[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by 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 I hate how disinterested and withdrawn I am.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.

As someone who is in the process of trying to find a new career path while also having a new baby and a wife with another eight months of maternity leave to go, if you have the ability to ride it out until your wife goes back to work, do it. Now isn’t necessarily the time to leave a sure thing for something that isn’t better and doesn’t pay more.

I don’t need to tell you how stressful this situation can be, money wise.