I love my job – in the new economy

This post is about my personal transition from career purgatory to loving my job.

I have a Masters and was making 100k plus easy before I moved to Poland to live another life.  Yet since my return to the USA, I really never got my career going again. I was waffling. Some of it was the US economy had stalled and the location I live (on an island in North East Florida). Yet that was nor reason, it was not for lack of opportunity (I was even talking to my old company, but they relocated to Minnesota, burr)  but rather, life events and life choice.

I have been somewhat disconnected from this website for a while. I was not feeling well as some drunk guy in the park hit me in the head and I had a serious concussion a few years ago, and some other things, I moved across the Atlantic Ocean to the USA, I have been slaving away in corporate jobs with commutes that were in a word ‘ridiculous’.

I love my job
Working at a job that is not making your rich or giving you happiness, well you might as well be breaking rocks as least you get in shape.

It was slowing dawning on me, and then I realized in an epiphany,  that I had not made much forward progress in my life despite a good income. My nice income just provides enough for basic life. The more I made, we spent more to compensate for the stressful work life. We were rocking the malls and using credit cards to enjoy life when I was not in the pressure cooker of work.

I did some soul-searching and quit my job. If you add up deprecation on your car (it really wears down and you have to be able to buy a new one), fuel, the opportunity cost of the commute (I talked to a guy last night who is in his car 4 hours a day). You will pay with your health and time if you are not getting rich. You are really not doing much more than paying for your lifestyle.

My wife and daughter who are from another country were sitting at home all day waiting for me, without the support of my wife’s family. The apartment I live in was a little smokey from some trashy neighbors who moved in our condo complex and in a word, working was not doing anything but making everyone tired.

I have always said if you do not like your job, leave it. Just walk out. Like Darryl in the TV show The Office (he called it pulling an Irish exit), you just sneak out with no long good-byes or drama about whys, if you are not happy or it is causing you to stress just leave. It is that simple. This is from a guy who missed work for sickness one day in my life, and some years did not take vacations.  I am a workaholic but at my ventures.

So I walk, the walk, and really do what I believe. I left my job without a job.

How I spend my time without a job

I started to get consulting and other job offers that paid even more. But I am not about money.  The money will not buy love, or happiness or more time with my family and rarely does much for health as much as low stress and exercise.

I  am refocusing on my language software and websites that were neglected and were becoming obsolete.  It will take a year or more to dig out of all the piled up work I am behind. I hope to release one or two programs in software this year, something that has been on the table for about eight years.

I happily toil from morning until night, yet not on a career path but as an entrepreneur.

In a week I was studying for my RE exam, taped up with duck tape the ventilation to stop the smoke, started exercising, analysis my stock positions again as well as my websites. I did more in a few weeks than many years when I was working the grid.

For a hard-working responsible productive person, a job is one of the worst things you can have.

My real estate career

I was a stockbroker and in the investment world for years. I decided that since I live in Florida I would get my real estate license.  The North East Metropolis is about paper assets, being a Floridian is about real assets. So when in Rome. I did this in about a few weeks. I am a realtor.  This never would have happened if I had a job. I started a little website LaFloridaHomes.com (under construction just holding pages). So if anyone has an interest in Florida real estate let me know.

I interviewed a lot of companies. You know the big names and they were all fine, but have been around the block to drink the Kool-aid of working for a big-name firm. I am with a small start-up on the Island where I live.

The company I work for now is Endless Summer Reality, it is perhaps the first company where I really believe they put ethics first and foremost. I have never worked for a company like this. Some companies talk about teamwork but these guys freely share theirs secretes with each other.

The new economy has allowed me to help me live the dream

If it was not for the new economy, with remote virtual offices I would never have been able to live the dream. I am not in super economic shape now as I reposition myself, from careering and high paid consultant back to entrepreneur again but I do not care. It was a bit of a waste of time and money to be distracted in my life and focus on other people’s vision of my life. It is the advancement of technology that has allowed me to be so full of myself about my work life. I mean my dad had to go to work. He could not be networking with guys in India doing business in the virtual world. So the new economy has pros and cons, but for me, if I can make money it will be mostly pro.

Now I love my work plain and simple.

I work from home, I am an IT consultant for my own programs and websites, I will start to invest in the stock market again and trade more actively. I will also ramp up my real estate side because I work with such a wonderful company. Most of all I have a family that supports me with unconditional love.

Related Posts


Posted

in

by

This is my Youtube Channel: EconLessons

Comments

Leave a Reply