Working - whats the point?

Lsydsm on 30/11/2016 - 11:43
Last edited 30/11/2016 - 11:44

Hey guys,

I currently work M-F 8-5pm. I have generally loved working since the age of 15 (have been working non stop). Im currently in my mid 30's and realised that I actually dislike having to work for life…kinda like whats the point?

Paid off alot of the mortgage, have a nice car, decent life - not complaining about owning things, but generally realising materialistic things dont excite me anymore and working like a dog doesnt do it either. Now im not absolutely not lazy - rather im very driven and still in my workplace achieve above and beyond - I think its more a motivation thing but cant seem to find anything motivating about work these days. My friends are all in senior roles, travel extensively and yes remuneration is great but they arent "happy" either but plodding along working long hours.

I will say, my dream is to live off a hobby farm and relax in life but its the taking the leap scenario that scares me most - I have travelled extensively, and used to absolutely relish in my work and succeeding being top of my game (being in senior roles at a young age also). Met some great people, kicked goals at work, earned good cash and now im sitting here thinking…..is this all I do until im 65?

Wanting to know if others feel like this also.

Cheers

Poll Options

  • 60
    Over working for the sake of working
  • 47
    Love work
  • 329
    Wanting to semi retire and not even 40
Education & Work

Comments

  • MessyG on 02/12/2016 - 21:06
    +2

    I think it's time for a gap year or gap 6 months. Go and volunteer in the developing world or the NT, or do some fieldwork for a scientific organisation, shake up your snowglobe, you sound bored as a badger and lost for meaning. We've all been there. I was web developer wondering what it was all for, and something in me snapped and I wound up going to medical school and becoming a doctor. Work isn't just work, it has to be meaningful to you so you get some satisfaction beyond the monetary. For me that came in helping people (as idealistic and trite as it sounds) but it can mean many things for many people.

    • GC1 on 04/12/2016 - 08:23

      Congrats @MissG - A goal is one thing but most people don't move beyond the dream. You did in with a very difficult dream to realise. Well played.

  • ednamekin on 02/12/2016 - 22:08

    Awesome, you are ripe material for Mustachianism.

    Here are some links to get you started on thinking differently:
    reddit.com/r/financialindependence
    mrmoneymustache.com

    Perhaps you may want to work till you're self-sufficient, and then you can get the freedom to choose what kinda work you want to do.

  • [Deactivated] on 02/12/2016 - 22:13
    +1

    Find a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

  • JetBombat on 02/12/2016 - 22:29
    +3

    We are working to survive, most of us at least. There is no rational point to it. Will your or my work make us feel good when we are lying on a deathbed? Probably not. But we brought up our children, paid our house, had good and happy life. Yes, all of that while we are destroying our planet, mining, polluting, exploiting the hell out of it directly or indirectly by working in companies that attribute to that. Why we did not change that? Dad, why didn’t you stop polar bears going extinct? Why did you allow mining companies to pollute our artesian water reserves? Why did you allow centuries old trees to be destroyed? I don’t have answer to that and I will be ashamed of myself.

    There is no point in working for the sake of it. What we need to do is to stop doing pointless stuff and start solving real problems: extinction of species, unsustainable living, dying planet, changing our education system that’s designed to fabricate identical cogs for a corporate machine, instead create one that is empowering us, humans, with our newly discovered talents. We need to ride the train to the place we solve the world problems, not to work, and use almost every minute of our time to educate ourselves and share our ideas with people around us to improve them. Instead we are stuck into reading idiotic media trying to switch our heads off after doing whole day of pointless work. We need to go to the Queensland and help scientists to create more adapted corals and plant them along the reef to bring it back. We need to find why 700km of mangroves went dead in far north and fix it. Our planet is the most priority, we are nothing without it. Are we able to evolve into the collaborative human beings that can to work together to the goodness of the world around us or are we going to go down in flames being afraid to change the world to the better as it might impact our perceived life safety?

    Stephen Hawking put it well recently saying that ..more than at any time in our history, our species needs to work together. We face awesome environmental challenges: climate change, food production, overpopulation, the decimation of other species, epidemic disease, acidification of the oceans.

    • frewer on 06/12/2016 - 12:51

      I see your points and concerns. I myself believe it is "man made" too, in a sense of intentional acts not as a by product. Google/youtube GeoEngineering that will explain better than I can do

  • Draco on 02/12/2016 - 22:37

    I feel exactly the same way. Have started my own business going to move to part time now its more established and work more for my self. I think the issue you might be having is you get more satisfaction working for yourself then you do for others.

  • TheBird on 02/12/2016 - 23:47

    Find what floats your boat. If you can get paid well to do it, you're on to a winner.

  • Sage on 03/12/2016 - 00:38

    "Wanting to semi retire and not even 40" In English, please?

    • bset on 03/12/2016 - 01:22

      wanting to work part time permanently and not even 40 years old yet

  • Ladsos on 03/12/2016 - 01:40

    Hubby 35 quit his job and is now the stay at home dad and I work full time. He is loving the freedom!

  • SeVeN11 on 03/12/2016 - 04:35
    +4

    I'm surprised nobody has suggested the following to you
    1) start a company to help human kind facilitate financial transactions
    2) reinvest all profit from above into solar generation and electric cars to save the world from global warming.
    3) while you are doing the above you should also think of ways to save humanity from an inevitable extinction event by developing a way to build a city on Mars.

    i.e. you just need to come up with something beyond yourself…. "…save the cheerleader… save the world…"

    • Efendy on 05/12/2016 - 23:29
      +1

      Elon, is that you?

    • frewer on 06/12/2016 - 12:52

      Hahaha that shows is old what is the ending

  • virhlpool on 03/12/2016 - 10:21
    +12

    I strongly believe that it impacts people a lot more in Western culture due to how our social life is shaped. A lot of my relatives live in India and I visit the country often. Their social life is totally different - family, extended family, friends and neighbours are of utmost importance in day to day life. Apart from work hours, they spend a lot of their daily time with these people who are really close to them (exceptions are always there). It works as a great relaxation for a human mind. My parents live abroad and I have noticed that when they visit me and spend a few months at my place, I am suddenly much less bored and frustrated despite my work profile and employer being exactly the same. As a kid, I was grown in a joint family where my family lived with my uncle's and not a single day passed with boredom for any of us including elders of family. Every moment was so lively and exciting even though my day and uncle used to work shit hard in their respective jobs and there were days of financial crisis too. A thought of just knowing that your neighbour next-door or a friend in next street/suburb is always with you in every good/bad moment of life and their life is similar to yours is a big relief to mind in itself. Believe me! On the other hand, for me and a lot of others here, social life is mere outing in pub with colleagues/ friends for a few drinks on Fridays/ Saturdays or at best a coffee at some fancy cafe. Our social life is always associated with so many materialistic things - such as pub/ restaurant/ cafe of known brand, effect of alcohol, how we look during party, party themes, and so on. While I am not saying that this is wrong but should social life of a person be limited to only this? Why can't we spend more time with relatives or family being at home and having nice coffee/ food together while watching tv or chit-chatting? Why can't we visit a good friend's place when we feel like and not when our next appointment is (knocking door vs pre-planned meeting)? Why can't we just get together with extended family in some park and have a great picnic? Why can't we be great friends with neighbours and have some good time every now and then with food/drinks? Neighbours are the closest people in literal sense and we hardly know them, leave aside having dinner with them or being really helpful to them in their life. This stuff is slowly going away from our daily life and that, as I see, is a big problem. Life has become more nuclear.. we need to take appointments to even see parents or friends. We need those days back when we used to just knock their door and get in whenever we felt like no matter what time or day. I think that good social life (in real sense, not just visits to eateries and pubs) is a key to managing stress and boredom from work and life in general. This is particularly a Western problem and we need to come over it.

    • derek324 on 03/12/2016 - 10:31
      +4

      Why can't we make a new paragraph from time to time?

      • virhlpool on 03/12/2016 - 10:32
        +4

        Oops.. I now realise it's a hard read! I can't edit it any more though. Hope you appreciate the thoughts.

        • derek324 on 03/12/2016 - 12:43

          I do, and I agree with many point you raised. However it is dangerous to idealise any society - there are always some firmly fixed or established practices which would be damaging and plain unacceptable to another group of people. Nothing comes free.

        • virhlpool on 03/12/2016 - 13:20
          +2

          @derek324: Well.. that's true but each society has to evaluate damages vs benefits and act accordingly. If we know that depression, loneliness and boredom are killing us, our lives better be interfered by our own ones, may be even at the cost of a bit of privacy and independence.

      • koalafied on 04/12/2016 - 00:28

        Or if none used, at least a tldr at the bottom

  • samk92 on 03/12/2016 - 10:32

    I can empathise with how you're feeling.

    I discovered the early retirement community online a couple of years ago and have not looked back since.

    Here's a great introduction:
    http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2013/02/22/getting-rich-from-…

  • [Deactivated] on 03/12/2016 - 10:57
    +1

    Google "financial independence retire early".

  • [Deactivated] on 03/12/2016 - 11:16
    +2

    There is a term for this: FIRE - Financial Independence & Retire Early.

    There is a community on reddit dedicted to this: https://www.reddit.com/r/financialindependence/

    This is not a reality for many people but if you are in a position to, then why not.

  • CryssieJade on 03/12/2016 - 13:39
    +5

    I hit semi-retirement at 23. I don't own a house, or much 'stuff', because at 23, I started backpacking and realised that was where my heart lay. When I'm not backpacking, I am in my dream career (photography), and I know I am blessed with an excellent work/life balance. All that matters to me in this life is happiness. I make enough money to fund the next chapter and I don't care about the rest. But then again, I'm not like the rest haha

    I guess the trick is to invent 'chapters' of your life to make it interesting, instead of seeing work as one very long boring story. Good luck :)

    • GC1 on 04/12/2016 - 08:31
      +1

      Chapters - that is such an awesome thought.

      One little concept like that makes the world turn for me - I can look at life from a different angle.

  • LadyCocoa1234 on 03/12/2016 - 14:53
    +3

    I am in my late 20s and semi retired. Life is pretty damn sweet.

    • Yaren24 on 03/12/2016 - 16:20

      Mid 20's? centrelink?

    • Donaldhump on 03/12/2016 - 17:04
      +7

      i retired after highschool.

      i have a passive icnome of 230 a week, which is sweet to get me buy and smoke bongs at my mums house in palm beach. i fill my time with surfing and having the odd scooner at the bowls club. life is sweet. At 67 i get a pay rise to 390 a week.

      • WatchNerd on 05/12/2016 - 10:08

        get me buy

        • get me by
        • schooner
        • Donaldhump on 05/12/2016 - 23:45

          Wow, you should spend more time working out if I speled them rong on purpose

    • jellykingdom on 05/12/2016 - 09:44

      Yes I also am interested in hearing about this haha

  • Afurotsu on 03/12/2016 - 16:35
    +2

    Just wanted to say how happy I am to see really quite clever and thoughtful people present themselves in this way on OzBargain.

    I hope we can all achieve financial and personal freedom!

  • peterw1 on 03/12/2016 - 18:29
    +6

    APOV (another point of view), it sounds like you are suffering from the side effects of living in a peaceful democracy. When the basics of life are fulfilled you look for more meaning. I guarantee you that anyone living in Aleppo Syria would trade their life for yours right now. The only reason they are living their life and you yours is dumb luck that they happened to be born there & can't move as easily as you can. Be grateful for what you got. Doesn't mean you won't have sufferings and stresses. We here complain about rising electricity prices, they have no electricity, they would love to complain about rising prices, it would mean they are living a peaceful life.
    Even the life of a wealthy prince is not much fun either, read the story of the Buddha. If you are feeling bad or down, think of those fellow Ozzies who rely on our safety net, Centrelink. You are in a privileged position if you don't see them, out of sight out of mind. These people need for you to work and pay tax, so they can live. Our diggers overseas get paid from your taxes. They may return in a body bag. I hope not. This is a feature of your work that you will likely not encounter. If you want to feel good, do tourism in the developing world where your dollar will go a lot further and improve the lives of your fellow man, don't blindly give to charity. Just stop and smell the roses, the grass isn't that much greener on your hobby farm. Merry Christmas to all.

  • bluesky on 03/12/2016 - 18:59
    +5

    OP, my advice is make the transition; it will make you happier in the long-run.

    Money can only bring happiness up to a point; once one's basic needs are satisfied, happiness will only come about if :
    - one is engaged in activities which are fulfilling and meaningful,
    - which makes an impact on society/people’s lives, or
    - which one derives a state of flow in (e.g. for coders, artists, writers).
    - and there must not be too much of it, to the level one feels stress or burnout.

    Very few of us happen to be engaged in work which meets all these conditions.
    (For some, they consciously make this choice. In the thread ‘50 High Paid Profession in Aus - Are You on The List?’, Ozb member psterio did just this , forsaking higher paid jobs to seek an occupation which is fulfilling and provides him/her with meaning.)

    For the rest of us, we will reach a crisis point and then ask the question you pose.

    I have made the transition to this more leisurely lifestyle. I will not go back. Not for any big pay.
    It was rather scary at the beginning … With the same doubts you are having right now. I was probably in a worse position than you, because you sound like you have more savings accumulated, so less anxiety.

    My worries:
    - Can I sustain this kind of lifestyle?
    - What if I lose all the work stress/anxiety, but find the small savings of mine get eroded over time, with no way to replenish?
    - Am I replacing one kind of problem with another?

    The first thing I had to do was reign in the expenses, and that was not comfortable. I had to keep reminding myself nothing worthwhile doing is comfortable, and trusted that it would all pan out. For e.g. I used to go to the movies every week and ate out a few times, did not pay attention to prices or sales, bought whatever I needed. My work was all-consuming, my main focus, I was working 60-70 hours a week, and had no time for anything else.

    There were rewards as well, don’t get me wrong, it was not soul-sapping work. Parts of the job (the creative part) gave me satisfaction, meaning, bliss and flow. But the other, mostly to do with people and their decisions, which had a huge impact on my department and me, was what stressed me no end. Any of you who have read Dilbert comic strips will know the issues I am talking about :-).

    Once I scaled back, I had time to develop hobbies, and life was so much more worth living. In time, living the frugal lifestyle became the norm. Do I sometimes wish I have the resources as before to splash out? You bet. But then I will think, for the freedom, it is worth it. So, OP, do not be afraid to take the leap.

    My tip (although it may or may not apply to your situation): is make the transition gradually, if possible, to lessen the stress/anxiety. So, in my case, instead of the seachange/treechange one sees in the TV Lifestyle programs (sell up, move to the country/coast/foreign country), I still live where I live, establish the vegetable garden in my own backyard.

    As for keeping animals like chooks and ducks, some councils allow it if it is done in small scale. (With my limited resources, that would be how I will start. It may be different for you, if you have the resources.)

    Hope this helps, and all the best.

    • [Deactivated] on 03/12/2016 - 23:33

      Nice work! What do you do for work now - or were you able to save up enough to live off investments?

      • bluesky on 04/12/2016 - 06:12
        +2

        I am self-employed, and working part-time brings in some income, enough to sustain my rather frugal life-style. I choose the hours I work, and am much happier.

    • GC1 on 04/12/2016 - 08:38
      +1

      I love the idea of preparing for change right now before making the change.

      What would a frugal life look like and live that now while there is a big income and no risk.

      See how that jacket fits.

      • bluesky on 04/12/2016 - 14:53

        Good news … The mere fact that you are here, in this OzB forum, suggest that you are halfway there :-) I, on the other hand, was ill-prepared and had little knowledge about such things prior.

  • [Deactivated] on 03/12/2016 - 22:35
    +3

    I felt the same way. I got on to the site mrmoneymoustache. Having a plan for financial independence and working towards it can be exiting initially - and if followed through - you don't have to work in boring jobs once the money factor is taken care of. I'm by no means rich, but happy, as I saved up a bit, sold my Aus property and invested in shares, and am currently living in Spain on 1/4 of the cost of living - doing online freelancing work and running an online business. I'm on less than half my salary previously - but I'm working half the hours too - which I think is a great trade off - especially when that half salary in another country goes much further. It's great being able to work on projects because you want to, not because you have to.

    • dajackal on 04/12/2016 - 22:27

      what kind of freelancing work do you do and how do you source your gigs?

      • [Deactivated] on 05/12/2016 - 14:37
        +1

        digital marketing and ecommerce stuff (shopify). gigs from word of mouth, gumtree, fiverr

  • sintro on 03/12/2016 - 23:46
    +1

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  • afseale on 04/12/2016 - 01:00
    +1

    Have you tried Hare Krishna?

    • outlander on 04/12/2016 - 13:18
      -1

      Praise be the Krishna!

    • sintro on 04/12/2016 - 17:51

      No.

      Learn Natural Law and understand the law that govern the consequences of human behaviour. It's real basic stuff.

  • rhodesy22 on 04/12/2016 - 03:41
    +4

    It's late/early so sorry about any missing words and poor grammar/spelling.

    It's as if you read my mind, down to the hobby farm. I've been playing around with ideas for the last year or so after I came to the conclusion that it's pretty ridiculous how much we work for a lifestyle we don't need and doesn't necessarily make us happy. I burnt out with work nearly a year ago after working sustained 60-70h weeks and along with this prior realisation I've not managed to get fully back on track. I'm at the point where I'm happy to work but I want it to be because I want to work on a task/project, not because I have to.

    A few options that I've looked into and why they haven't worked out as yet - it may come across as if I resent my wife but I really don't. She's very work-driven and as I also want her to be happy, it affects life decisions significantly.

    Move to Tasmania and setup Hobby Farm
    We were looking to buy a house within an hour of Hobart on 10 acres, it's so cheap out there compared to Sydney that we could set ourselves up well. We'd make it as self-sufficient (with low running costs) as possible and start a hobby farm with the aim to not need to buy too much food (likely just meat).

    I still love the idea but my wife didn't fancy moving into the middle of no-where and we knew making friends would be hard the more traditional way (without the benefits of something like meetup.com which we used to get a group of friends in Sydney) and she felt like she'd end up being stuck in the small village all of the time. I can work remotely so have the benefit of being able to make some income to help pay for holidays and such. Ultimately though, she wanted to carry on working in her corporate job which she couldn't do from there, plus Tasmania is colder…

    Tiny House
    Some of the Tiny House's out there are amazing, it's all about making the most out of your space but the space is designed specifically to your needs. I'd love to setup a tiny house on a plot of land that I could look after and again, eat off the land. We realised that there's a lot of wasted space in our house and if we went for an extravagant tiny house that had large windows and opened up easily to the outside then we could feel like we have a spacious home. Bills would be a bare minimum, Internet would come from Optus's great 200GB mobile-broadband plan (that I already use as a secondary connection at home).

    I'm still working on this idea but the main issues are the legal grey-area with councils and finding a place to put it. It would also mean moving much further away from the city where our friends are and my wife's place of work.

    Change in Career
    While it would still mean working, I'm also considering a change in career - either completely or progress to another type of role in the same industry. (developer to product manager). At the moment I'm boosting our savings so that this option becomes viable within our current lifestyle.

    Move to another city
    We looked at moving from Sydney to Melbourne - we can get a lot more there for a significantly less.

    Move to part-time
    By downgrading our lifestyle slightly I could easily move to part-time. I started down this route by downgrading my hours but then I became panicked about money even though it wasn't really an issue. My wife would also had the choice of working part-time (though she opted to work full-time). The problem here is that when you're surrounded by consumerism it's really hard to not be a part of it and want to buy more things, which costs money. My decreased hours didn't last long.

    Work & Travel
    There's many jobs that will allow you to see the word and still work. It's often hard to keep motivated and to a schedule but it's definitely achievable. From what I've read it's also be hard to sustain this long-term mentally - people miss having a permanent place to live. I'd like to go part-way and visit a different city for 3 months at a time. The problem here is that while I'd be working, my wife wouldn't be and wouldn't be happy with feeling like she can't contribute…though she could potentially find part-time work in each city.

    In terms of the mortgage, we don't have one; as things are so up in the air with our future plans we opted for the flexibility of renting and will buy a small house (or a tiny house) when we retire.

  • cisco on 04/12/2016 - 08:26

    I know your problem, get a partner/wife let her take over your life. Actually you don't have to she/he will. I bet you, you will never be bored of work. By any chance if you still feel the same have kids. I promise you, you will forget about yourself, your dreams and hobbies.

    *Just kidding don't even think about a relationship

  • simonjb on 04/12/2016 - 09:30
    +5

    Having a "career" is one of the biggest cons ever invented. If you define yourself by what you do for an income you are about to wake up retired secretly wondering how all that time slipped away and what experiences you missed out on. You said you have paid a part of your mortgage. Pay the whole thing off as quickly as possible. Then feel free to try as many other things to attain the contentment you are looking for. My tip would be start with the 4 noble truths.

    • sydsm on 05/12/2016 - 12:47

      Wise words

  • goegge on 04/12/2016 - 10:55
    +2

    Breathing? What’s the point?

    • sydsm on 05/12/2016 - 12:48

      So you can continue to take the next breath

  • JetLi on 04/12/2016 - 11:34

    I always knew all those people who are on the dole and just going surfing, getting high all day without a care in the world were on to something, oh why am I such a fool to only realise the good life now.

    • bluesky on 04/12/2016 - 15:40
      +1

      Personally, if I have to go on the dole to fund my relaxed life-style, I will only find unhappiness. Knowing that I am able-bodied, can work, yet taking advantage of a “safety net’’ meant for the down and out-of-luck, will tear at my conscience. This is incongruous with inner peace and calm, which is vital to happiness.

      Having said that, I am glad Australia has the dole system, for those who not by choice, have to go on it due to circumstances. Because fortune can be a harsh mistress.

      • JetLi on 04/12/2016 - 15:54
        +1

        just having a lend, in all seriousness, it's about finding the right balance, although i don't love my day job, at the same time, it does offer mental stimulation and I understand it's importance of funding my lifestyle, which is not materialistically driven, but has enabled me to experience things that I wouldn't have otherwise. Therefore, I don't believe you have to give away your career and move to a developing country / rural just to make one's life meaningful and rewarding, there's definitely middle ground where you can have the best of both worlds. Once a hobby farm or something to that nature becomes your sole income earner, I wonder if the enjoyment factor of it reduces.

        • bluesky on 04/12/2016 - 16:06

          Yes, I agree with your view about middle ground.

          As for your remark, you are far from being a fool to only realise the good life now :-) One needs the journey/hard-work to get to a position of some stability/savings, to be able to contemplate the transition. And this effort makes the transition even sweeter, because it is hard-earned.

      • jellykingdom on 05/12/2016 - 11:09

        I know what you mean bluesky. I don't have enough work to do currently, and instead of just enjoying the fact I don't have a full load, I'm actually more unhappy because I feel uninspired! I wish i could be the kind of person that wouldn't give a crap!

        • bluesky on 06/12/2016 - 13:20

          I saw your other comments as well. Sounds like you are not enjoying your current work that much. Is it the vocation itself? If so, what about a change in vocation - have you consider the possibility? To something that will inspire you, make you feel happy? Not having a full load may actually give you opportunities to look into this more? Just a thought. Naturally, if it is not the vocation, just the workplace itself, my comment does not apply.

        • jellykingdom on 06/12/2016 - 16:00

          @bluesky: Yeah I'm not sure to be honest. There are certainly things that i don't DISLIKE about the job. I think its probably the particular job (/boss) more than anything

          I do wonder about the change of occupation though - i should follow through on this concept, but what I did a while back was to mindmap out all of the things that I enjoy in one colour, then things I'm particularly good at in another colour, along with things that I don't enjoyin another colour, then try and join the dots to find other lines of work. I didn't really follow through though. And I think thats one of the frustrating downsides of being so bored at work, is that it drains your energy and makes it hard to focus on using all that time constructively. Weird concept!

  • runthetrap on 04/12/2016 - 12:07
    +4

    There's two kinds of jobs: A job you hate and a job you can tolerate. That's why you should never turn a hobby into a job.

  • GadgetGirl on 04/12/2016 - 12:58

    I feel the same. What is there to live for. Are you lonely?

  • melfes on 04/12/2016 - 13:26
    -7

    I know. I have been, so have some closest friends, depressed by the meaning of life and all the labour and moments of "pleasure" only fleeting. I'd suggest by personal experiences that God really is the missing piece to the void in our being. We all yearn for the eternal rest He has promised through Jesus Christ.

  • Oofy Doofy on 04/12/2016 - 14:51

    Open up your PM and I'll tell you something.

  • [Deactivated] on 04/12/2016 - 15:36
    +3

    Glad you are getting some decent advice here, as well as a some other interesting comments?

    There's some really interesting writing on how to balance challenges, experience, work etc to live a fulfilling life. This was a good one I read recently:

    https://www.amazon.com/Flow-Psychology-Experience-Perennial-…

    I hope it's some comfort to know that you aren't alone in this. Many people have come before you with the similar realisation, and others will follow. Some people are lucky enough to find a niche in a work place or community or web of networks and interests that keep them constantly challenged and fulfilled.

    The answer to boredom at work isn't necessarily just embarking on leisure/travelling.. It's trying to find the right balance of meaningful challenges in your life. The answer to boredom at work is definitely not staying in a boring job.

    I've just resigned from a professional position after 16 years working pretty much non-stop. Going to take a sabbatical. I can tell you that once you've made the decision to leave, you end up realising that you've spent a lot of mental and emotional energy worrying about what ifs, or trying to make yourself happy in a situation you may never find happiness in, or trying to convince yourself that you should stick with it for reason x or y.

    But when you do make the decision for a change, it's quite liberating as you realise that the world hasn't ended, rather you can now reallocate all that mental and emotional energy into building positive plans for the future.

    I"m a big advocate of the whole Financial Independence scene, Mr Money Moustache. I'd always been reasonably frugal , but cutting back on material possessions these past 2 years has built me a buffer so that I spend less $ but can spend more time doing things that I find interesting - instead of sitting at a desk 9/5 doing things for someone else.

    Good luck with it!

  • TRANCE on 04/12/2016 - 18:48

    I often think the same way, but I come to a different conclusion, rather than living a simple and carefree life, that helping others to your utmost ability is the way to hapiness.

  • Tasmaniac on 04/12/2016 - 18:55

    It all seems a bit hollow in that sense hey. Don't be scared to cash in a few if your chips from time to time OP, If things go sideways you can always work towards getting back on track.

    Also practice gratitude, your life sounds pretty kick arse.

  • [Deactivated] on 04/12/2016 - 19:26

    Know the feeling. I went part time 4 years ago, moved to a rural destination (popul 15k) on 50 acres. Teen kids love it. Spending heaps of time with kids on horses, dirt bikes and wakeboarding. Best decision we ever made as a family. Don't feel financially wealthy anymore but I'll never regret not being with my kids as they grow up. Just do it.

  • niknah on 04/12/2016 - 21:05
    +1

    I stopped working full time a few years ago. Used to wonder "what's the point of working" too. Now I wonder "what's the point of sitting around".

    Do something different, don't get into a routine. Keeps the mind challenged.

  • Grayfox on 04/12/2016 - 21:21

    Working 38hrs per week still provides a good work/life balance with the shift work I do. In many countries the working conditions are much worse. I can go to work socialise a bit while doing my job and get paid. Having said all that I dont believe I can work till 60 or 65. Like many others, by mid 40s i hope to be debt free and would have hopefully made some smart investments which would allow me to live comfortably from then on.

  • OzTightArse on 04/12/2016 - 21:50
    +3

    Paid off alot of the mortgage, have a nice car, decent life - not complaining about owning things,
    but generally realising materialistic things dont excite me anymore and working like a dog doesnt do it either.

    I quit my job last 2 months and currently enjoying a wonderful time. Paid off my mortgage, save enough cash to put 2 kids to uni, and have 2yrs worth of living costs. I loved my job (just a mid level IT role) but I love my TIME more! 9-5 felt like a jail after 20+ yrs in the workforce and various organisations - they are all the same.

    Now, I wake up when I want (surprisingly early!) and if the weather is good I take out my motorbike and head to the hills.

    I have no immediate plans but perhaps a 6-months contract in the worst months weather-wise would be ideal. I don't know if I can work permanently 9-5 year after year. I wish I was financially independent. I am 44 years old so there should be plenty of time.

    So yes, I know how you feel :)

  • sintro on 04/12/2016 - 23:39
    +1

    This is a MUST read to understand the Value of your SELF.

    Read The End of All Evil by Jeremy Locke

    Chapter 1 Freedom
    The definition of freedom is the infinite value of the human being. The definition of evil is the destruction of freedom. Everything that is evil teaches people that they have limited value.

    Simple
    Truth is always simple. All people recognize truth because all people are intelligent beings. It is the nature of evil to create artificially complex ideas. It does this to hide or obfuscate the freedom it destroys. If you remove the complexities and fears from your life you will find a plain and beautiful truth. This truth is the nature of your worth.

    Value of man
    To understand freedom is to understand the value of a person. Everything that evil wants is to disguise and destroy your value. All authority is created by evil men to disguise your worth. To understand your own worth is to understand the nature of liberty.

    Evil
    The crucial key for understanding our world is to understand the nature of evil. Evil challenges the value of people by denying them the opportunity to make their own choices; by denying them the chance to grow strong in learning and understanding.

    Freedom
    While evil seeks to destroy or hide a person's worth, freedom shows humans their full potential and their full value. With freedom, people have loved, cured disease, removed hunger, eased labor and lived in peace. With freedom, happiness is possible. Freedom is the exact opposite of evil.

    You
    Everything written in this book is written to destroy the ideas of culture and law. The lesson of this book is simple: nothing on Earth is more valuable than you.

    This book is going for up to USD$2000+ on Amazon.

  • scottishdave on 05/12/2016 - 08:43
    +8

    Years ago, I lived in a small Pacific Island country for a couple of years and was able to see our lifestyle from an outsider's point of view.

    In that country, the people wonder, in the "developed world", why we work until we are no longer able to enjoy life.

    There, people do not have rents or mortgages, have free public schools and health, food prices are low or they grow their own food(crops,pigs and chickens)

    There, people work in the public service or the corporate world for around 5-10 years, save most of the cash and retire. They cannot see the sense of people in the developed world working 40-50 years.

    On returning to Australia, I wanted a similar lifestyle, worked my guts out to pay off a mortgage for a house in the city (this was before we had insane property values) and saved a bit of cash. I have an older car, grow my own veggies and buy quality clothes on sale (thanks Ozbargain). I'm not on the dole but work one day a week to pay for food, rego, rates, electricity etc

    The unfortunate thing is now with higher property values/rents, the need to have the newest and best of everything etc we have created an accelerating hamster wheel that it is almost impossible for most people to step off. If you do "fall off" the hamster wheel you "hit the ground with a thud", there is no soft landing because rents/mortgages are so high, you have not been able to save and social security only just covers everything but the rent.

    Is it no wonder, there is a rise in people voting for alternative parties hoping for a change. Unfortunately, it is a false hope. I think it's time to "hit the reset button" on the values most people in the developed world have been built up to believe in, especially the need for constant growth in the GDP, the "fuel" running the hamster wheel.

    • sydsm on 05/12/2016 - 12:50
      +2

      This is exactly what I think. Ive been telling my friends that I have Urban Fatigue.

  • wchau on 05/12/2016 - 11:25

    First world problems - It seems you have it all - Put yourself in someone who has nothing and you'll know what to do.

    • sydsm on 05/12/2016 - 12:55
      +1

      My parents arrived as immigrants with nothing. I had a child hood where I had the basics..roof / food with pretty much nothing of any extravagance. I understand the concept of being stringent and not wasteful. I have worked extremely hard to have what I have earned - the questions is not to put yourself in other people's shoes (mind you, I have probably seen extremes most people would prefer to leave to the news articles). There is a difference between lacking respect, wanting/needing objects and having humanity. Im not content in this cycle of lifestyle that we have being property, consumerism, career and retirement (death)..hence the post. First world problems indeed, but at least im not complaining about not being able to afford silver Kanye West Shoes.

  • sydsm on 05/12/2016 - 12:43

    Wow ok so Ive come back to my original thread and there are almost 4 pages of comments. alot of people must feel the same about work/life balance…or just not wanting to work

    • rompastompa on 05/12/2016 - 13:08

      or just not wanting to work
      * Wanting to semi retire and not even 40

      It's more about working full time for 2 decades, and now wanting to take a step back and work less/less often. Once you're financially sound, you're available to take that time off.

  • elliot91 on 05/12/2016 - 12:55

    Spin your finger around a world globe, wherever it lands go and travel there for an indefinite amount of time! It will give you some perspective and rekindle your passion for life once you get back.

  • tyb1987 on 05/12/2016 - 13:10
    +1

    I don't understand why people still complaining after they got a secure job and get good pay. While I am struggle to get a proper job. :(

    • bluesky on 05/12/2016 - 16:19

      This is a theory although I do not have empirical evidence to back this up. More people who want to work less, is actually good for people who are trying to find job or work more, or just get in the door even. If everyone works until proper retirement, it is harder for the younger people to move up, and consequently new people to replace them and so on. This way work gets shared around more, which could be a good thing socially.

      As I said, just a theory. Sure, there are other factors to consider, e.g. skills involved etc, which mean it could be more complicated than this. Keen to hear from people who know more about this. My hope is, this is the case. Nothing crushes the soul more than people who wish to work, but unable to find work.

  • samb007 on 05/12/2016 - 13:40

    Do what you like to do ,but plan it well financially as well.
    Put it on an excel and see if you can make a living on your savings.
    I came across the this blog of a UK couple who have retired early and are travelling around Europe.Really good read .
    http://ourtour.co.uk/home/
    Look at there early retirement spreasheet and punch in your numbers.
    http://ourtour.co.uk/home/our-early-retirement-viability-spr…
    Hope this helps.
    Sam.

    • sydsm on 05/12/2016 - 14:29

      This is interesting, but …. you do need min 2 properties being rented out positively geared - no where in the spreadsheet does it assume income tax would be payable?

  • SupeNintendoChalmers on 05/12/2016 - 14:53

    Don't let your dreams be dreams
    Yesterday you said tomorrow
    So just do it
    Make your dreams come true
    Just do it

    Some people dream of success
    While you're gonna wake up and work hard at it
    Nothing is impossible

    You should get to the point
    Where anyone else would quit
    And you're not going to stop there
    No, what are you waiting for?

    Do it
    Just do it
    Yes you can
    Just do it
    If you're tired of starting over
    Stop giving up

  • incognitoXD on 05/12/2016 - 16:08
    +1

    I have the same issue.

    I'm not yet 40. I don't have kids/dependents.

    I hope to have almost $4million saved soon. I started from zero 20 year ago. I have a really good job. I feel like I want to escape.

    I live cheaply. I want to travel. I want to start a small business.

    I ask myself: why don't I just do it?

    • sydsm on 05/12/2016 - 16:31

      $4m…..wowza. absolutely go on a long long long holiday. Take me with you. Trust me small biz sounds great but its just a headache (ive had 2).

    • bluesky on 05/12/2016 - 16:32
      +1

      My goodness, you have nearly $4mill, no responsibility for dependents, and yet you hesitate? You must be one of the most risk-averse persons I come across :-)
      (hey, no judgement here, everyone is different. Just amazed, if I am in your shoes, but thinking as myself, is all).

      Just go for it, man …

      • incognitoXD on 05/12/2016 - 18:44
        +1

        Thank you for the encouragement.

        Most of the money was made from large, educated risks. I'm definitely not risk-averse.

        I think I've probably had the "you must work for a wage" mentality drummed into me.

    • iamw0man on 05/12/2016 - 16:39
      +1

      You already live cheaply $4mil is enough for $50k a year for the next 80 years…time to resign I think.

      Also well done, wish I had the same discipline.

      EDIT: If going without the safety net is holding you back, you could always ask for an extended career break and then take some time away and reassess again at the end.

    • JetLi on 05/12/2016 - 16:46

      any single ladies out there? please stand up…

    • malouphix on 05/12/2016 - 19:50

      You could quit full-time employment right now and do whatever you like for the rest of your life!
      Let that sink in for a moment.

      What brings you joy?
      What brings you value? (besides cash)

  • tap on 05/12/2016 - 17:58

    Do you have any hobby?

  • langitbiru on 05/12/2016 - 18:33

    if i were you, and if you have more money…. invest it on a business… run your own business… make your own money, for yourself… once the business is firm enough, let the other work it out.. and you watch and control from behind.. once everything is going smoothly, and the income steady, then you can do whatever you want.. go doing your farm thing or enjoy your life on what you passion about and live happily

    i am now still struggling with my business foundation, while i am still working full time… once my foundation is fixed, time to move on to a better life… live and work for my own, and profit for my own…

  • [Deactivated] on 05/12/2016 - 18:39
    -1

    Work for your children, your wife, your family. To give them that ease which they deserve. Will you like if your children go to a low-class school or don't go to school at all because of lack of money or will you like your children to remain in a complex of status? Probably, NO…

    If you are not married, that can also be the reason why you don't like working or why you are seeking for a valid point that convinces you to love working; as a small amount of salary is enough for a single man.

    Dude! You need to think realistic. I know that the same environment at the office may seem boring which keeps on pushing your morals down. But, you can overcome these freaking feelings by seldom going out with friends/colleagues. Just chill up and work light-minded. Don't take the stress, just think that you have to make yourself more appreciatable.

  • UFO on 05/12/2016 - 18:53

    You said the answer in your question, but are just too afraid to take the leap.

    Sell up, buy the hobby farm, and start to become a little more self sufficient and disconnected from the rat race.

    Treat it like an investment if you wish, buying a plot of land that'll most likely increase in value as the town comes closer (if that makes your decision easier).

    You said you've already travelled. One year of that will get boring and you'll yearn for what you really need. A disconnect, but something to keep you busy and fulfilled as well.

    I'm not talking about buying a working farm of hundreds or even thousands of acres in some backwater. Just change gears to somewhere you can afford and run yourself. Is family contact a consideration? If you want to be close to them, your options will be limited. If not… well, the whole of Australia is up for grabs. I personally like somewhere you'll get all four seasons (like where I'm living in ACT), but if a particular climate suits you best then chase that instead.

    You're in an ideal situation. Young, seemingly not encumbered by debt, and willing for change. So do it.

    To quote a terrific movie… "Get busy living, or get busy dying".

  • malouphix on 05/12/2016 - 19:48

    The first and last 20 years of your life are great, the 40-60 years in the middle are the worst!
    Make the most of this middle part of your life.

    • smux on 14/12/2016 - 08:27

      How exactly would the last 20 years of your life be great? When I think about being over 60 and approaching death, withering away, it doesn't seem that fun at all.

  • Bullion78 on 05/12/2016 - 22:42
    +2

    A quote that has always resonated with me was this by Buckminster Fuller.

    “We should do away with the absolutely specious notion that everybody has to earn a living. It is a fact today that one in ten thousand of us can make a technological breakthrough capable of supporting all the rest. The youth of today are absolutely right in recognizing this nonsense of earning a living. We keep inventing jobs because of this false idea that everybody has to be employed at some kind of drudgery because, according to Malthusian Darwinian theory he must justify his right to exist. So we have inspectors of inspectors and people making instruments for inspectors to inspect inspectors. The true business of people should be to go back to school and think about whatever it was they were thinking about before somebody came along and told them they had to earn a living.”

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