Doing what you love? page

[AyaPapaya]

Has anyone out there given up their full-time office job to find a higher-passion, albeit lower-income, kind of work? There are so many things I'd rather be doing, but the salary and benefits I've got now make it so hard to walk away. How did you do it?

All I know for sure is that sitting in my little cube for 9 hours a day staring at a computer screen is making me crazy. I am designed for play, for sunshine and the outdoors, and for so many other things that are the exact opposite of what I'm doing with the majority of my time.

[LJH]

I work from home and love my day job but a close second is my gardens. I've gone berserk for permaculture and have been building swales and terraces and hugle-beds like a crazy woman. If I had a job I hated the gardens are what would keep me sane. And with a permaculture system you end up growing most of your own food anyway, a huge expense that can be elimated after a few years, maybe allowing one to quit the full-time rat race.

[justyouraveragecavemen]

I did. I made pretty darn good money being a manager of folks, but managing folks ain't in my DNA. I went back to school, got another degree and am pretty happy where I am for the time being. I had to start on the bottom rung again, so things can only go up from here. I love what I WILL BE ABLE TO DO, once I get this work experience in the new field logged in. There's an opening for just what I want about 3 freaking miles from where I'm planning on building a house next year...luck? Anyways, yeah, a 20% cut in JUST SALARY, not counting all the equity/bonuses of last job will cause you to rethink what you need in life. I did all this with 3 kids. The last was 6 weeks old when I changed jobs. Do this change while you still have the balls. We have less money coming in, but we cut way back on the goings out, so we cut coupons to help make up the difference. I've never been happier. YMMV

[palebluedots]

I did. I gave up a 6 figure income. My husband and I decided that quality of life is much more important than the quantity of stuff that we own. Once you make that decision, you find ways to make everything work. So I say, go for it!

[sbhikes]

I walked away from a good job at the start of the downturn and went for two very long walks. Hoped I could decide what I really wanted to do with myself while I walked out there alone. Meanwhile I enjoyed the sunshine and wildflowers. I never felt more wealthy than I did then. It was like being paid in wildflowers. Eventually I went back to the same line of work. It was great to have that year and a half off. The best thing is that now I don't take it all so seriously. I enjoy what I do but it's not who I am and honestly, I just don't give a sh*t anymore about any of it. This has made me a happier person that employers like even better than before for some strange reason.

[Tribal Rob]

I quit training to be a teacher as lost all faith that the system was doing anything more than controling lives and turning out drones, not educating and inspiring. We no live on exactly 1/2 a bugger all, and are finding our way with part-time work, odd-jobs and living very cheaply - we have given up everything that is not essential (water, power, heat, food, housing) apart from a car and the internet, but without those we would be able to provide a suitable education for the spawn. We are in the process of selling up and buying a somw land to live on and grow/raise various things to eat and sell. Again we have never been happier dispite being propper poor, it's a bit stressfull when the washing machine breaks or something else like that comes up, but we find a way. The fact that as a family we like being together helps alot.

[IvyBlue]

I found that having the FU money saved put an entirely different perspective on my mindless, boring job. "Why are you always smiling?"

I think I'd resent any job that I had to do just to get by.

[Diana Renata]

I didn't give up an office job, but I do have a low-paying job that I absolutely love. I make almost enough to get by, but I like what I do.

Today involved lifting a 100 lb spool of cable onto my desk, then climbing onto said desk to remove the top.

[Uncephalized]

I found that having the FU money saved put an entirely different perspective on my mindless, boring job. "Why are you always smiling?"

I think I'd resent any job that I had to do just to get by.

Yep. I've only been working as an engineer for about a year, and I already know that I could not care much less about what I do, I don't really want to do it 40+ hours a week, and if I keep doing it for a few years I will not only hate the job, but probably myself too.

So my wife and I are figuring out what we should do about that.

[Fernaldo]

Nope, I do it strictly for the money. I like it, it pays well and almost zero stress.