Yes, I am willingly comparing apples to oranges. I'm comparing the idea is that most IT work (like a lot of white collar work in general) is abstract, and less

Yes, I am willingly comparing apples to oranges. I'm comparing the idea is that most IT work (like a lot of white collar work in general) is abstract, and less well-defined. Whereas with a lot of the trades in the physical realm, a lot of it is repetitive and you complete it. It's the same with plumbers, mechanics, etc. Yes there's the occasional problem that will escape you and bother you for weeks. But most of the work is repetitive, and has a definite start and an end. And you seldom have a feeling like you wasted a whole day and got nothing done.