How can you say window cleaning is as close to a perfect job.... Let alone love it beats me
Yes I know about it's more of a lifestyle that fits around kids etc than working for the man but really don't you find window cleaning a repetitive boring job. Not to mention all the agro that comes with it?
A repetitve boring job? No! Aggro? No!
It's all about attitude. This is how I think of it;
I get up in the morning, no boss to get on my nerves or idiot colleagues. No rush hour traffic to contend with or deadlines.
I get ready, sit eating my brek while staring out of the back patio watching birds fly and listening to the wind rustling the trees. I already know what work I have that day, so I idly think about the route I'll take. Usually one of the cats meows to be outside in the fresh air so I let it out and spend the last 5 minutes watching it chase leaves and expertly climb the tree.
Then I do a final check of my gear, make sure my spares box in the van is all ok and (most importantly) I have a good story to listen to (Audible is the greatest thing ever).
Then I get to work. I always glance in the mirror and look back with a little burst of pride at my house. MY house. I bought it with window cleaning money. Before window cleaning I rented, and I hated it. Not owning my own home was a constant annoyance and source of stress. If I hadn't started window cleaning, then probably I'd still be renting.
I drive to the first customer, set up and then I do what can only be described as the easiest, most stress-free job in history. And I'm in the fresh air, all the time. The work is not what I'd call physically demanding, but it is the equivalent of light exercise so I'm the fittest and healthiest I've ever been in my entire life.
Sometimes the customer is in, in which case there's a chance for a little chat and some pleasantries, but mostly they are not so I'm left to get on with the work in peace. After years, I'm expert at doing my particular houses so I get through them fast. I listen to my stories - science fiction is my favourite - and every hour that passes I mentally tot up how much I have just earned.
And on it goes for the whole day. Some may think that is boring, but not me. The worst thing I have to deal with is when the hose gets caught on a car tyre, or when I carelessly unplug the hosereel and the water spits out on my shoes a bit. Hardly the end of the world.
And when I get home at about 5pm, I put the van in the garage and set it filling. That is it, there is no more work to do. There are no long hours, no crazy demands from people, nobody else's incompetence to cope with. I don't go to sleep worrying how I'll get XYZ project finished or if some idiot boss will like the thing I did. The fresh air and light exercise of window cleaning means I'm tired enough to sleep well - something I've only ever done while window cleaning. I used to have pretty bad insomnia and restlessness.
I only work 4 days, I always take Fridays off.
Occasionally (about once every other month) I wake up and think "I don't feel like work today" and instead I take the missus out for the day to a park, or shopping, or whatever. Or sometimes I'll just lay in bed reading the news till midday then we'll go to the cinema.
I look at what my little business earns and I am still amazed after all these years. I did this. From nothing. This work that is easy, stress-free, flexible and keeps me fit also happens to pay (what I consider) fantastic money. And it's my business, I am the boss, I can work exactly as I want and don't need to depend on anyone else. I won't be made unexpectedly redundant. If I want to go on holiday for 2 weeks I don't need to clear it with anyone. I just go.
I feel like I'm cheating at life, especially when I talk to friends and hear the hassles they go through in their working life.
Sure, I'll never be as rich as a footballer, or an investment banker, but I can live with that. I have everything I want and (thanks to window cleaning) more money than I need.
I find it hard to understand people who do this work and are not happy.
When you say "all the agro that comes with it", what aggro? If a customer gives aggro they get dropped immediately. The weather is sometimes an annoyance, but I don't mind working in the rain too much. I can't think of anything that I would class as "aggro" in window cleaning.