[81MC]

I think it was Scoopy Noopers who made a remark awhile ago about the disappointment/GG of a new job not being the positive experience it was thought to be (paraphrasing here, sorry).

I’m curious, who here has left a career just for the change? Did it help your emotional state? Was there a pay scale change for good or bad, and did it impact you truly? If you changed fields entirely, was walking away from the career you built a mistake? If you stayed in the industry, was the next place really any more engaging or rewarding?

I’m no longer the employee I pride myself on being. I’m not a lazy employee, I don’t avoid work, I like a challenge and I earn my money. Except over the last few months I’ve checked out, hard. I tried and tried and thought I was doing a very good job but ultimately I’m on the same square as I was years ago and I can’t stand it. There’s a myriad of reasons I’ve disengaged, maybe career growth enticement that never will lead anywhere and core duties that I’m just so damn tired of. Sometimes, I literally am on the verge of tears because I can’t get motivated to keep putting effort into the things that I think are valuable while simultaneously unable to bear the the thought of doing the same thing I’ve been doing for 8 years. I’ve noticed I’ve actively started self sabotaging and I’m going to get fired or seriously ruin my reputation. I’m a damn good worker with a decent mind, but I just can’t ####ing do this job anymore. I hate how disinterested and withdrawn I am.

Except it pays well, not great but enough. I have a new daughter and a wife on mat leave, but we’re doing okay enough, and if I were to change industries it would be at a serious drop in either income or family time, for a few years probably.

I have a couple of job opportunities that pay less, don’t offer the flexibility, and are rather similar to what I do now. And I think I’m just done with the ‘what I do’ on the whole. I honestly am not appealed by either offer, other than as a way to get out of where I am now.

I don’t feel like an entitled millennial who doesn’t want to work, but maybe that’s all it is? Is this a midlife crisis a decade too early? Suck it up man, I have a kid at home?

Please, someone tell me this isn’t what every day for working life should feel like.