I am extremely unhappy in my job but?

Question

have been here for 18 years and have way too much invested in it with a terrific Thrift Savings Plan (= to a 401K in civilian speak) and a salary that is close to 6 figures. I only have 11K in my personal bank account outside of my retirement savings.

I can't imagine 12 more years of depression here though. Should I just try to find a lesser paying job that makes me happy and give up this ideal security and long term comfort or should I buck up and figure that this is life and realize it would be irresponsible to give up what I have. I have no college degree and KNOW that I will never find this kind of salary elsewhere. Sigh.....I need inspiration. Any good advice/opinions/ideas out there? Any one with a similar story that might make me cheer up? Thanks!

Answer 1

I will start with a cliche: Do what you love and you'll never have to work again. Its obviously a personal decision, whats your family situation, investment amounts, expenses etc. Yes, you'll likely have to take a pay cut, maybe a drastic one, but, the reason we strive to make money is ultimately to be happy, we tend to forget to be happy along the way chasing an amorphous goal. Really, you have to choices to make things better.

Choice one: Take what you already do and try to make it better. Make the decision to be happy and do it. Talk to supervisors and explain how you feel and why you feel that way. See if some changes can be made, if you have been there that long and make that much, your obviously valuable and they should try and do what they can to make it better, smart progressive companies are willing to do a lot to keep valuable employees. On rare occasion, even government departments can live up to this.

Choice two: Sit down. Relax. Think. What do you want? Quantify what you want. Talk to your family, and start considering the hard choices. Yes you make good money now, but your miserable. Lets say you take a 40% pay cut to be happier at work, can you afford it? I bet you can. Do you need a house as big as the one you have? Do you need 2 new car payments? Think about downsizing your life in the quest for happiness, there are options.

Finally, I reiterate: Be happy, I make about 40k a year in a job I love. I get offers frequently for far better paying jobs, I havent taken one yet, I do okay, I get by, I save what I can, I enjoy my life. Its far from perfect, and I'd love extra money to travel, but, the trade offs in day to day stress and unhappiness dont outweight the financial rewards. Do what makes you happy, so long as you can justify it responsibly.

Best of Luck to you.

Answer 2

Sounds like you work for the government. I am guessing though. I would start getting a resume together and comparing job diescriptions. I have no idea what you do and the job description may or may not translate to a civilian job, but some parts will. Find a head hunter with experience in translating gov't jobs to civ. jobs. If it's the job you hate (as opposed to the co-workers, etc. then forget all of the above).
Next, you need to take a few days and GO AWAY somewhere. Why? I know it sounds kinda stupid, but to re- evaluate what you want in life. Why do you think it's "irresponsible" to leave a job you hate? You have a right (a responsibility!) to be HAPPY! If you are not happy, then you are not giving to the world everything you can, and we all lose. Do something you love. Forget the money - it doesn't matter how much you make, IT'S NEVER ENOUGH so learn to live on less. Sell the house, the boat, buy a cheaper car, and learn to love life.

Answer 3

Only you can make that decision. You might want to look around and see what alternatives are out there, you can do that without giving up your current job. You might find something good, or might decide that all things considered, it's not so bad where you are.

If you really hate your current job, and it's seriously affecting your life as a whole, then you might need to make a change even if it means less money. Your Thrift Savings Plan should still be there for your retirement, although you might have to move it to a rollover IRA if you leave - some companies let you leave the money in their plan, some don't.

But remember, in a job you're selling some of your time for a number of dollars. Your job doesn't have to be your life. I don't mean don't do the best job you can, but try to leave work at the office, don't carry it around with you 24/7.

Maybe finding some additional outside activities that you're really interested in would help.

Good luck.

Answer 4

if your making that much money, you must be good at something! what about moving to the compitition? they may pay you more, or at least the same for your knowledge.
maybe you should talk to your boss, or human resources and explain to them how unhappy you are. that is just too bad. ive changed jobs so many times because if im not happy at work (no matter what i make) i wont stay there. think of how long your at work a week! i refuse to be unhappy for all that time! what a waste! ive had issues with my boyfriend and me changing jobs where i made very good money. but i wasnt happy, so i may make a little less, but at least im not overly stressed and hating life. What if you started working at home? im sure you have a laptop. tell them you need a break from office life. you must have some pull around there if you have been there 18 years, wow! i dont know what you do, but maybe that is an option ? ? ?
money isnt everything. you dont wanna waste your whole life and look back and regret not doing something else.
you definetly have options, dont be afraid to use them!
hope you feel better!

Answer 5

do no longer supply up till you've yet another job coated up... put in for further transfers interior your job. yet you've gotten to attend to jerks all of your life, so now is time to placed on some kahooneys and detect undemanding procedures to attend to them. See in case you'll detect a mentor or life coach or a counselor that bargains with job circumstances. If no longer take some uncomplicated steps.. do no longer enable verbal bashing. in the journey that they strive against this back tell them you'd be happy to attend to court docket circumstances that are written and that up earlier your written reviews were good. You do assume each and every year reviews. if you're quite burdened you could record the harasser although that is often extra effective to target to attend to issues on case with the help of case foundation, searching significantly contained in the reflect to make sure if there is something you could study or imporove on.. Use it as gaining expertise of device. (even although many nitpickers are not any more consistent) ... record your advancements and regardless of you do do no longer GOSSIP to others or ***** to co workers. After some weeks you'd be extra effective geared up and in good body of concepts and if you're job searching at the same time as doing this you'd be able to take a job because you pick it -0 no longer only for necessity. good mission about job searching (even even though it will be a downer) is that your resume paintings might want to bolster your self self belief as you spot and upload to all of it the useful accomplishments you've.

Answer 6

get offers frequently for far better paying jobs, I havent taken one yet, I do okay, I get by, I save what I can, I enjoy my life. Its far from perfect, and I'd love extra money to travel, but, the trade offs in day to day stress and unhappiness dont outweight the financial rewards. Do what makes you happy, so long as you can justify it responsibly

Answer 7

18 years may be a long time. However, I suggest you stay where you are because jobs these days are hard to come by. You may be getting out of the frying pan into a fire.

Answer 8

I think u should look for a job that makes u happy but stay there till u find one.. Good luck and if u find another job your 41k should transfer