Whether something's like work is also defined by one's profession. If you're a professional pooper, to take one of your examples, and you decided to do some poo

Whether something's like work is also defined by one's profession. If you're a professional pooper, to take one of your examples, and you decided to do some pooping after work - that would count as work-like, because you're doing something very similar to your job. Especially if it'a a side-project, which implies planning and goal setting. Of course if one is just aimlessly messing around then it becomes less like work.