Help! I hate my job

[armor99]

This is the age old question of live for today, or live for tomorrow. I would hope by now that everyone here understands their own mortality. But at the same time it is nothing we should be in fear of. Our mortality is what gives us the impetus to get up in the morning and get things done. Let's face it, if we all knew we were going to live forever, then people would probably have no incentive to achieve things in life. In that case there really would "always be tomorrow".
With all of the above said, I think it is very important to live by the mantra, "Live for today, but plan for tomorrow." At one extreme, you can pour every nickle you possible can into 401k, IRA's, bank accounts etc. But if something did in fact happen to you and you could never enjoy any of it, you might feel it to be a wasted life. At the other extreme is the person that believes there is "no tomorrow" for them, and so they spend every nickle they ever make, and often go into debt to support the fun time they are having. These folks usually have a very tough life when they actually DO get older, as they never planned for that possiblility.
I think finding that balance is very important. You calculate that to buy that "really nice" car, you might have to work 2 extra years before FIRE. Maybe that is worth it for you.... but maybe not. Even though I really do want to retire early, I do not think that desire will ever outweigh my need to have some fun on occasion. Like everything else in life... there is a price to pay.... all we have to do is figure out if it is a good "deal" for us or not. I have seen folks that decided to work 80+ hours a week for a decade in their 20's to achieve a financial goal they had. I think that is a crazy way to live your live... but that is just my opinion... we all have to figure out for ourselves when that price is "too high", or just right...

[Want2retire]

Originally Posted by armor99

This is the age old question of live for today, or live for tomorrow. I would hope by now that everyone here understands their own mortality. But at the same time it is nothing we should be in fear of. Our mortality is what gives us the impetus to get up in the morning and get things done. Let's face it, if we all knew we were going to live forever, then people would probably have no incentive to achieve things in life. In that case there really would "always be tomorrow".
With all of the above said, I think it is very important to live by the mantra, "Live for today, but plan for tomorrow." At one extreme, you can pour every nickle you possible can into 401k, IRA's, bank accounts etc. But if something did in fact happen to you and you could never enjoy any of it, you might feel it to be a wasted life. At the other extreme is the person that believes there is "no tomorrow" for them, and so they spend every nickle they ever make, and often go into debt to support the fun time they are having. These folks usually have a very tough life when they actually DO get older, as they never planned for that possiblility.
I think finding that balance is very important. You calculate that to buy that "really nice" car, you might have to work 2 extra years before FIRE. Maybe that is worth it for you.... but maybe not. Even though I really do want to retire early, I do not think that desire will ever outweigh my need to have some fun on occasion. Like everything else in life... there is a price to pay.... all we have to do is figure out if it is a good "deal" for us or not. I have seen folks that decided to work 80+ hours a week for a decade in their 20's to achieve a financial goal they had. I think that is a crazy way to live your live... but that is just my opinion... we all have to figure out for ourselves when that price is "too high", or just right...

(emphasis mine)

Hey, even those of us who tend towards pretty extreme LBYM DO have some fun on occasion!!

Think of all the things that you could do to have fun, and that you want to do sometime in your life to have fun. Sometimes it is worth doing those that cost less, first, in order to achieve your financial goals. But never, never entirely stop doing something fun on occasion!

Just be sure to do enough introspection to make sure you are not using "having fun on occasion" as an excuse for succumbing to Madison Avenue inspired consumerism. You don't HAVE to participate in that to have fun.

[ziggy29]

Originally Posted by Want2retire

(emphasis mine)

Hey, even those of us who tend towards pretty extreme LBYM DO have some fun on occasion!!

Think of all the things that you could do to have fun, and that you want to do sometime in your life to have fun. Sometimes it is worth doing those that cost less, first, in order to achieve your financial goals. But never, never entirely stop doing something fun on occasion!

Just be sure to do enough introspection to make sure you are not using "having fun on occasion" as an excuse for succumbing to Madison Avenue inspired consumerism. You don't HAVE to participate in that to have fun.

Well said. Sometimes I think I border on the obsessive in terms of the Quest for FIRE, and I have to check myself a little bit. Although I'm distancing myself more and more from the consumerist mentality -- saving up and living more simply, both components in helping achieve FI -- I don't ever want to get to the point of being miserly (as if my wife would let me).

As much as I am "buying" back my future freedom in my aggressive saving and investing, I have to always remind myself: I don't KNOW if I'll be here to tomorrow to enjoy it. I KNOW I'm here today. So I don't want to put *all* of my eggs in the tomorrow basket. I can leave a few in the "today" basket as well and help life become more enjoyable and bearable until I'm comfortably FI. I'd rather have 10 more reasonably enjoyable and bearable years until FI than 5 deprived and unbearable ones.

[megacorp-firee]

Let's try this from a slightly different angle.
I gave this advice to my kids.
1) if you have a burning desire to do something ... like Dr., teacher, marine biologist, ... whatever then go ahead and pursue it with all your passion ...
2) if you don't, then figure out what you don't HATE that will pay you a lot of money and then go ahead and pursue that with all of your passion ... not because you have a passion for it... but because the benefits that it will bring will be your reward
Neither of my kids had a burning desire ... so they went for the bucks.
Neither of them regreted it (although my DD gave it up for the love of her life and to take care of my grandson ).

If you have something you are passionate about, ... go for it.
If not then maximize your income and enjoy the fruits of your labor ... after paying yourself 1st (401k, taxable investments, ...etc.)
IMO, You don't have to love what you do... you just can't hate it.
I also find that if it brings you lottsa bucks ... it's hard to hate something.
But if you truly do hate it ... go look for something that fulfills #2.
Best of luck to you.

[bow-tie]

Originally Posted by megacorp-firee

Let's try this from a slightly different angle.
I gave this advice to my kids.
1) if you have a burning desire to do something ... like Dr., teacher, marine biologist, ... whatever then go ahead and pursue it with all your passion ...
2) if you don't, then figure out what you don't HATE that will pay you a lot of money and then go ahead and pursue that with all of your passion ... not because you have a passion for it... but because the benefits that it will bring will be your reward...

If you have something you are passionate about, ... go for it.
If not then maximize your income and enjoy the fruits of your labor ... after paying yourself 1st (401k, taxable investments, ...etc.)
IMO, You don't have to love what you do... you just can't hate it.
I also find that if it brings you lottsa bucks ... it's hard to hate something.
But if you truly do hate it ... go look for something that fulfills #2.
Best of luck to you.

Very well said. I have to remember this to help keep my perspective. I don't "hate" my job, but it sure doesn't fire me up every morning, either. Thanks megacorp-firee...

[Oldbabe]

I would think that having debt could be causing some depression. Maybe consider reducing the retirement contribution for a while in order to alleviate the debt completely? With the debt gone, you might feel free to look at other job possibilities. Good luck!

[Milton]

Originally Posted by Oldbabe

I would think that having debt could be causing some depression.

It probably depends upon one's personality. I know that having any debt would drive me nuts; but many people seem to be quite comfortable owing very large sums.