What direction? Money or dreams.

[TheRock]

Hello,

 

I have a good paying job that I do not like. I am unmotivated and bored.

There are parts that I like, but parts that I dislike.

I also have two other dreams that I would like to accomplish that are not career related.

One is a personal dream to train for and finish a big race and the other is to explore another field to see if I want to go in that direction.

I would love to accomplish these two short-term goals, but they would probably be at the expense of my career.

I would probably need to take break from my career for 6 months or so.

That would most likely set me back career wise and financialy.

What do you think I should do?

[Siriana]

I think that it would be the best to make some sort of compromise. After job take classes of something that interests you and keep your job.

[rose2summer]

Well, I am a strong believer that you should choose a job where you are happy,

 

And not because of the financial pay-off,

 

You definitely need to pay the bills, I understand,

 

But having a large excess of money isn't necessary if you aren't happy,

 

What I suggest is to save up some money to get you through 6 months,

 

Then you can take a break from your career,

 

And participate in the race and explore another field,

 

Your happiness is of course more important than any monetary reward.

 

Hugs,

 

Rose

[NJRon]

You don't have to throw away your career to follow those dreams. You may not be able to follow them both at once... but there's no reason why you couldn't train for a big race and run it... and then start researching a new career.

 

Small steps. You may find that once you start exploring outside your career that the financial stability of your current career allows you much more freedom to explore other things that offer the fulfillment you are missing.

[vfunkera]

TheRock,

 

Lets get what we already know clear. No one should ever sacrifice his or her dreams for ANYTHING. Goethe said the 'things that matter most should never be at the mercy of things which matter least.'

 

Every beings ultimate goal is to live a wonderful life. You know what you want out of life, what makes your heart sing, your passion, what you love so much you'd pay to do. If your not going to fulfil your dreams, your life's greatest ambitions, then what is the point of living? The purpose of life is a life of purpose. Hell IS the failure of your life's ambitions.

 

What good is money if you have no 'real wealth', i.e. happiness, satisfaction? Your job is one you do not like, and your life as a result is unmotivated and boring. Your job may satisfy you financially, but its restriction is far bigger, preventing you from LIVING. If you continue taking the path you are taking, you will get more of what your getting now tomorrow, next month, next year and the next decade.

 

Although it is wise to consider your financial security, and long-term future, it is even more important to unite your day with your dream. The richest, happiest people in the world are climbing mountains, swimming channels, working in fields and jobs they enjoy doing, regardless of how much or how little it pays.

 

I hope I have given you that push you've been looking for. Good luck,

Vfunkera

[now_better]

i don't see why you can't do both while keeping your job. trust me, quitting a job is an AWESOME feeling until like 5 months down the road and you need to look for a job. then it's quite scary and slightly depressing.

 

running a race takes quite a bit of will power and determination. i'm not sure what physical condition you are in, but if you want to train for a marathon (~26 miles), people will typically train anywhere from 6 months to 1 yr depending on how much you run right now. you should start slow at the nearby park and see how you like it. also, try to get a friend to push you (run w/ you) to reach your goals.

 

i don't see why you can't look into a new field while continuing to work at your current job. night classes, weekend classes, vacation, there's a variety of ways to explore what you really enjoy in life while still having the security of a steady paycheck.

 

regardless, life is short. find meaning in it and enjoy!

[Scout]

Rock, it sounds like you could financially afford to take the time off? Or at least basically survive?

 

If so...I say go for your dreams, man! Too often we live with the future always in mind, so we don't really experience the journey. This might be an excellent experiment in living absolutely in the present.

 

Plus, when you do what you love doing, you'd be surprised at the opportunities that can come along that increase your financial and emotional wealth.

[TheRock]

Hey,

Thanks for all the great replies. It is very helpful and I was intrigued by a some things you guys said.

How do I balance my dreams with what is needed to be responsible? That is the struggle I contend with.

 

I do have the funds to deal with some time off, but I do consider what it would be like 6 months down the road without a job. It is always harder to find a job without one than with one.

 

Also, these things are passions and promises to myself. The race is an ironman, and the other career choice is something in the medical field.

The medical stuff is a strong interest, but I am not sure it is a passion. Right now, I am in the financial field and it used to be a passion, but it is boring now. There are still parts that I love, but some parts just suck. They tend to go hand in hand in this business though. My job right now sucks, but I wonder if it is the job or the field.

 

Vfunkera, your reply is very interesting and it sounds great.

 

"Every beings ultimate goal is to live a wonderful life. You know what you want out of life, what makes your heart sing, your passion, what you love so much you'd pay to do. If your not going to fulfil your dreams, your life's greatest ambitions, then what is the point of living? The purpose of life is a life of purpose. Hell IS the failure of your life's ambitions."

 

How do I balance that with " it is wise to consider your financial security, and long-term future"?

[shelbymustang_fan]

Rock-

 

I'm kind of in your boat right now. I am only 21, and own a successful lawncare business. It keeps me very financially stable. I could pretty easily double the size of this business, but I'm afraid to... I like the work, and I'll admit that I like the money... However, I'm afraid to expand because I'm still so young. right now I'm thinking how cool it would be to travel, and try living in other states...basically enjoy life and experience as much as possible....If I expand, I'll have to hire employees, manage everything....etc.

 

But my biggest concern is the idea of getting tied down to the area...If I have such a booming business established, I'm afraid it will be too hard to drop everything and relocate. So I'm pretty torn on the direction to pursue also.

 

But about your post....The last few years, I have seen example after example of just how short life can be...One friend lost his 22 year old sister in an accident, and this summer, a friend broke her neck in a diving accident and is paralyzed from the neck down...etc. Truth is that life can be gone at any time...so I think my vote would be to go have fun as long as you can scrape by and pay a few bills. This topic brings a song to mind...Its called "Busy Man". I think its by Billy Ray Cyrus...(In a nutshell, it basically tells you that nobody wishes "they had spent more time at work".) Even if you don't like the song, it sure is thought provoking.

[vfunkera]

Rock,

 

Only you know whether it is the job that sucks or the field. If you change your job, but still remain in the field, do you believe or think it will be more of the same? Or do you simply require a change of scenery?

 

Only last night, a boxer made his debut in the ring after turning his back on professional soccer. He was well paid and highly regarded, but had begun to find his days as a player a chore, and switched to numerous clubs to see if it was the club, or the game itself that sucked. He identified parts of the job that he still loved, but ultimately, his passion for the game was gone. So he saved enough for financial security, and changed direction to boxing. Search for Curtis Woodhouse for more info.

 

Your job is one that obviously provides financial security; and I gather you are in a position where in the long term you could either exceed in this field if you wanted to, or crash if you took time out. Find out first if it is the job that sucks or the field. If it's the job then obviously change. If it's the field, then like Woodhouse, you could save up enough to leave and start again in another industry. Also find out whether the medical stuff is your passion, or just an interest. Do some reading, some research.

 

Either way, above all else, you must do what makes you happy; what it takes to fulfils your dreams, your passions. People's careers should usually be their passions. If you come to realise your career, your field is not your passion, and that it will be at the expense of whatever it takes to fulfil your dreams and goals, then so be it. To balance your security with living your dreams, save up enough to live by for a however long it takes to pursue your dreams, and get going.

 

Your long-term future should be your happiness, your wonderful life. Money is wealth, but not real wealth. I believe that people who sacrifice riches for their dreams, ambitions and goals, are much more richer (internally), successful and happier then those who have grown old and have all the money in the world, yet never managed to fulfil their dreams of climbing mountains, running marathons, making friends, playing their favourite sport, or LIVING. Life is short. I would gladly scrape by and barely pay a few bills if it meant being able to do fulfil my dreams.

 

Shelby, I would like to add something to your dilemma. There are a lot of things- dreams and ambitions- that could also be done even when you are older, like travelling and living in different states, especially when you are rich enough. Running marathon, swimming etc are things you should do when you're younger, because your body can do it, which also why I advise people to them as soon as they can. If your goals are things that you can do when you're old as well, perhaps if you expand this business, and earn enough you can do it later in life when you can afford to do it.

Alternatively, you have already started a successful business at 21, so if you quit now and start LIVING, why shouldn't you be able to start a successful business again from scratch in the future, since you already have experience and know how.

 

Choices, choices, hard choices. This is what life is. Make sure you sit down and plan your life, and get your priorities and goals straight, and these choices will be easier to make.

 

Very good luck, vfunkera

[mgirl]

Rock- I'm kind of in your boat right now. I am only 21, and own a successful lawncare business. It keeps me very financially stable. I could pretty easily double the size of this business, but I'm afraid to... I like the work, and I'll admit that I like the money... However, I'm afraid to expand because I'm still so young. right now I'm thinking how cool it would be to travel, and try living in other states...basically enjoy life and experience as much as possible....If I expand, I'll have to hire employees, manage everything....etc.

 

But my biggest concern is the idea of getting tied down to the area...If I have such a booming business established, I'm afraid it will be too hard to drop everything and relocate. So I'm pretty torn on the direction to pursue also.

 

Simple solution. Why don't you either employee people and manage it remotely, or build it up over the next 12 months and then sell it. And travel?

[TheRock]

Hard choices; so true. It is up to me. I always knew this inside. Just have to get the priorities straight.

We all are in control of our lives despite the outside circumstances. It comes down to what we are willing to accept and sacrifice that will determine our directions.

Great advice everyone. I truly appreciate your responses.

Good luck to you all too.

[TheRock]

It is also so true about how life could be short, so balance the future with living now. You should always smell the roses along the path. It makes the trip much nicer. I wanted to comment on this because I experienced something that woke me up to this fact when I was younger.

It is very true.

When something so traumatic happens, you also remember what is truly important in life: your health, your family, your friends, and your happiness.