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Tell HN: I have the perfect job, why is it not enough?

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Tell HN: I have the perfect job, why is it not enough?

#1

Post by perfectjob »

I am in my mid-thirties, working four days a week, and making over 100k. I have a house, a good relationship with my wife, and young and healthy kids.

I work from home. My job is technically interesting, and I still learn/improve. I do not have meetings. One or sometimes two 30 min calls a week with my boss. Most days, I do not have to interact with anyone from work, not even customer contact.

If I knew I could have a job like this ten years ago, I would have thought that's it, the dream.

But somehow, it isn't. It's never enough.

I dream about doing my own thing or retiring early to do other projects. It is probably human to always want more.

So HN, how did you settle and slow down and become happy with the way it is without always wanting more?

Re: Tell HN: I have the perfect job, why is it not enough?

#2

Post by mooreds »

Some advice from someone a bit further down the career path:

* If you want to try something, try it! Save up some runway, do your own thing. Try some other projects right now, don't wait. (You won't be able to devote full time effort to them, but can still make progress.) You may find that what you dream about isn't all that, or maybe it is. Either way you can take steps forward.

* I learned to be happy with my life after I'd taken a few alternative paths. Nothing like jumping to a situation, realizing it wasn't what you thought it was, and then jumping to a different situation, then realizing it wasn't all that great, then jumping to a different situation... After I did this a few times, I learned that I needed to create happiness where I was, not try to find it elsewhere. YMMV.

* It is a cliche, but kids are only young once. Enjoy that time.

Re: Tell HN: I have the perfect job, why is it not enough?

#4

Post by dm319 »

I see people who 'arrive' at something they have been working towards often disappointed. You may have been working towards this state for longer than you realised. These states are usually defined by a list of things - they can be material, or more abstract. You've valued them up until now, but now you've realised they aren't great values, not worthy of life motivation.

It doesn't mean they are bad things, and it doesn't mean you need to uproot your whole life to make yourself happy. But maybe you need to look around you, ser what you enjoy, what you think is important now.. What are your real values, and then your decisions in the future can help you lead a fulfilling life.

Re: Tell HN: I have the perfect job, why is it not enough?

#8

Post by rdegges »

You are experiencing normal human ambition. It’s natural to want more.

The important things I’ve done to make myself feel more satisfied in my life are:

- Be grateful for the things you have. Write about them in a journal, talk about them with your spouse, etc. - Give back. Donate money to a cause you care about, get your hands dirty volunteering, do something to make the world a little better. - Recognize that you’ll never be 100% satisfied and that’s OK. Continue moving up in your career, invest in keeping your relationships strong, etc. Don’t get lazy.

Re: Tell HN: I have the perfect job, why is it not enough?

#10

Post by altdataseller »

javajosh wrote: post #5

You could try having an affair, and try to keep it from your wife. That will spice things up! I mean, you'll lose everything if you get caught, but what a rush!

It will spice things up for literally a few minutes and then you’ll be even more depressed once your time is over.
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