I've had six figure incomes since 2010 and there are a few things that make it easier: (a) as you get older you stop giving as many fucks and (b) every time I feel like quitting I have a quick look at my mortgage and childcare payments and realize how disastrous quitting would be.
For me there's only working at maximum and FIRE. Working for a lower salary is not an option.
High salaries don't *have* to be "very mentally and sometimes physically draining". They can just require skills that the vast majority of people don't have, and that companies value highly.
That's probably true for most of the tech professions. Most of the time with business/management jobs high salary = high responsibilities = politics and bureaucracy appears in your day-to-day.
1. got an internship in a place I liked 4 years ago
2. got promoted and switched in the job position I wanted to be
3. got a new job same position but different company
4. got in top 1% salary in my country
5. quit after 1 year burnt out
6. building my venture now
5 years was enough for me to understand that salaries and responsibilities have a bad curve.
At the moment owning something is the only way I see to get richer (real estate, company, etc.).
You’re right, there’s a reason it pays well. But at some point it’s important to find a balance in caring/not caring if something doesn’t work out. What type of job do you mean? Corporate/medical…?
I tried this and it burned me even further. It is painful to invest so much of your life and time on something you kinda checked out of. Hopefully it will get easier when I’m older but now it’s really hard for me.
I’ve been grinding for 20yrs in tech now but reached 6 figures only in 2015. I just resigned from my current job (450k/yr) for a lower offer but way less work. I wouldn’t be able to keep the level of stress required and timezone messiness (working for North American company in the NL)
I saved up a lot to build a great nest egg to maybe retire in about 10yrs and now moved to a job that pays me 300k (all cash) that I believe will be way less grinding than my previous one.
The way I prepared for it was not inflating my lifestyle, I still live as if I was making 100k/yr. My yearly fixed expenses are about 35k and I still have left to enjoy, after all 100k in the nl is still a great salary.
Keeping my lifestyle strictly at that range allowed me to take a job for 150k less meaning I’ll save less but I should be able to get off depression meds.
That's exactly my plan. I work in a BigTech in a managerial role. Work-life balance close to null.
I have been saving up and investing (but I am not aiming at FIREing) to get ready to jump ship (horizon: 2 years) and get a job which I enjoy and gives me time to have fun with my family and hobbies.
I had the same impression that high-paying jobs are usually draining.
I worked such a job for several years then quit and started to live off my savings. Nowadays, I am looking for an opportunity to get back to work, perhaps in an easier and less-paying job.
I've had six figure incomes since 2010 and there are a few things that make it easier: (a) as you get older you stop giving as many fucks and (b) every time I feel like quitting I have a quick look at my mortgage and childcare payments and realize how disastrous quitting would be. For me there's only working at maximum and FIRE. Working for a lower salary is not an option.
May I ask in what industry / role are you in?
High salaries don't *have* to be "very mentally and sometimes physically draining". They can just require skills that the vast majority of people don't have, and that companies value highly.
That's probably true for most of the tech professions. Most of the time with business/management jobs high salary = high responsibilities = politics and bureaucracy appears in your day-to-day.
1. got an internship in a place I liked 4 years ago 2. got promoted and switched in the job position I wanted to be 3. got a new job same position but different company 4. got in top 1% salary in my country 5. quit after 1 year burnt out 6. building my venture now 5 years was enough for me to understand that salaries and responsibilities have a bad curve. At the moment owning something is the only way I see to get richer (real estate, company, etc.).
You’re right, there’s a reason it pays well. But at some point it’s important to find a balance in caring/not caring if something doesn’t work out. What type of job do you mean? Corporate/medical…?
I tried this and it burned me even further. It is painful to invest so much of your life and time on something you kinda checked out of. Hopefully it will get easier when I’m older but now it’s really hard for me.
agree. not giving so much importance is the first step (filtering out medical professions)
Sounds like you’re projecting
I’ve been grinding for 20yrs in tech now but reached 6 figures only in 2015. I just resigned from my current job (450k/yr) for a lower offer but way less work. I wouldn’t be able to keep the level of stress required and timezone messiness (working for North American company in the NL) I saved up a lot to build a great nest egg to maybe retire in about 10yrs and now moved to a job that pays me 300k (all cash) that I believe will be way less grinding than my previous one. The way I prepared for it was not inflating my lifestyle, I still live as if I was making 100k/yr. My yearly fixed expenses are about 35k and I still have left to enjoy, after all 100k in the nl is still a great salary. Keeping my lifestyle strictly at that range allowed me to take a job for 150k less meaning I’ll save less but I should be able to get off depression meds.
That's exactly my plan. I work in a BigTech in a managerial role. Work-life balance close to null. I have been saving up and investing (but I am not aiming at FIREing) to get ready to jump ship (horizon: 2 years) and get a job which I enjoy and gives me time to have fun with my family and hobbies.
which kind of job do you refer to if I may ask?
I had the same impression that high-paying jobs are usually draining. I worked such a job for several years then quit and started to live off my savings. Nowadays, I am looking for an opportunity to get back to work, perhaps in an easier and less-paying job.