Hey guys, finding myself stuck in a bit of a rut and wanted to hear your stories and suggestions.
Situation context: Mid-30s, married with kid, very happy marriage, both work, very good shape financially, live in high-cost area.
So I work a fine job, it pays well, has good coworkers, and can be engaging…but for me it is mentally draining. After 10yrs of doing the same thing I can feel myself really getting run down and not wanting to do it anymore because it is such a mental weight. The job is all consuming to get right. I recognize that part of that is on me but I also consider it part of the reason I am well compensated.
To be clear I’m not talking about mental breakdown level just a general fatigue and, what I might consider more important, losing the mental space to think about other things whether hobbies or alternate career.
So here’s the million dollar question. Changing this job for something similar is going to be challenging just because it is not a common role, not impossible but it is going to be a long search. Switching to something completely new is likely to be more interesting but from what I want to do unlikely to be as well paid, at least not for a while. To be clear neither of these options will put us at risk of poverty or anything like that BUT it could increase our risk if something unexpected happens.
What would you do or have you done in a similar situation?
2 comments
I would not change unless I had stability guaranteed in whatever I was leaping out of my job to transition into. I have been unemployed and value stability above virtually anything else. If you are certain that (excepting an unforeseeable disaster) you’d be able to maintain your stability, then throw yourself in to whatever interests you, assuming that your partner is not feeling equally burned out and is prepared to maintain everything.
Take a sabbatical or extended vacation, somewhere different, your perspective is stuck right now