My take: Throwing your life away according to whose perspective? What constitutes as throwing your life away here
Well. If I stick with this job ten years down the line I might be in a reasonably comfortable position financially, provided of course my health otherwise stays intact. If I take a risk, I could either be really happy not ten years but even just a year or two from now, or I might be stuck in an even worse position that
Oh who am I kidding. I'm worried about family mostly. That if I take this gamble and I don't succeed, they're never going to stop hounding about how I should have stuck with the job I had and I've betrayed them and their hopes and trust in me etc etc.
So here's another question: If you stick it out at this job another year from today, what can you get from it? Let's say you're on top of your manager whenever it's appropriate for reviews and raises and discussions about your responsibilities. Is it realistic to expect that you could get a raise? Reduced hours at the same pay? A promotion that has a better schedule? If so, based on your realistic expectations, do these changes make it more or less likely that you can start switching gears in your life without putting everything else at risk? Would there be consequences to sticking with it another year that overrules the potential benefits, even with the long term in mind?
From everything I know any raise within the next 12 months would likely be small and, I think, not worth sticking with the job for another year.
I've raised reduced hours with my managers. They're not happy with the idea and my workload is such that I really do need to work those hours.
A better schedule might be possible if the company hires an extra person to take part of my load which based on what I know is also unrealistic in the next 12 months.
The way I see it, I stick with it for another five or ten years - basically, make this my career - or switch gears now. Sticking with it for just one more year before changing gears, well, I won't be really be in a better financial position and my health would have deteriorated further for no reason.
Are you earning more than you are spending, and therefore reducing the debts?
I am, slowly.
If so, you should be able to identify the point in time when you may be out of debt.
If I'm being honest, I'm scared to actually look closely at my accounts.
Either you crack up physically/mentally, or your employer replaces you with someone fresher.
Well being replaced is not something I'm afraid of. If the company can find someone who does what I do better, I'd tell them please go ahead - I would feel significantly less guilty about leaving knowing that my colleagues are in safe hands.
I'd have a careful look at those debts and outgoings. Are you enabling freeloading family members to keep freeloading ?
Don't have a freeloading family member so thank goodness for that too.
OR could you reduce the overheads by moving somewhere cheaper or spread the burden by perhaps taking in a lodger?
Where I am is already pretty cheap considering my location.
The problem with renting is that too many people end up working, for the benefit of their landlord.[/QUOTE]
It sounds like a change you gotta make. Now waiting it out another year like Synsensa suggests seems sensible, if you can take it.
I have thought about maybe waiting another six months. But that's what I said six months ago. And six months before that.
