11–18 of 18 posts
Consulting a psychiatrist seems like a great move! It kind of seems like you're missing a philosophical framework. I'm not sure what framework would appeal to you, but finding one that makes sense could help you understand what would give your life meaning. People can derive satisfaction from all kinds of jobs (but not necessarily any job) with the right mindset and perspective. Understanding your own motivations wil…
Identify if social network is the reason. Or is it your peers? Both are equally likely to imprint a need for higher expectations.
Most of the answers will need to be discovered by self but books do help.
Set expectations in terms of habits and not external achievements. I set a goal of spending a few minutes to write thoughts everyday, no matter what. My goal is to do this rest of my life without fail. Read growth mindest and atomic habits
If you keep blogging about your NLP, you are likely to get inbound remote opportunities. For last 8 years, I never had to apply for job, I always start blogging and that gets me inbound opportunities. There is plenty of work and remote these days, you just need to show up and get discovered.
> While NLP is an interesting topic, it feels like there are not many opportunities where I live? It's not impossible but if this doesn't interest you. Do something else. Don't worry about your 2 years of masters. The knowledge will be useful someday in future. More than you can imagine.
> I want to try new things besides Machine Learning, but I feel locked in this path already
We all have a need for consistency that's what makes it difficult to change paths. But hey do what you gotta do. The important thing is to stick to something long enough to reap rewards. If you have to switch the paths 3-4 times in an year dont worry, you will find fixate on something someday.
> I noticed I had set up impossibly high expectations for my life and because of that, everything I accomplished always felt like it was nothing or it felt like it was something already expected for me to accomplish
That’s a great start.
> I also don't feel prepared to move to another country to join a big company (I want to work at MS someday lol).
Go for it! My personal opinion is working in a smaller company is lot more fun. MS or FAANGs are more like chasing Ivy League school for grownups. Having been there and done that I don’t see the allure anymore.
> I also feel locked into a path which I don't enjoy much anymore. While I want to work as a researcher, to learn more and make use of all I've learned until now, I want to try other things related to computers.
Change it! If I quote Oh the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss you’re right now in a waiting place and you already know the steps you want to take. Now let’s start taking baby steps towards that.
I'm maybe not the kind of FANG(m) hotshot HN user your seeking an answer from here... But... Time spent in the selfless service of the betterment of community and humanity, the assistance of those less able than oneself, and the propagation of one's values into the future, on reflection doesn't often feel meaningless. Maybe think about how you can expand your thinking of your life to be more than just your own succes…
I want to reply to all your comments, but I feel I still need more time for introspection and to think about what was discussed here.
The best thing about HN is there are so many beautiful, intelligent people with different perspectives and that helps a lot when trying to change my own perspective about life.
”You are under no obligation to remain the same person you were a year ago, a month ago, or even a day ago. You are here to create yourself, continuously.” — Richard Feynman You don’t have to get a job directly related to NLP after you complete your degree. You’re not locked into any path. The world is a big place, with many opportunities. Take things one step at a time. Finish the degree, and then figure things out.
This! I did a PhD in NLP and then worked as backend web developer at a startup and now I'm teaching Operating Systems and Distributed Computing classes... Go with the flow, fill the gaps as you move along..
Just try to grab life by the balls, I feel you are too dependant on luck, like finding the job in the field you like and "work at MS". Stop living inside your head or look for an ego boost and try to find a job, live with the complexities of life. I once was stuck in the same loop and decided to move to the biggest city in my country and find a job with almost no money on my pocket or parents to help me. I felt challenged and even though had some adversities, I managed to get through and slowly started making decisions and take control of my life.
You probably have pretty good education and that could enable you to switch to a more demanding career, such as, software dev.