That's it really. I think I've reached the end of the road in how much longer I can keep up with my job. It's a good job in so many ways, well paid, and i've recently managed to reduce my hours a little bit (1/2 day a week off).
But it's still really intense, on my full days i'm at my desk 11 hours a day, i'm always exhausted, I can't seem to care enough about what i do and the quality of my work is slipping alongside my commitment and passion. I have lost all faith in the industry I work in (financial services) and I no longer have any of the career ambitions that have fuelled me to date. With my 40th birthday looming, I just ask myself how much longer i can put off feeling fulfilled, motivated, and fit in both a physical and emotional sense....
I also want to spend more time with my primary school-age children before they slip through my fingers (so to speak) and head off into the randomness of teenage years... I've tried to be as present as i could but really, i have missed out on A LOT Of their crucial years due to working 50/60 hours a week and being tired and stressed all the time... it's a source of regret but I figure I can still make up for it, maybe...
I recently started a coaching qualification, which i'm enjoying and i would like to devote a bit more time to. Hard to do it alongside work, though,without adding to this feeling of being really burned out and pulled in every direction
FInancially, dh and i have worked out i could be out of work for 6-9 months.
I'm going to ask for a sabbatical, but its never done here so i'm not very hopeful. My fallback plan is to just quit - take some time off, recharge, exercise, figure out what i want to do, devote some time to my coaching thing, and then start looking for work again after 6 months or so.
It seems like a pretty reckless thing to do... and so i'm wondering... has anyone done it? Somehow it's so much easier to explain a gap in your cv if you've had a baby or relocated (both of which I've done), but, assuming I end up in the same industry a year from now (which lets face it, could well happen...) what do I say? Sorry, i was bored and tired and so i just quit? Wont they just wonder if I'll do it again...?
Any experiences or views gratefully received!