jobs, money, happyness

[vealchop]

i dunno if its my post vacation doldrums or just overall lack of inspiration lately, but i've been having a huge internal conflict and i'm wondering if anyone else ever feels the same way.

Recently i've been starting to evaluate myself as a worker/employee/person. I have a unstimulating job that pays me plenty of money but ultimately feels like any day the rug is gonna be pulled out from under me and I'm going to be aimless. Its a very competitive industry where most people switch jobs once every 2-3 years. theres a lot of bullshit pandering and overall douchey motherfuckers in the "design" industry that i wouldnt spend a lunch break with let alone a career working for. I'm stuck in a place where the people are comfortable doing mediocre work and just getting paid while the getting is good. I kinda feel like i need to move on, but in all likelihood its going to be at a bigger agency that pays less money working more hours. Right now, I'm spinning my wheels doing bullshit work that really is just putting money in my pocket, but ultimately leaves me let down. Theres bursts of creativity here and there, but lately they're few and far between.

On the other hand, I see the construction workers, maintenance men, starbucks employees etc. that would kill to sit at a desk all day, mostly surfing the web and make 4 times as much money, thinking about those people make me feel so incredibly selfish and ungrateful that i almost want to throw up. Although i feel just as sick coming into this depressing office most days.

I'm almost at the point where i want to call it quits, and do something important that actually helps people. be that working with sick kids, teaching, etc. But i know these careers will likely lead to bankruptcy and living with family. I'm 31, is now the time to start thinking about a career change? a life direction change? Am i going through fucking menopause?

I guess im just wondering if anyone thinks about these things, and if they have, hunkered down and stuck it out or flipped the fucking table over, quit, and started from scratch again, pioneering down a path uncharted.

[DJNewStyle]

As long as I've been working, I've had fantasies of charging out in heroic fashion to pursue greater, more meaningful things. I'd be happier if my job was something I was truly passionate about, but that's just not the case. I don't feel the civic duty you do, wanting to help others, but I do try to even everything out so there's a consistent balance of happiness and shit I'd rather not do anymore - but 100%, I've had those daydreams of saying fuck it, fuck everything, and pursuing something I love.

[Keith_Fu]

I can relate- but I was lucky enough to be able to say I did spend some time after I got out of college to throw myself at my passion without concern for money or real world responsibilities. It’ s possible to do but you have to do it smartly- using every means available to you now to shoehorn yourself into what you really want to do. Don’t give up a steady paycheck just because you're generally unsatisfied with your job: be smart, save your money and use the resources that you have there to start building your way. Start small with the stuff you really want to do – after work and weekends. Part time it to see if that’s really what you want to do.

So what if your co-workers/ company/ industry is a bunch of douche bags you don’t want to have anything to do with? It sounds like you have enough time on your hands and you can work on what you want while still looking like you’re getting your job done. That I can also relate to, the worst part of that situation is the boredom it can be seriously demoralizing, but you have to kick your own ass to make that stupid web surfing time productive for your own ends. Take that time to learn something that will certify you for what you want to ultimately do. or work on your own creative projects using the facilities and equipment they have there.

Don’t know what you want to do? yeah, no one really ever does, but do something you reasonably like and are good at. I’m more of an realist, I think that most people really don’t have any genuine passion for anything, much less are ready and able to really make any serious sacrifices for it. I think that people that say they have a job doing what they love are not telling you about the major financial problems that they are or will face down the road. Do something that you can do well and doesn’t cause you undue stress, and allows you the freedom, financially and mentally to keep doing that things you love

my two cents, for what its worth