While I'm a couple years older, it was refreshing to read your post as I'm in the same boat.Plutus wrote: ↑Thu Sep 13, 2018 10:23 am This post really resonates with me. I am only 30 (will be 31 later this year) and I am already starting to have the same feelings. I had a pretty quick rise in my career and earnings. I am now trying to decide if I want to keep shooting for more or stay level where I am at. I have gotten my job to the point where I have a lot of down time during the day, I have a lot of PTO days, and I don't stress too much when I leave the office.
I have actually turned down a more lucrative job at a different company because of my current situation. I won't lie though, I still think about the "what if" I had gone to the other job. It would have meant more work, at least for the first couple of years, less vacation, and more time in the office. But it would have also meant probably 20-30% more in pay initially, a fancier title, and probably a higher ladder I could climb. The problem with me is that I am always wanting a little more so that is why I still think about the what could have been.
Right now, my current job pays all of my bills and I am able to max my 401k and roth and still save a decent amount for my yet-to-be-born children's future and for my own enjoyment. Couple this with the PTO and low stress, and I am pretty happy staying the course. I do think some day I will grow bored and will want a new challenge, but not yet. It really just comes down to weighing the pros and cons and how they fit into what you really value and want in life.
“A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness” - Albert Einstein
I completely understand the 'new challenge' issue. I'm in IT and i thought new projects or new frameworks would take care of this. It has not. So I'm trying to find those challenges in the form of a hobby. Currently though, my two small kids prevent me from even finding a new hobby.