Am i going thru a mid-life crisis? Should I drop everything and start new?

[JEDI]

i'm 30 and i think i;m going thru a mid-life crisis. i have a good paying job, but i'm no long happy in my field of work (IT Field). i've lived in my house for 7 years. it's appreciated $100k since i bought it. but i want to just sell it, and tell the buyer that everthing inside is his, walk away and start fresh.

things i always wanted to do:

1) travel the world. but 1st, take one of those week long crash courses in speaking the language of the country i'm going to.

2) goto germany, buy a bmw and race down the autobaun

hm..i can goto germany 1st, experience the autobaun, then drive around europe.

3) play pool till i'm decent. ie: on a scale of 2-7, i want to be a 5. currently, i'm a 3 (those of you in pool leagues will understand this rating system)

4) play chess till i'm decent. currently, i'm rated at 1100. i want to be at 1600

There's lots of other stuff, but the fear of what the hell am i going to do once the $ runs out needs to be thought out.

i hAve no idea what to do for a career after i have my fun. no way can i hustle w/being only a 5 in pool. and there;s no $ in chess unless you're in the top 5 of the world

hm..i could become a mechanic specializing in emmissions and get my ASE cert. i was told by my auto101 teacher that they make $50k to start. (prob not true)

i could go for my MBA and be a manager. Managers make good $. but i dont know if i'm cut out in making tough decisions, like who to fire. or mediate between fueding subordinates. or getting tough on subordinates who dont pull their own weight.


i want to drop everything and persue my dreams, but i just cant pull the trigger. i guess i'm used to the life of a roof over my head, living in a safe neighborhood, food whenever i want, and fear living on the streets/welfare/panhandling. ok, thats a little extreme. i guess i;m used to living comfortably, and feel trapped by my lifestyle.

Your thoughts?


EDIT: I guess my biggest fear is doing this alone, and not having a safety net. Then again, i guess it's natural to fear the unknown. but how the hell do i overcome it???

 

[Evadman]

I think I am rated about an 80 playing chess. I know how the pieces move.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

 

[boyRacer]

get a motorcycle...

 

[her209]

Go play for the LA Lakers... they are hiring right now. All the poonanny you want.

 

[poopaskoopa]

I find it odd that you said "scale of 2 to 7". Is that the norm for pool skill rating? Anyway... They all sound fun, so I'd say do it if you can afford to....

 

[wnied]

Keep the house, take a vacation, and get a paper towel and a dirty magazine and release some of that pent up frustration your carrying around in you.

~wnied~

 

[NokiaDude]

Dude, just go out and buy a new BMW Z4 roadster and be happy.

 

[Zorro]

:Q
You sound like you have it pretty good now

 

[Zim Hosein]

XFILE, take a vacation and then look at your current situation when you're fresh and well rested, you sound a bit burned out. Good luck

 

[JEDI]

Originally posted by: poopaskoopa
I find it odd that you said "scale of 2 to 7". Is that the norm for pool skill rating? Anyway... They all sound fun, so I'd say do it if you can afford to....

yes, the top 3 national leagues (apa, bca, and tap) all use ratings 2-7

i can afford to do it now, but what the hell do i do when my $ runs out in 2 years? thats the fear thats stopping me. any good mid-life crisis links?

 

[HappyPuppy]

You are indecisive and will be unhappy all your life if you don't just kick it all aside and do what you want. If you don't have a wife or children you are free to experience anything you wish.

I have done most of the things I dreamed of as a child, ie; war, violence; Peace Corps, helping others; construction, building things; civil servant, providing electricity to people.

I am on my fourth career now. I was successful at all the previous ones.

Don't waste your life doubting yourself, take the leap and enjoy yourself.

<--------------Never had a problem with making decisions.

 

[JEDI]

Originally posted by: Zorro
:Q
You sound like you have it pretty good now

$ wise yes. but i'm not happy

a friend of mine is an elementary school teacher and makes $30k/year. she struggles, but she's happy because she enjoys her job.

i dont know if i can be happy with 30k/year, but in a job i enjoy. also at 30k/year, there's NO WAY i can save enuf for retirement for when i;m 60

 

[JEDI]

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy
You are indecisive and will be unhappy all your life if you don't just kick it all aside and do what you want. If you don't have a wife or children you are free to experience anything you wish.

I have done most of the things I dreamed of as a child, ie; war, violence; Peace Corps, helping others; construction, building things; civil servant, providing electricity to people.

I am on my fourth career now. I was successful at all the previous ones.

Don't waste your life doubting yourself, take the leap and enjoy yourself.

<--------------Never had a problem with making decisions.

how did u make the switch from career to career? did you start off at the bottom (minimum wage) and work up at each career? what made you choose those careers? did you retire from those careers and have a pension from each, thus affording you a safety net to look elsewhere?

 

[sciencetoy]

I'm twenty years older than you. Take the money and do what's important to you. You managed fine so far, why do you think you'll suddenly stop being able to manage your life?

For example, consider other countries, where you can still play chess and the money will last a lot longer.

If you're this bummed at thirty, just think how you'd feel at fifty. My life gets terrible sometimes (mom's in a coma, son has major health problems, stupid tax audit, spouse is cracking up) and for me, it's the memories of the 10 years I spent late teens/twenties as a rock musician that keep me going. Gives me balance.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[JEDI]

Originally posted by: sciencetoy
I'm twenty years older than you. Take the money and do what's important to you. You managed fine so far, why do you think you'll suddenly stop being able to manage your life?

For example, consider other countries, where you can still play chess and the money will last a lot longer.

If you're this bummed at thirty, just think how you'd feel at fifty. My life gets terrible sometimes (mom's in a coma, son has major health problems, stupid tax audit, spouse is cracking up) and for me, it's the memories of the 10 years I spent late teens/twenties as a rock musician that keep me going. Gives me balance.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

fear of something new w/o a a safety net. never been to a foreign country b4 w/o a guide who spoke the native language. what happens when the $ runs out? what if i cant find a job? I know lots of people who have been out of work for a year.

 

[JEDI]

bump

 

[Yossarian]

You can do a lot of that stuff without chucking everything you have already. I recommend taking as long a vacation and/or leave of absence your job will give you and doing some travelling.

 

[Jmmsbnd007]

I'd just take up some fun hobby while you really think about this. You're bored right now, but is traveling what you really want to do? I myself would rather go 80 mph in a homemade gokart, make the world's largest spudgun, etc etc, rather than going to some country in europe, but the choice is yours.

 

[Miramonti]

Sit tight and get involved int things that interest/concern you are giving to other people in need.

 

[Geekbabe]

You only go this way once.Go and follow your heart's desire,you sound sensible enough to land on your feet in most any situation.When all is said and done I'd rather regert things I did that didn't turn out as well as I hoped
than end up sitting there saying "what if I'd done that?"

 

[rufruf44]

Where did you get an ELO Rating of 1100? I'll like to know where I'm ranked myself
Also, I would like being a manager and test myself with people's skill.....but thats just me.

 

[Cuda1447]

Spend some of that money you have on some stuff you've always wanted. Take a vacation, chill out. Find a girl. Don't quit your life.

 

[JEDI]

Originally posted by: rufruf44
Where did you get an ELO Rating of 1100? I'll like to know where I'm ranked myself
Also, I would like being a manager and test myself with people's skill.....but thats just me.

i went to my 1st chess tournament (unsantioned). this is an inhouse chess club that uses the same scoring system as the US Chess Fed. for those that have a Chess ranking, he used their scores. for those that dont, he arbitrary gave them a rank of 1000 if they thought they sucked, or 1600 if they thought they were good. this was to pair them to somebody w/similiar rank. after the matches, he just typed in the #'s on the us chess Fed website. thats how i wound up w/1100.

join the us chess Fed and enter several sanctioned tournys. or goto google and find a chess club, and see if they following the ranking system of the chess fed

 

[Pliablemoose]

Dude, just go out and buy a new BMW Z4 roadster and be happy.

30 killed me too, I think it was this thing I had about not being in my 20's. 40 didn't bother me, think I finished up with my mid life problems...

Do something that makes you happy & helps others, 1 day a month is a soup kitchen or volunteer group does a lot for the soul, (of course so does sleeping with a supermodel)

 

[LethalWolfe]

XFILE. Do what makes you happy. Currently I'm struggling (unemployed and in debt), but I'm going after my dreams and that makes me happy.

Have you ever thought about freelancing (is that even an option in IT)? Friends of mine freelance and once they have X amount of money saved up they take a 2 or 3 month vacation. When they come back and start freelancing again. They always make sure they have enough money in the bank to survive 6 mo or so w/o working.


Lethal