Life Coach help

[maxdallasfan]

I'm in my 40s, married with one child. I've been in the consulting field since college, and I've pretty much grown tired of it. Tired of the high stress it brings and constant need to be billable. As I've gotten older, I'm becoming more and more into preserving farm land etc, as I hate seeing large developments pop up everywhere. So, I applied for a job in land conservation with the State. I was offered the job. The good news is it's a State job, 35 hours a week and 12 holidays a year. Consulting is 45 hours a week and 7 holidays a year.

Another way to look at it is with the State, you work 9 to 4, but get an hour lunch. Now, I work 815 to 5 with a 45 min lunch. Basically, the State pays you to work 6 hours a day vs consulting which is 8.

The bad? Pay would be 20k less and my drive would be 65 miles a day vs. 30 miles a day.

I could leave home 45 min later than I do now and still get home 30 min. earlier.

I'm torn. The pay cut is big. The drive is longer. But is the pay cut stupid? Honestly, I can't stand consulting anymore.

Thoughts? Advice?

 

[Runwildboys]

I'm in my 40s, married with one child. I've been in the consulting field since college, and I've pretty much grown tired of it. Tired of the high stress it brings and constant need to be billable. As I've gotten older, I'm becoming more and more into preserving farm land etc, as I hate seeing large developments pop up everywhere. So, I applied for a job in land conservation with the State. I was offered the job. The good news is it's a State job, 35 hours a week and 12 holidays a year. Consulting is 45 hours a week and 7 holidays a year.

Another way to look at it is with the State, you work 9 to 4, but get an hour lunch. Now, I work 815 to 5 with a 45 min lunch. Basically, the State pays you to work 6 hours a day vs consulting which is 8.

The bad? Pay would be 20k less and my drive would be 65 miles a day vs. 30 miles a day.

I could leave home 45 min later than I do now and still get home 30 min. earlier.

I'm torn. The pay cut is big. The drive is longer. But is the pay cut stupid? Honestly, I can't stand consulting anymore.

Thoughts? Advice?

I guess your biggest concern would be how much do you need the money right now? Will the starting pay go up over time, eventually matching or approaching the pay of your current job? What about benefits? I assume the state job has better benefits, and possibly a good pension plan.

Add the cost of the commute, not only in gas, but in wear on your vehicle, and you're losing more than just the money in salary.

Basically, are you going to be happy in the new job, since you're clearly not happy now? New surroundings can be uplifting, but how long will that last?
If you truly think you'll be happy in the new job, and can still support your family, by all means do it. As they say, "If you love what you do, you never have to work a day in your life."

 

[Ranching]

I'm in my 40s, married with one child. I've been in the consulting field since college, and I've pretty much grown tired of it. Tired of the high stress it brings and constant need to be billable. As I've gotten older, I'm becoming more and more into preserving farm land etc, as I hate seeing large developments pop up everywhere. So, I applied for a job in land conservation with the State. I was offered the job. The good news is it's a State job, 35 hours a week and 12 holidays a year. Consulting is 45 hours a week and 7 holidays a year.

Another way to look at it is with the State, you work 9 to 4, but get an hour lunch. Now, I work 815 to 5 with a 45 min lunch. Basically, the State pays you to work 6 hours a day vs consulting which is 8.

The bad? Pay would be 20k less and my drive would be 65 miles a day vs. 30 miles a day.

I could leave home 45 min later than I do now and still get home 30 min. earlier.

I'm torn. The pay cut is big. The drive is longer. But is the pay cut stupid? Honestly, I can't stand consulting anymore.

Thoughts? Advice?

If you are close to retirement, stick it out. I took a job that I really didn't want, but the pay was about 25k more. A few years later I turned down a job that I really wanted but it was about 20k less. I ended up loving my job, but the drive was getting to me. The great news is that the extra money allowed me to retire at 50. No regrets.
If you still have a ways to go before you retire, take the cut and enjoy your life. My opinion

 

[CouchCoach]

I'm in my 40s, married with one child. I've been in the consulting field since college, and I've pretty much grown tired of it. Tired of the high stress it brings and constant need to be billable. As I've gotten older, I'm becoming more and more into preserving farm land etc, as I hate seeing large developments pop up everywhere. So, I applied for a job in land conservation with the State. I was offered the job. The good news is it's a State job, 35 hours a week and 12 holidays a year. Consulting is 45 hours a week and 7 holidays a year.

Another way to look at it is with the State, you work 9 to 4, but get an hour lunch. Now, I work 815 to 5 with a 45 min lunch. Basically, the State pays you to work 6 hours a day vs consulting which is 8.

The bad? Pay would be 20k less and my drive would be 65 miles a day vs. 30 miles a day.

I could leave home 45 min later than I do now and still get home 30 min. earlier.

I'm torn. The pay cut is big. The drive is longer. But is the pay cut stupid? Honestly, I can't stand consulting anymore.

Thoughts? Advice?

You just answered part of your own concern/question, it seems to be time for a change, whether it's the state job or another.

My question for you is are you so tired of consulting that you have to do something now and this is your only other option? Have you explored other options or is this a passion for you? In my experience, people who go for passion over just a job usually take a pay cut but most have been happier.

One thing that I used to do was an exercise we would put prospects through when making decisions. It's called the Ben Franklin list and while it was mildly manipulative for a prospect, when doing it for myself, I was honest and went deep. Take a pad and draw a line down the center of the page. Put a + and - at the top of each column and start listing all the positives like 35 hours a week and 12 holidays and negatives like 20K less and longer commute and go deep, get your wife to help if you run out.

Once your list is complete start the balancing. If a positive and a negative balance, cancel them out. What are you left with? Doesn't mean that makes your decision but it does help to examine every element of it.

I do see one solution. 20K less and twice as long a drive? Get a disguise and rob convenience stores along the way to augment the salary difference and besides a new career, you've got a new hobby.

 

[Runwildboys]

You just answered part of your own concern/question, it seems to be time for a change, whether it's the state job or another.

My question for you is are you so tired of consulting that you have to do something now and this is your only other option? Have you explored other options or is this a passion for you? In my experience, people who go for passion over just a job usually take a pay cut but most have been happier.

One thing that I used to do was an exercise we would put prospects through when making decisions. It's called the Ben Franklin list and while it was mildly manipulative for a prospect, when doing it for myself, I was honest and went deep. Take a pad and draw a line down the center of the page. Put a + and - at the top of each column and start listing all the positives like 35 hours a week and 12 holidays and negatives like 20K less and longer commute and go deep, get your wife to help if you run out.

Once your list is complete start the balancing. If a positive and a negative balance, cancel them out. What are you left with? Doesn't mean that makes your decision but it does help to examine every element of it.

I do see one solution. 20K less and twice as long a drive? Get a disguise and rob convenience stores along the way to augment the salary difference and besides a new career, you've got a new hobby.

CC, your sage advice never fails to provide job security to prison guards.

 

[maxdallasfan]

Thanks all. In my current field, which is environmental, consulting is the only option, unless you go to the state Dept of environmental protection but that's an even bigger pay cut.

 

[YosemiteSam]

My rule that I follow and I teach my staff is happiness is the most important thing in your life next to sheer survival. Though if you are absolutely miserable, what's the point in in living like that? (I digress there so you don't get the wrong impression)

Anyhow, money doesn't make one happy, but money does pay the bills and offers some creature comforts. The question you have to ask yourself is are the added creature comforts worth the misery? Likely they aren't because as noted. Money doesn't make happiness. A great work environment can definitely help though.

Now that said, two things you need to look at before making a decision like this. First is, are you sure this job will make you more happy? If you can check that off. Then you need to check with your family. They need to know how miserable your current job makes you and need to understand the impact on the household income. Of course the answer you get from them could create another cross roads. (ie, they want money over your happiness! )

 

[Tabascocat]

Do what makes ya happy, it’s that cut and dry

 

[Bigdog]

Do what makes ya happy, it’s that cut and dry

This. Your family is the most important so if you can spend time with them than it is worth the switch.

 

[CouchCoach]

Do what makes ya happy, it’s that cut and dry

Wish it were that simple. I worked to live for 90% of my life and always envied the people that lived to work.

I worked and didn't necessarily enjoy it but that bought me the things to enjoy in the parts of my life not involving work. I also would make myself feel better with the more unpleasant parts of my jobs. I would think 'right this minute there is a plumber messing with a backed up toilet that is in a house full of fat people or right this minute there is a guy crawling under a house to exterminate pests and they know he's coming, especially the spiders, or right this minute there is a proctologist with a 300lb extremely hairy man complaining about his butt itching'. Hey, my job ain't so bad.