I am 45 and do not care about work any longer.

[Anonymous]

Worked in SWE for a couple decades. If I got fired tomorrow I wouldn't miss it. I actually love the underlying activity, but I'm completely over developing software commercially. Absolute bonkers hype cycles and general slop produced in the industry. I'd continue developing software, just for open source projects, ironically where all the great engineering is being done anyway.

[Anonymous]

I'm kind of the opposite: I'm 51 with a 20-hours per week job that I really like, but as my kids get older, I've been thinking of looking for a job that requires more of me (and pays me better.) This thread has got me thinking that maybe scaling up is not the answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just baffled why everyone thinks SAHMs are absurd when we all know 99% of jobs are meaningless.

I don't, I think SAHMs is awesome! Would love to be SAHMs, but my husband doesn't bring a lot of money, is not too financially savvy.

Looks like I’ll be a SAHD! So excited. Professionally, wifey is killing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel the same way. I was pushing and doing great and had been for decades until my entire division got laid off a couple months ago. Now, I have no drive to look for a new job or any of it. It’s too early for me to be done, still have college to save for etc, but gosh I would like to be.

NP, and very similar. I was doing great and thought I was on a path to promotion in a role/track I enjoyed and that worked for my life and family, and then our company had a leadership change and internal politics ended up sidelining my leadership and me. Not laid off (yet), but looking to find another position internally and I just have no motivation for the search or to start something new. I just want to SAH and enjoy this phase with my kids. Hoping we can figure that out, but in the meantime I'm halfheartedly searching.

[Anonymous]

Just got laid off. Been working professionally for 25 years. Tired. Slow rolling any job applications. Hoping spouse can hold her job because we need her income.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just got laid off. Been working professionally for 25 years. Tired. Slow rolling any job applications. Hoping spouse can hold her job because we need her income.

Dude. Not fair to your spouse. Downsize your lifestyle.

[Anonymous]

Yes at 46 and same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes at 46 and same.

And hoping that some our alternative investments pan out . . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:47 here and I've been feeling this way for at least a couple of years. I still have about 15 years to go before retirement (to get the youngest through college) but there's more behind me than ahead of me. I'm happy with my career advancement and have climbed the ladder nearly to the top, and I'm good here. I don't want "more" for once. It's weird to think this is pretty much all it's going to be after so many years of climbing. Not sure if it's contentment or acceptance or general mid-life malaise, but it's hard to care about the things I should care about at work. My kids are getting older and I just want to spend time with my family at this point.

This me. Existential crisis all day err day here

[Anonymous]

I've met many W. European tourists, and they never mention what they do for living but always talk about their hobbies. I realized that their job is just means to support their lifestyle/hobbies and no more than that. We, here, can't aford to do the same, so we have to do a job we love and feel passionate about. I don’t earn much, but I’m fortunate to have an interesting job—something I’d probably do as a hobby anyway. Still, I’m only able to live comfortably because my husband is the main breadwinner, though he’s burned out. If it weren’t for him, I’d probably be stuck in a job I dislike, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I chose my work carefully to be something that I feel like matters. However, now that I have kids that’s where my heart is and I don’t need to get or give emotional fulfillment at work. It is good for intellectual fulfillment at times. I try to keep an eye out for ways to make a difference at things that matter.

Similar. I am allegedly smart and have an Ivy masters but would much rather be volunteering at my kids’ school. But we need my income to help save for college, (and just in case my dh loses his job) so I work part time. Feel incredibly lucky to have this set up but would rather put the energy into my kids, home, and in community volunteering. Our school is amazing- rated 10/10 but it is strongly fueled by tons of volunteers, 100’s of parents (and grandparents) were out there for field day, the kids had a blast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've met many W. European tourists, and they never mention what they do for living but always talk about their hobbies. I realized that their job is just means to support their lifestyle/hobbies and no more than that. We, here, can't aford to do the same, so we have to do a job we love and feel passionate about. I don’t earn much, but I’m fortunate to have an interesting job—something I’d probably do as a hobby anyway. Still, I’m only able to live comfortably because my husband is the main breadwinner, though he’s burned out. If it weren’t for him, I’d probably be stuck in a job I dislike, too.

Except their hobbies are stupid dumb things I go nuts if have to do all day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've met many W. European tourists, and they never mention what they do for living but always talk about their hobbies. I realized that their job is just means to support their lifestyle/hobbies and no more than that. We, here, can't aford to do the same, so we have to do a job we love and feel passionate about. I don’t earn much, but I’m fortunate to have an interesting job—something I’d probably do as a hobby anyway. Still, I’m only able to live comfortably because my husband is the main breadwinner, though he’s burned out. If it weren’t for him, I’d probably be stuck in a job I dislike, too.

We left the DMV a couple of years ago for a job relocation and I barely know what my friends and neighbors do. People don’t talk about it hardly at all, even if they have pretty good jobs. It’s really nice. You don’t have to be W. European for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yep, normal. 44 here. By now we've realized that it's all bullshit. All the things that truly matter in life are not at work.

Agree, which is why I quit Big Law in my 30s to be a SAHM. My co workers thought that I was crazy.

We have less money now but our quality of life is so much better.

[Anonymous]

I realized it at 40 and because I had the means I became a SAHM and did not look back.