Ask HN: Finally have loose change and spare time, but no sense of purpose. Help.

24, programmer at BigCo for several years, and I'm lost.

I've socked away enough coins to maintain my current lifestyle for the next 10 years, longer if I scale back a few things. (Believe me, it's pretty easy to do considering that I've never had car, house, or girlfriend -- and I plan to keep it that way for the forseeable future.) I've also freed myself of most of my other obligations that previously consumed my evenings and weekends.

I should be excited about this but I'm not, and I don't know why.

What I do know is that my current situation is unsustainable for long. I'm sick of corporate America and all its bureaucratic shenaningans, where I'm only learning the wrong way to get things done. I want out.

But I don't know what's next. I'm not in shape to start a company because I don't have any sort of overarching passion that will keep me motivated no matter what, nor do I have any monetizable hobbies or interests. I also have serious doubts about my programming skill, let alone ability to run a business. Everything I've been interested in making already exists in a form better than I can ever do myself. (That ought to be a wonderful thing in itself, but my selfish ego demands that I personally make a difference somewhere.)

Traveling around the world is frequently suggested here. I like to travel, and have done a fair amount of it. But I can't shake the feeling that I'm running away from my problems and not confronting them.

I realize that I'm blessed, maybe even spoiled. I've won the genetic lottery by having loving parents who encouraged me to work hard and do well. I've won the geographic lottery by having the opportunity to live in the USA, especially California. I've won the timing lottery by entering college when competition was less fierce and scholarships were more plentiful, and by graduating into a healthier job market just before the economy crashed. Life has dealt me a very good hand, yet I feel like I'm not making good use of it.

I think I have a variant of Early 21st Century Syndrome (cf. http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/93yaq/anyone_else_here_feel_like_theyre_never_fully/c0bcp8m?context=1). I wouldn't say I'm suffering from depression or burnout right now, but I strongly suspect that if I just quit without a plan, I will be heading there. (Either that, or I'll end up wasting my time on video games and internet.)

I probably just need an attitude change. But that in itself just seems so hard...

You also have prime location being in California, even if you think you are lacking in the programming abilities it wouldn't hurt to try and get a job doing that.

Sure, sounds great, but is quitting really necessary for that? I did say that I do have spare time now, and although I'm not addicted to a paycheck, I don't think I can just leap into the abyss either.

Unfortunately, right now my "ground state" (as so eloquently described here: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1536432) seems to be mindless worrying, and I think quitting my job will simply enable me to do that full-time.

By the way, have you already put in your 10 years of coding on projects that push at and stretch your programming ability? If not, you really have no justification in saying you're not capable of being a good programmer. http://norvig.com/21-days.html

I don't doubt that I'm capable, I just don't think I'm there yet. I've been programming for more than 10 years, but not all of it counts as deliberate practice.

Maybe I could be working on a startup that's more high profile and more likely to make me famous on HN and Techcrunch, but I prefer the more relaxed lifestyle.

You don't have to make the choice between living for your work or just being a mindless corporate drone. Work on something exciting and dynamic, and also have a life. It's possible.

Why don't you come work here? We need engineers.