Why do I need to keep chasing

[SK2025]

Why do I feel inadequate and never satisfied with my own salary… needing advice how to appreciate it more.

27 female. On 55K. Lives in a big city. Recently passed a more advanced qualification and my salary will be going up to 63-65K in exactly 2 years time (99.9% guaranteed).

I am slowly setting up a little side hustle that will generate me 10-15K but currently not stable yet. Likely will generate me this steady income in about 4 years. I’m passionate about this side hustle.

which means I’ll be on £75-80K when I’m 32-33. I’m hopeful, always excited for the future and for what I can achieve. I’m ambitious (but not overly), driven, some what enjoy my job. I’m not depressed or low mood. I have internal happiness and am proud of myself. But… I can’t help but guess by the time I’ve achieved 80K when 32/33 I won’t be satisfied and I’ll want to be on 90-100K- my excuse for wanting this is due to inflation, more expenses/ responsibilities or potentially kids.

I just feel like I don’t stop and enjoy and live in the moment.

what can I do? My mind is always 100 miles/h. When I do have a moment, there’s always thoughts in my head- eg what am I learning next, what can I achieve, what challenge can I take on…etc

I actually would like to act more than a 27 year old, go out and not think about anything. How do I live in the moment? Any advice would be good at this point.

I feel like I’m in a situation where tall girls wanna be shorter, shorter girls wanna be taller. Grass is greener type thing.

It’s probably not a bad thing. I found that when my kids were small I lost quite a lot of ambition because I was paddling hard to stay still. I still took on a massive project that was aimed at producing income for my retirement but it was aimed at the longer term.
So I’d guess if you start thinking about that, your future you will thank you.
Dont just buy shit though. Do you travel? Because honestly that is precious.

How about investing? Making your money go further.

You need to change the way that your brain is hard wired. The only way you can do that is by constantly and consciously making choices and decisions which lead you to be less money oriented. Mantras and meditation can help.

It'll take months of hard work. Maybe even years. Because you are actually wanting to change neural pathways in your brain.

There is more to life than money - it's so true! Travel and expand your horizons.

I have internal happiness
and
I just feel like I don’t stop and enjoy and live in the moment
are contradictory.

I'd suggest therapy, to help you work out what's underlying this. Often the answer lies in experiences growing up, or the messages you were given by family etc.

I do this, I grew up poor and I want nice things now for me and my kids.

I think the underlying issue is wanting financial freedom when I do want to quit my job.

theres a group of people, with one leader, who has been ‘bullying’ me using stricter standards, unrealistic expectations, bias and prejudice and playing me against other colleagues. Luckily have some good colleagues too who did step up to proof this to senior management but senior management have ‘limited’ in what they can do.

I’m Asian, from Hong Kong have good family background of lawyer and engineer in the family. I’m a professional as well.

I feel having high net worth and money makes me above these bullies and that I shouldn’t care about their actions (hence internal happiness) and it calms me not to be defeated by it all.

thats probably why it’s so important to me