Throwing a career away?

[Skinnyankles]

Anyone done this? I'm in a senior health care position with clinical and strategic responsibility. I come across as calm and get things done. However, there is a side of me I keep hidden where I worry about decisions I make and the effect on hundreds of patients. It's exhausting.

Sometimes, I have a little dream where I take the simple life and leave. Once, I was in a lovely bohemian restaurant and the waitress was organising the meal orders - and I thought, I would love that job! She looked so happy. I could go to work in jeans and dangly earrings instead of a smart dress. When I would then go home I wouldn't gave to think of work.

It's only a dream and I won't do it (as Im on a golden hamster wheel and cannot afford to get off) - but would love to hear if anyone has! Anyone?

I’m currently doing FIRE which is financial independence retire early. I have very little income to save but am considering downsizing to get out of my career. Would ideally like to stop at 40 but I’m 35 so will have to see. Would love a job with no responsibilities!

I'm interested to hear too. I'm working in finance and the stress of it is ruining my life.

I too was thinkng I'd like a job as a sales assistant or waitress. I've done both before and while they could be busy, at least when I finished in the evening I didnt have this feeling hanging over me or keeping me awake at night.

I agree - it's the mind space I need. I just can't turn off - there are always work hassles hanging over my shoulder.

I'm going to have a look at FIRE

@Skinnyankles

Anyone done this? I'm in a senior health care position with clinical and strategic responsibility. I come across as calm and get things done. However, there is a side of me I keep hidden where I worry about decisions I make and the effect on hundreds of patients. It's exhausting.

Sometimes, I have a little dream where I take the simple life and leave. Once, I was in a lovely bohemian restaurant and the waitress was organising the meal orders - and I thought, I would love that job! She looked so happy. I could go to work in jeans and dangly earrings instead of a smart dress. When I would then go home I wouldn't gave to think of work.

It's only a dream and I won't do it (as Im on a golden hamster wheel and cannot afford to get off) - but would love to hear if anyone has! Anyone?

The simple live is a lovely idea when you are feeling the pressure, but it is incredibly boring if you have the capacity for more. It also tends to lack the financial security and rewards of career roles.

I think the getting off the ride thing comes from the aim of early retirement. My husband and I would love to be able to retire in our 50s and spend time doing nothing in particular, but with a mortgage and two children retiring, or at least slowing down a little in the few years before normal retirement are probably our best options. I used to think I would wind down by becoming a professor or lecturer, but now they are badly paid, with more and more demands placed on them and my husband's work projects tend to involve him maintaining a deep understanding of his various clients businesses, so he would have to drop clients to do less and that lowers the security that his spread offers us (in normal times, last year he was 70% down on the year because most of them stopped doing nearly everything).