I'll be turning 42 in a few months (counting in base 12 of course) and it feels like a good time to reflect on what it is that makes my job enjoyable. My father was a carpenter, and both my brothers started with that as their first job, so I'm kind of the disruptive element of the family (I didn't say black sheep, ok?).

So, why did I choose to work with cold electronics (my first degree) and computers instead of working with a noble and beautiful living thing like wood?

After some thinking I came up with four key elements.

The first key element is creating cool things. Note that I don't say creating cool software: I realized that for me the creative process is more important than what exactly is being created. Coolness is obviously a subjective measurement, so it's hard to define precisely. Lean and maintainable software that people find useful definitely falls into that category for me.

Next is working with bright and fun people. Being active in the Apache Software Foundation, and joining Day in 2007 made me realize how stimulating it is to work with people that impress you every day with their technical and other skills. People who are fun to work with help keep some distance with the Big Problems At Work. Technical and other problems are bound to happen in any job, and that's when your colleagues' attitudes make all the difference. Software and work are not always the most important things in life.

Using efficient and fun tools comes next - in my previous life as an independent software developer and architect I sometimes had to put up with lame environments and tools at customer sites, and that can be depressing when you're aiming for quality and efficiency. My first grade math teacher kept saying that good craftsmen use good tools, and she was right!

The fourth element is keeping a good work-life balance. I tend to engage myself 100% in my work, but for that to happen I need to be able to engage myself 100% in other things at regular intervals. This often means disconnected holidays "away from the grid". I also decided long ago to never work on Sundays, unless there's really no other way, which is rare. This has helped me keep my sanity during those phases when the rest of the week is totally crazy.

The fun thing is that those four elements would totally apply to being a carpenter...and I actually did enjoy helping at my father's shop during school holidays when I was a kid. I'm not planning on going back though - now that my son learned carpentry as well, he's making fun of me every time I try!