilities.

It's more about the how than the what. As someone with mild but constitutional ADD, I can't stick to one thing for more than a month. I find the first couple of days of a project is tough going, getting into the swing of things, then once the ball's rolling its great, then by week three I'm bored and want to do something else. Its a compound of job/client/site - too long of either or all gets me down. So I've gradually steered my lifestyle and cultivated my client base so that I only take on small jobs and keep mixing it up. Trees, then concrete, then strimming, then a small welding job, then some painting, that kind of thing.

It stops me from becoming jaded, but being a jack of all trades means you can never command master's level wages as you just never get that good at anything! (I know guys who are masters at several trades, but they don't have lives outside of work). The other issue is having to gear up for everything means you spend a lot of money and have to continually reconfigure your load-out for each job, mentally and tool-wise A lot of unseen and unpaid hours just faffing around but that's part of the lifestyle.

Im happy where Im at now, and still learning about what makes me happy work-wise. I don't want to work as a subbie anymore. Don't want to work on projects that are not under my control, and don't care about how much money I don't earn...but then, I don't have to support a family. Swings and roundabouts.

[peatff]

Actually the longer you do it the higher the exponential risk to death or serious injury, not to mention the sheer wear and tear on the body is in no way compensated by the small amount this job earns relative to its required skills or required equipment.

 

Was that a downer?

 

It is a downer, what is it based on ? Are you exponentially more at risk each day because you didn't have any accidents the day before ? Wear and tear on the body shouldn't affect you till you get to the age where you don't regenerate or if you keep doing the harmful stuff instead of learning. Are you doing something the others aren't and not charging enough for it ? I don't think exponential is a very good word to use in this sense if you are not doing anything different you are not in any more danger.

[Stephen Blair]

Yes I do.

[Joe Newton]

It is a downer, what is it based on ? Are you exponentially more at risk each day because you didn't have any accidents the day before ? Wear and tear on the body shouldn't affect you till you get to the age where you don't regenerate or if you keep doing the harmful stuff instead of learning. Are you doing something the others aren't and not charging enough for it ? I don't think exponential is a very good word to use in this sense if you are not doing anything different you are not in any more danger.

 

 

I'd say the more you perform a task, the more experienced you get, and the less likely you are to make a silly mistake.

[spudulike]

I'd say the more you perform a task, the more experienced you get, and the less likely you are to make a silly mistake.

 

It may be slightly offset by getting complacent about the risk of the job in hand but actually knowing of the risks puts you well ahead in minimising risk!

[Joe Newton]

It may be slightly offset by getting complacent about the risk of the job in hand but actually knowing of the risks puts you well ahead in minimising risk!

 

 

Good point Steve.

 

As long as your equipment is running within the manufacturers intended parameters you should be fine...

 

[Marula]

It is a downer, what is it based on ? Are you exponentially more at risk each day because you didn't have any accidents the day before ? Wear and tear on the body shouldn't affect you till you get to the age where you don't regenerate or if you keep doing the harmful stuff instead of learning. Are you doing something the others aren't and not charging enough for it ? I don't think exponential is a very good word to use in this sense if you are not doing anything different you are not in any more danger.

 

 

The law of averages stipulates the more I do a task the more my chances of encountering an anomaly due to or indirectly due to said task.

There is not an arborist on here who isn't carrying a niggle of some sort due to wear and tear. Until they invent jet packs with plasma cutters specifically designed for tree work, the job will remain rough on the body.

Trees are living organisms reacting to multiple natural and unnatural forces, each tree is different in size and structure and therefor calculations will never be a method of somewhat accurately determining how the day's work will unfold.

As for serious accidents there are many a 20 plus year veterans on here who have either had a major close shave or actual accident which could never have been prevented due to their experience or knowledge.

 

I accept its a downer, however it is a dangerous game.

 

 

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[jomoco]

Actually the longer you do it the higher the exponential risk to death or serious injury, not to mention the sheer wear and tear on the body is in no way compensated by the small amount this job earns relative to its required skills or required equipment.

 

Was that a downer?

 

 

I see it the opposite way.

 

The first decade I spent as a clueless rank amateur were the dangerous years.

 

Once I'd sorted things out, the money got better, and the risk factor went down considerably.

 

Raised three kids doin it, and it still keeps me in spending change in my semi-retirement.

 

If you're genuinely worried up there?

 

You don't belong up there!

 

Jomoco

[inthewoods]

I see it the opposite way.

 

The first decade I spent as a clueless rank amateur were the dangerous years.

 

Once I'd sorted things out, the money got better, and the risk factor went down considerably.

 

Raised three kids doin it, and it still keeps me in spending change in my semi-retirement.

 

If you're genuinely worried up there?

 

You don't belong up there!

 

Jomoco

 

Agreed 👍

[Marula]

I see it the opposite way.

 

 

 

The first decade I spent as a clueless rank amateur were the dangerous years.

 

 

 

Once I'd sorted things out, the money got better, and the risk factor went down considerably.

 

 

 

Raised three kids doin it, and it still keeps me in spending change in my semi-retirement.

 

 

 

If you're genuinely worried up there?

 

 

 

You don't belong up there!

 

 

 

Jomoco

 

Well I didn't spend a decade as an amateur, tree work isn't rocket science, it's fairly basic on the surface once a good mentor is found.

Yes with more experience comes a wiser and safer set of hands, however, Emperical statistical law isn't really debatable, that's why it's a law.

 

 

 

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