Good pay & boring / Lower pay & stimulating

Hi All,

I realise this may be a bit similar to the motivated in your day job thread but here goes....

Ive been employed in my job for 3 months. For what it is (pretty much unskilled labour), it pays very very well. There is plenty of work available (im casual) and there is plenty of overtime. the company is quite understaffed, so much so that they have asked whether or not I'd like to go permanent.

This should be great- security, good pay etc.

Problem is, there is very little mental stimulation. It can be quite boring and repetitive, and I took the job knowing it isnt ideally what I want to do.

So the problem is- how do you decide between the good paying boring job (and the lifestyle/freedoms/investment opportunities it allows) and the lower paying stimulating job (with hope fully more career progression)?
 
Find yourself a goal that can put fire into your soul, then the little nuissances at work will become nothing.

For example, if you like investing or making money through investing, then good pay is an easier quicker way to achieve your goal.

Many people who have decided to work on what they love don't realise, by getting into low pay works, they set themself on course for many years of low pays.

Why not looking for the positives in your current work and make it work for you?

Most of the time, it is not the work that bores, but your thinking bores you.

Change is good.

:)
 
Personally, I'ld take the better paying job for the reasons mentioned about by kenster. Just put it into perspective with your investing, if you take the higher income then your going to reach your goals either sooner or easier then if you were on the lower income.

Very true about the thinking that bores you. Just try and keep yourself motivated and positive about the situation and work towards your goal!
 
Yes, if you change your thinking to staying in the job to pursue your passion of property investing (if this is one of your passions) then you will feel motivated to work in this job day after day. Then one day when you are ahead from the investments you have made then you can change to a more interesting lower paid job? I have stayed in my profession for 10 years now mainly so that I can keep investing in property and I don't regret it for a second anymore! I used to beat myself up about it and try to change careers but always came back to the fact that I didn't want to be restricted by a lower pay. So if you love PI then stick it out with the better paying job. Stimulate your mind outside of work :)
 
The other side of the coin is to look at future earnings. ie. a job could provide less now, more later; or more now, but no growth.
 
Yes that's true, I guess it depends on what other job you were thinking of taking. Some professions such as lawyers earn very little when starting out but can increase their earnings over the years. It depends if the lower paying job is your passion or if you want to invest in property more :D
 
You have only provided 2 options. In reality the world provides many more options than what you are looking at here.

Option 3, get your own business and some excitement / mental stimulation.
Option 4, etc.

Or you can just get back into your box and try not to think of other possibilities. ;)

I found this article below:

Know When to Bail Out of a Dead-End Job
by Barry Lenson
Executive Editor, Trump University

If you like to read about airplanes and the men and women who fly them, you know about a strange syndrome that can strike fighter pilots whose planes have been hit by enemy fire.
Their planes are crashing. To escape certain death, all they have to do is eject. Yet for reasons no one understands, they decide not to eject. They sit there frozen and go down with their planes. They apparently prefer their familiar cockpits to the unknown world of open air, even when they know that decision will cost them their lives.
Sounds irrational? Of course it is. But chances are that you have done something quite similar at some point in your career. Your job was going nowhere. It was time to cut and run. But somehow, the familiarity of your routine was so comforting that you went back day after day and week after week.
Finally, you overcame your denial and got moving. Or perhaps a crisis hit that was so severe, you had to hit the eject button and get out. Your company got acquired. Your wonderful boss got the boot and a tyrant took over. Or perhaps your division got outsourced.
Jobs can crash, just like airplanes. When you have a strong inner sense it is happening to your job, you have to trust your instincts and jump onto firm ground.
 
95% seem to take this option:
Always go for more money job
Have a boring mundane life
Are generally not very good at their job (or much else)
Never have enough money
Look for materialistic rewards to make up for it (after a holiday, it's still the same old sewer) and the boat hardly ever leaves the front lawn.
And what they end up with after a boring life, they can't take with them anyway.

And I don't mean for an instant the "unskilled labour" has to be boring.
I know quite a few people who love it, and some others who left other jobs like REA (during the boom) to do it, and are happier than ever. And making more money.

There is saying: life is boring to boring people.
 
Hi All,

I realise this may be a bit similar to the motivated in your day job thread but here goes....

Ive been employed in my job for 3 months. For what it is (pretty much unskilled labour), it pays very very well. There is plenty of work available (im casual) and there is plenty of overtime. the company is quite understaffed, so much so that they have asked whether or not I'd like to go permanent.

This should be great- security, good pay etc.

Problem is, there is very little mental stimulation. It can be quite boring and repetitive, and I took the job knowing it isnt ideally what I want to do.

So the problem is- how do you decide between the good paying boring job (and the lifestyle/freedoms/investment opportunities it allows) and the lower paying stimulating job (with hope fully more career progression)?
Are we talking a big difference in pay between the two jobs? If not, maybe then a switch to a lesser pay, for the sake of greater fulfilment may not be such a sacrifice to make.

I guess you have to consider the cost associated with great pay but no stimulation. You need to think about your health, mental well-being and generally your long term goals. No point sticking a job out, just for $$$ if it's making you sick or unhappy, or both. :(

Maybe give it (the boring job) a couple more months so that it looks good on your resume (stretching it out to 6 months or so) and then revisit your situation, if you're still not happy, consider moving on, but whatever you do, make sure you have another job to walk into.

Best of luck. :)
 
just to give a bit more info...

ive recently returned from o/s after almost 6 years where ive been working. now back, and changing career paths, ive landed a great earning job but it isnt in the field i would like to be in or that i have qualifications for. having said that my previous line of work (about 10 years worth!!) had absolutely nothing to do with my uni qualifications either...therein lies the problem.....30 odd years old now and to start out with my qualifications would probably mean a junior type position as I have little real world experience.

but thinking as I am writing, possibly starting a small business on the side is a great idea, keeping up the mental stimulation, and focusing on the big picture....
 
... ive landed a great earning job but it isnt in the field i would like to be in or that i have qualifications for ... my previous line of work (about 10 years worth!!) had absolutely nothing to do with my uni qualifications either...therein lies the problem.....30 odd years old now and to start out with my qualifications would probably mean a junior type position as I have little real world experience...

Great, the picture is clearer with more info from you.

What you are seeing is the typical Mid-Life Crisis, where you start to question about the Purpose of Your Life and where it is heading next.

There won't be an one-size-fits-all answer, nor a ready-made one for you. You have to find it yourself.

On the positive side, there are many who have gone past this period. You can ask them what it is like, then practise yourself.

It is like riding a bicycle. Anyone can show you how it works, but you have to do it yourself.

You can start by (1) Building up new Understanding, such as:

- Reading ("Think Grow Rich" and "Rich Dad Poor Dad")
- Seeking out new teachers / heroes
- Making *new* friends
- Going to Seminars

And (2) Cutting back Old things that no longer works for you, such as:

- Relationships that hold you back (Family members included)
- Old assumptions
- Old habits
etc.

New future awaits you. It is up to you to find it.

:)
 
What you are seeing is the typical Mid-Life Crisis, where you start to question about the Purpose of Your Life and where it is heading next.
30 odd years is mid-life crisis material these days??? :eek: Geez....what does that make someone my age (47)?? :eek: On second thoughts, don't answer that!! :(
 
It can be quite frustrating and not motivating working a low income job UNLESS there's an end goal in mind, like the lawyer example mentioned previously.

So if you go for the lower income there would have to be a plan in place motivating you to get through it. If not I would stick with the high income and find mental stimulation elsewhere - there's plenty you can do for that.

Someone once told me that if you enjoy your job more than 50% of the time, it's a good job.
 
30 odd years is mid-life crisis material these days??? :eek: Geez....what does that make someone my age (47)??

Mid-life crisis is a time of reflection and reassessment. People can experience it at any age between 30 and 60. Some never knows it. Some can't bear the pressure and break down. A few find their own meaning and live a fulfilled life.

The earlier we go past it, the better. :)
 
Great, the picture is clearer with more info from you.

What you are seeing is the typical Mid-Life Crisis, where you start to question about the Purpose of Your Life and where it is heading next.

There won't be an one-size-fits-all answer, nor a ready-made one for you. You have to find it yourself.

...Geez Im hesitating to label this a midlife crisis but your point is valid all the same. to go from a 7 day a week, goal oriented profession to a job you can leave at the gate when you go home each day is difficult to adjust to. Im someone who enjoys the focus and the hard work.

I suppose taking the income over interest means I have to put a lot of trust in my financial plan, with a view to getting in and out of the rat race in a specified time frame. My fear would be to get ten years into the future and regret not giving 100% in pursuing a career I want (as I have always been told - the pain of hard work hurts less than the pain of regret)
 
Mid-life crisis is a time of reflection and reassessment. People can experience it at any age between 30 and 60. Some never knows it. Some can't bear the pressure and break down. A few find their own meaning and live a fulfilled life.

The earlier we go past it, the better. :)
You're right of course Kenster, I was just having a lend (sorry) :eek:

P.S. I do know a little about MLCs; once upon a time they made me a lot of money!!! ;)
 
...Geez Im hesitating to label this a midlife crisis but your point is valid all the same. to go from a 7 day a week, goal oriented profession to a job you can leave at the gate when you go home each day is difficult to adjust to. Im someone who enjoys the focus and the hard work.

I suppose taking the income over interest means I have to put a lot of trust in my financial plan, with a view to getting in and out of the rat race in a specified time frame. My fear would be to get ten years into the future and regret not giving 100% in pursuing a career I want (as I have always been told - the pain of hard work hurts less than the pain of regret)

Your discussion evolves around work and your view towards it. Pretty much money-centric.

There is more in life than just work and/or money.

Burning Desire. Passion. Dream. Goal. Contribution. Gratitude --- to name a few.

Confucius many thousand years ago said there were four stages of learning:

(1) Those who Don't know that they Don't Know ("The Ignorant")
(2) Those who Know that they Don't Know ("The Learner")
(3) Those who Know that they Know ("The Teacher")
(4) Those who Don't Know that they Know ("The Master")

We start at stage (1) by default. To move into (2), this is what we can do:

(1) Building up new Understanding, such as:

- Reading ("Think Grow Rich" and "Rich Dad Poor Dad")
- Seeking out new teachers / heroes
- Making *new* friends
- Going to Seminars

And (2) Cutting back Old things that no longer works for you, such as:

- Relationships that hold you back (Family members included)
- Old assumptions
- Old habits
etc.
 
Mid-life crisis is a time of reflection and reassessment. People can experience it at any age between 30 and 60. Some never knows it. Some can't bear the pressure and break down. A few find their own meaning and live a fulfilled life.

The earlier we go past it, the better. :)

Hmmm I'm 25 and I think I've been having a mid life crisis for about the last 12 months :confused: Maybe I'm getting it out of the way early!
 
Hi Kenster,

Yep maybe this discussion does sound a little money centric. it is not my default setting for life, i worked for 5 years in a field recieiving bare minimum wages because I loved it. however some realities must at least be considered!!!

I agree with the 'keep on learning' theme, in fact I'm a good way down that path.

I think the main thing im struggling with is the uncertainty of sticking with a well paying job and regretting not getting into a more passionate field (for me).

i reckon it boils down to not having a concrete plan for my investment future (amongst quite a few other uncertainties!!)

cheers






Your discussion evolves around work and your view towards it. Pretty much money-centric.

There is more in life than just work and/or money.

Burning Desire. Passion. Dream. Goal. Contribution. Gratitude --- to name a few.

Confucius many thousand years ago said there were four stages of learning:

(1) Those who Don't know that they Don't Know ("The Ignorant")
(2) Those who Know that they Don't Know ("The Learner")
(3) Those who Know that they Know ("The Teacher")
(4) Those who Don't Know that they Know ("The Master")

We start at stage (1) by default. To move into (2), this is what we can do:
 
Find yourself a goal that can put fire into your soul, then the little nuissances at work will become nothing.

For example, if you like investing or making money through investing, then good pay is an easier quicker way to achieve your goal.

Many people who have decided to work on what they love don't realise, by getting into low pay works, they set themself on course for many years of low pays.

Why not looking for the positives in your current work and make it work for you?

Most of the time, it is not the work that bores, but your thinking bores you.

Change is good.

:)

Great post! This sums it up perfectly IMO.

Set a goal and use it to motivate you and kick start your investments. Once you have some momentum up and running, then maybe you can take the lesser paying, yet more stimulating job.
 
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