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A Big Apology, And Some Encouragement for New-Starters

cleaniac

Well-known member
Messages
509
Location
Surrey
Hi Guys,

I just wanted to apologise for my negative posts yesterday. As you all know, its been a very hard few months with the weather; and I guess I just needed to vent out my frustrations of this job. I am not looking for sympathy, and I know we all have to deal with the weather and battle with our motivation; and i'm not unique with regards to that. And for those who are considering going into window cleaning to improve their working lives, who have been working min wage in a factory, or working for some a-hole of a boss; i wish you all the best; go out there and do it.

I have been window cleaning for 20 years nearly; I have had both good times in window cleaning, and bad, multiple times over. I have had affluence, and poverty, multiple times over, but one thing I have always done, and that's pick myself up and get going again. I have a moan. I have a groan, and then I get on to own.

I have worked so hard to establish a great window cleaning business that provides me with the income I need to enjoy life, and I need to focus on the good things my job brings. I am able to do things like hobbies, spend time with kids, go on holidays, and enjoy my motorcycling. Some of you know that I was involved in a motorcycle accident back in July when I had to take a month off work due to a broken glenoid, well I am still in a bit of pain with the shoulder whilst working; and that also has been making me a bit grumpy and feeling sorry for myself, especially with this weather. Not ,many jobs you can start at 9 am, be home by 4pm and have cleared well over most people earn in a week for the day, and I guess I have just forgotten just how much freedom financially and time wise this job brings. 

I am still looking at furthering my studies in Law, and again I have to have a long hard word with myself as I can finance my Law studies through the good wages I earn window cleaning, so I must try to be more positive with my job. Yes, its boring, yes its tiring, yes I get fed up smelling of dog turd because you just don't know where your hose picked it up and its mashed into everything..(you know what thats like). So again...

If you are looking into window cleaning as a job, or a business. Don't consider it... don't think that you might do it in the summer...go out and do it now..make your life change. Because window cleaning has offered me and so many others the freedom to shape their futures the way that they wish.  

God Bless You All.

 
@cleaniac I was actually thinking on what you said yesterday and it made me think on what I said and how my reply may have not been the best, so apologies if I offended you, also it made me think on the times I have struggled over the years with mental health as it's can be a lonely job and running a business isn't always easy,

also I have thought at times a good number of years ago now how easy it might be been in paye job with 4 weeks holiday pay and no hassle or stress but each comes with it's own stress and I don't really like a lot of people so ideally better on my own doing what I do and least I have a job for life which can't be said as easily these days with changes that have happened over the years with employment, when things are good the above can be easily forgotten. 

 
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Seasonal affective disorder

Symptoms of SAD

Symptoms of SAD can include:

a persistent low mood

a loss of pleasure or interest in normal everyday activities

irritability

feelings of despair, guilt and worthlessness

feeling lethargic (lacking in energy) and sleepy during the day

sleeping for longer than normal and finding it hard to get up in the morning

 
Hi Guys,

I just wanted to apologise for my negative posts yesterday. As you all know, its been a very hard few months with the weather; and I guess I just needed to vent out my frustrations of this job. I am not looking for sympathy, and I know we all have to deal with the weather and battle with our motivation; and i'm not unique with regards to that. And for those who are considering going into window cleaning to improve their working lives, who have been working min wage in a factory, or working for some a-hole of a boss; i wish you all the best; go out there and do it.

I have been window cleaning for 20 years nearly; I have had both good times in window cleaning, and bad, multiple times over. I have had affluence, and poverty, multiple times over, but one thing I have always done, and that's pick myself up and get going again. I have a moan. I have a groan, and then I get on to own.

I have worked so hard to establish a great window cleaning business that provides me with the income I need to enjoy life, and I need to focus on the good things my job brings. I am able to do things like hobbies, spend time with kids, go on holidays, and enjoy my motorcycling. Some of you know that I was involved in a motorcycle accident back in July when I had to take a month off work due to a broken glenoid, well I am still in a bit of pain with the shoulder whilst working; and that also has been making me a bit grumpy and feeling sorry for myself, especially with this weather. Not ,many jobs you can start at 9 am, be home by 4pm and have cleared well over most people earn in a week for the day, and I guess I have just forgotten just how much freedom financially and time wise this job brings. 

I am still looking at furthering my studies in Law, and again I have to have a long hard word with myself as I can finance my Law studies through the good wages I earn window cleaning, so I must try to be more positive with my job. Yes, its boring, yes its tiring, yes I get fed up smelling of dog turd because you just don't know where your hose picked it up and its mashed into everything..(you know what thats like). So again...

If you are looking into window cleaning as a job, or a business. Don't consider it... don't think that you might do it in the summer...go out and do it now..make your life change. Because window cleaning has offered me and so many others the freedom to shape their futures the way that they wish.  

God Bless You All.
wise words their cleaniac, I did the trudge to work for many years and I don't really know how I fell into window cleaning, I came from a highly paid job in the glass industry into window cleaning and, for me its low hassle/stress way of life that appeals to me, ok, window cleaning can be mundane if you want it that way but, like you are doing it can give you time to pursue other ideas, yes it is full of ups and downs where literally you have just the loose change in your pocket to your name and other times when you are walking around with loose change of a few hundred quid in your wallet, we all feel negative or down at times, some if not most of us suffer from some form/level of depression as do most of the nation so, its ok to vent.

i'm not allowed on bikes anymore as I t boned a police car many moons ago (his fault) on a bsa bantam the wife doesn't like bikes anymore and because she knows theres big spiders in the garage she won't go in there, that's a good thing as theres a tiger cub in there, a ty  and five other bikes that she does n't know about,maybe some day when she's gone out i'll put the helmet back on and go riding again.

 
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I think this conversation has helped a lot of us remember and value that we're all decent, hard working people, each trying to do our best in life. As a rule, if any one of us, or a potential newcomer asks for help or advice, it is given freely and honestly. We have as many different opinions as there are people and sometimes we can get defensive with each other. That's especially the case with the written word. It's hard to smile on text (emojis don't really do it). 

 As I've said before "Twenty odd years working for utility contractors. Long hours in all weathers. Worked in storms where cotswold roof tiles were crashing around us in Burford like shrapnel, cold down to minus ten and heat where it was melting the tarmac, no job security, almost no cameraderie from work colleagues that I would never let down. 45 minutes to bath the dirt and sweat off every evening before eating. Often staying on site in a caravan. Followed that with a few years driving bulk carrier artics, chased to get more and more loads shifted for a pitiful wage and again no job security.

This is the best job I've ever done. I have a level of freedom and control I could only dream of before. A huge help to me is not being a one man band. Wife does the admin, son works alongside me. I would advise anyone struggling with motivation to try and find a dedicated working partner. It can be done and it doesn't necessarily need to be a family member. 

I get depressed at times like so many people but generally I see it as a trough in a cycle of waves, there will also be times when I'm on a wave, and most often I will be somewhere in between. 

Wishing us all the very best, guys. ⚓?

 
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Seasonal affective disorder

Symptoms of SAD

Symptoms of SAD can include:

a persistent low mood

a loss of pleasure or interest in normal everyday activities

irritability

feelings of despair, guilt and worthlessness

feeling lethargic (lacking in energy) and sleepy during the day

sleeping for longer than normal and finding it hard to get up in the morning
You've just described long term marriage. ?  Just kidding.

 
Wow @cleaniac you have some kahunas - I missed your original post - so just read it - honest stuff - you shouldn't feel you need to apologise for being honest - not like you were rude/offensive.

All the best with studies - my best buddy is a law grad, worked for a big firm for years to get his stripes - realised he was working flat out whilst the partner's creamed off the profits (whilst on the golf course)...so started his own law firm... now employs several others lawyers (he's doing the creaming off now ? ) BUT he works hard...never switches off...is always thinking about his next big conference he's got going on or this deal or that deal (he's commercial)...sleeps some nights 4-5 hours...some times you need to be careful what you wish for....No one on their deathbed said 'you know, I wish I had spent more time at the office' ?   but you've lost the love sounds like a change is due...all the best with whatever you do longer term...but remember this feeling of being your own boss... and let me share  one of my fav stories...

There was once a businessman who was sitting by the beach in a small Brazilian village.
As he sat, he saw a Brazilian fisherman rowing a small boat towards the shore having caught quite few big fish.
The businessman was impressed and asked the fisherman, “How long does it take you to catch so many fish?”
The fisherman replied, “Oh, just a short while.”
“Then why don’t you stay longer at sea and catch even more?” The businessman was astonished.
“This is enough to feed my whole family,” the fisherman said.
The businessman then asked, “So, what do you do for the rest of the day?”
The fisherman replied, “Well, I usually wake up early in the morning, go out to sea and catch a few fish, then go back and play with my kids. In the afternoon, I take a nap with my wife, and evening comes, I join my buddies in the village for a drink — we play guitar, sing and dance throughout the night.”

The businessman offered a suggestion to the fisherman.
“I am a PhD in business management. I could help you to become a more successful person. From now on, you should spend more time at sea and try to catch as many fish as possible. When you have saved enough money, you could buy a bigger boat and catch even more fish. Soon you will be able to afford to buy more boats, set up your own company, your own production plant for canned food and distribution network. By then, you will have moved out of this village and to Sao Paulo, where you can set up HQ to manage your other branches.”

The fisherman continues, “And after that?”
The businessman laughs heartily, “After that, you can live like a king in your own house, and when the time is right, you can go public and float your shares in the Stock Exchange, and you will be rich.”
The fisherman asks, “And after that?”
The businessman says, “After that, you can finally retire, you can move to a house by the fishing village, wake up early in the morning, catch a few fish, then return home to play with kids, have a nice afternoon nap with your wife, and when evening comes, you can join your buddies for a drink, play the guitar, sing and dance throughout the night!”
The fisherman was puzzled, “Isn’t that what I am doing now?

 
A custy of mine is a retired car salesman and he has said to me twice now recently, how he spent far too much time at work sometimes working 6-7 days a week he said this shaking his head and I can see he is regretful and he said he sacrificed a lot and missed out on family life,

I don't work all the hours I should as running around like headless chicken at times and working too many hours and having to much work to cope with is a only going one way for me and that is downhill fast, I accept I will never be as financially secure as I would really want me and my wife to be by the time retirement age comes around, but we have good life and never have to worry about money

 
Wow some great responses on here. 

That story about the businessman and the fisherman is a classic. One could argue that you could also take the context of that story and apply it to window cleaning.

I'm not looking at becoming some high flying solicitor for big corporations. I'm just looking at channelling an area of interest into something positive, where I may be able to gain something positive, and a qualification. 

Just doing some study has actually kick started those rusty cogs in the brain and I am retaining information, and feeling good about it. Window cleaning is no longer my main focus, it's a job that's going to get me where I want to be..that's all and I feel better for that actually.

If after I do get qualified; then I can do a bit of legal work, like drawing up contracts, doing wills, probate, conveyancing, trusts act..  and other run of the mill bits and bobs as my own boss as I won't need a qualified solicitor to pass it, I can do it myself. Choose my own terms, I have plenty of private contacts and customers who are wealthy people who may well want me to assist with wills for example.

I'm sticking to a 15 hour a week study schedule, and I have to say it seemed daunting to start with, but once you get into the swing of it, and you get that information retained, it's quite enjoyable.

But then again nearly 20 years of no real mental stimulation since school or college, it's like letting the brain out of the cage to stretch it's legs..

 
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