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[darkelvis]

All my life (26 years) I have never known what I wanted to do as a career, now that I finally found the one that I thought was "the one" I'm having doubts. I've done tons of different jobs, gone to school for tons of different things, but I get bored quickly and want to move on. My family hates it and I've pretty much been the black sheep of the whole family (close and extended).
My extended family is one of the richest/most successful families in the state so there is a lot of pressure on all of us to be successful also. My sister is a very successful personal trainer. Her husband is a liquor rep who makes 100K+/yr. Of my 7 cousins 5 of them are going to ivy league schools. The other two have gotten into the family farm and my 19 year old cousin dexter made approx 150K last year working for the farm...I, on the other hand, just drift from job to job, school to school, making enough to get buy...all the while being criticized by the family, and never happy with my own decisions.

Work background:

In my working life I have been a telemarketer for 6 months, spent 9 years in the restaurant industry, 18 months building houses (framing), 6 months landscaping, 6 months as an auto shop service writer, and am currently going on 3 years as an auto tech (ASE certified master tech, GM diagnostics specialist, GM engine performance specialist, GM blah blah blah...you get it I'm a GM specialist).

School background:

Graduated high school early with a 3.9 GPA. Applied and was accepted to WYOTech but decided not to go 3 days before school started because I "didn't want to spend the rest of my life changing oil." Graduated with a 4.0 GPA from a 2 year program of massage therapy. Went on to take 2 years of pre-med with the intentions of going to chiropractic college, when I dropped out of this I was sitting at a 3.8 GPA. Took a welding certificate program, graduated top of my class in both MIG and TIG, got certified in MIG, was offered a job at the training center but turned it down. Went to a two year tech school and got my AAS in Automotive Service Technology, graduated with a 3.9 GPA, made deans list all 4 semesters, graduated with "highest academic honors." This is where I currently sit.

How my current life situations affect my schooling/work:

When I applied to wyotech I was dating someone who hated my love of cars, which in turn made me turn my back on cars, so I decided not to go. When I was going to massage therapy school I was using it as a way to get into the chiropractic field easier. I had no interest in massage therapy or chiropractics, I had an interest in money. I broke up with earlier mentioned girlfriend and started dating new girlfriend (current wife). New girlfriend was into cars, so I got back into cars. That is when I took my welding classes, went to school for auto.

Now we own a house and are constantly working on it and I'm starting to get bored with the automotive field and get interested in architecture/landscape architecture. Notice a trend? I get bored with something, lose interest, find a new hobby, get too far into hobby, turn hobby into career, start do dislike current career... lather, rise, repeat.


Now with all of that background laid out for all of RHMT to read (or at least the few that made it this far). I ask you this question...Should I just accept that I will never be happy with a career? Go to work every day, punch a clock and enjoy the time that I spend while I'm not there? Or should I continue to go from job to job, school to school until I find the thing that truly makes me happy while being able to support my family?

The only dream I have ever had since I was a child was to one day own my own business. Of all of the things I have done so far none of them seem like the business I would one day like to own. Now all I can think of lately is going back to school for landscape architecture and opening a landscaping business. I'm assuming that after 5 years of schooling I will not like the field any more and will end up not doing it, but there is always a chance...should I do it?

[MTZ]

sound cheezy but follow your dreams, my thing is as long as you are getting by its fine BUT make sure the wife approves of everything (unless you want a new wife) you dont want her to think you are a loser and cant give her stability, or one day a fucking rick p comes around and sweeps her and you become a junkie or something.

[dvst8r]

Story of my life (different jobs, but same story). I wish I could help,  but I am 8 month's into a new career and thinking the same thing. 

[darkelvis]

sound cheezy but follow your dreams, my thing is as long as you are getting by its fine BUT make sure the wife approves of everything (unless you want a new wife) you dont want her to think you are a loser and cant give her stability, or one day a fucking rick p comes around and sweeps her and you become a junkie or something.

unfortunately the dreams change every few years once I get bored.

[patsmx5]

Gotta find your calling. Thankfully, I've known mine since I was 10, and it hasn't changed yet. I agree with MTZ though, make sure the wifey approves. And don't think it's bad that you go from thing to thing learning something, then doing something else. You NEVER know when having that skill or knowledge you learned doing something else will come in handy.

Also I want to do mechanical engineering, but I wouldn't mind being a machinist either. So I'm kinda gonna be an engineer, that also has a machine shop, maybe own my own machine shop one day just to keep the variety up. It's more fun to do stuff than design stuff, but designing makes more money usually.

[chris]

Owning a business is not for everyone. Ever wonder why every business owner is an asshole, there is a reason. My attitude towards people since being a business owner has become very aggressive due to people bitchin about anything they can even though its nothing to worry about.


My stress levels are 10x higher than when I worked for people. Then you get people who think since they sent a couple bucks there way you owe them the world.


Also starting a business now unless you have some amazing idea that will have an ungodly amount of backing is just going to throw you into debt and a year of working for nothing.



If i could do it differently I would. I usually hate 90 percent of my day due to people expecting the best without paying top dollar etc. Its a daily event of Yes sir etc.


Conclusion:Being a business owner is great if your handed a turn key business and make tons of money. If your working and paying your bills and busting your ass your better off working for someone.

[MTZ]

have you thought of doing something that brings an X factor into the mix maybe you dont get as bored and get some good time (couple years or something ) to really think about what you want?  i guess where i am going with this is that most jobs you really do the same shit over and over again try finding a job that you have to troubleshoot and find a way to fix something idk just trying to help.

or why dont you follow your passion with for cars? try opening a home based turbo shop or something

[chris]

have you thought of doing something that brings an X factor into the mix maybe you dont get as bored and get some good time (couple years or something ) to really think about what you want?  i guess where i am going with this is that most jobs you really do the same shit over and over again try finding a job that you have to troubleshoot and find a way to fix something idk just trying to help.

or why dont you follow your passion with for cars? try opening a home based turbo shop or something

You mean speed shop thats a total failure. If you mean general repair and like 1 car for performance a month you might have a chance.


Try doubling your bills every month and try to sell parts to kids who buy chinesse shit off ebay. Aint going to happen.

[92CXyD]

I've been similar situation started college dropout and worked like 15 different jobs.

Then after selling parts for 11yrs. I said fuck I should have finish my Engineering degree and go from there.

You are never to old to go do something else.

Sounds like you have no problems with taking a career risk.

So start a business doing something you want in automotive, landscaping, massage therapy, welding, or what ever.

All it matters, even if your family may not agree, is you are happy and you have not settled in a niche yet.

Just like you we all do not like being unhappy at our jobs.

I say start a business in what ever intrests you. Turbo or tuning shop maybe nice. ;D

[patsmx5]

Yeah no offense, but it's hard as fuck to start your own business. Expect to work 12-16 hour days for 5 years before you stop loosing money consistently. It won't work out unless you make it work out. Most people just get an idea that they'll figure it out as they go, and then it fails. You can't work at Olive Garden for 3 months and quit and open up your own Italian restaurant and expect the business to flourish. You wouldn't know shit. Now, if you had worked at some other Italian restaurant for 10 years, then you might know enough to start your own business after you already saw 1st hand how many things can go wrong, and know how to deal with them, and have a clue about where to get what you need, and how to handle employees, and everything that's involved.

Location is key too. Hope you don't live in Cleavland. 

[Sinister]

Shit, I haven't been through as much in life as you have, but I've changed jobs regularly and have only been with this one for 2 months and don't like the company, might be starting at a different company this week that has better pay and benefits but same job, although I don't think I really like the job. Can't decide if I want to go back to college, and if so where and what would my major be? And just all sorts of shit. I can't get my thoughts situated, nor can I ever seem to get my shit together. Hopefully things work out for you though bro.  :yes: For the record, fuck what your family thinks of you, do what will make YOU happy in life, not them. As long as it gets the bills paid who the fuck cares? At the end of the day, its you who has to live this life, not them.  

[Whitey]

The army is calling your name

[MTZ]

The army is calling your name

you will hate your life and not be able to do anything about it DONT do the army! lol

[chris]

The army is calling your name

you will hate your life and not be able to do anything about it DONT do the army! lol

you hate america dont you.

[skinnye]

Join the national guard, great benefits and they'll pay off all those student loans you have stacked up, 1 weekend a month, 2 weeks a year.

[rsmith2786]

Gotta find your calling. Thankfully, I've known mine since I was 10, and it hasn't changed yet. I agree with MTZ though, make sure the wifey approves. And don't think it's bad that you go from thing to thing learning something, then doing something else. You NEVER know when having that skill or knowledge you learned doing something else will come in handy.

Also I want to do mechanical engineering, but I wouldn't mind being a machinist either. So I'm kinda gonna be an engineer, that also has a machine shop, maybe own my own machine shop one day just to keep the variety up. It's more fun to do stuff than design stuff, but designing makes more money usually.

That is exactly me.

My ex could never decide what she wanted to do and there was nothing I could do to help.  It really bothered her that she coudn't decide what was perfect for her but she was the only one that would really have known what was right.

[Stealthmode]

None of the shit listed in this thread is the answer, or the problem.

Your real problem is that you have this idea that because everyone around you is fronting like life is great, they still have problems. You think that eventually one of these fields or career paths will lead you to the perfect life that others portray, but the fact is that nobodies life is as good as they make it seem, and yours won't be either, so just do something and have fun. Fuck money, fuck impressing some family member. Just do what you want, and the rest will work out.


































Or you'll get bird flu.

[MADMAX]

Or you'll get bird flu.

That shit is so 2004.


It's 2009 nigga, swine flu.

[darkelvis]

None of the shit listed in this thread is the answer, or the problem.

Your real problem is that you have this idea that because everyone around you is fronting like life is great, they still have problems. You think that eventually one of these fields or career paths will lead you to the perfect life that others portray, but the fact is that nobodies life is as good as they make it seem, and yours won't be either, so just do something and have fun. Fuck money, fuck impressing some family member. Just do what you want, and the rest will work out.

Or you'll get bird flu.

It isn't that I have the idea that everyone around me is living a great life...I mean shit, I've got a huge fuckin rockstar house, great wife, bills are paid, take a trip from time to time, 4 cars, etc...  it just seems that no matter what I do I'm just not satisfied at the end of the day.  I don't want a perfect life...I just want to find a career that I will enjoy for more than a few months/few years.  I'm just not sure if it's worth it to start over (again) or just fucking accept that this is it.  Punch the clock, do my shit, at the end of the day go home and try to enjoy what time I have off.



As far as me wanting to own my own business, I have a major issue with authority (which probably stems from having a military father).   I'd rather know that if I'm a failure in life it's because I didn't work hard enough to make it instead of just having a cheap ass shitty boss who won't pay me what I feel I deserve.  I made more in the restaurant industry without any formal training than I do with 12K in schooling and 50K+ in tools, and I was a pissed off miserable mother fucker each and every day of those 9 years.

[MTZ]

The army is calling your name

you will hate your life and not be able to do anything about it DONT do the army! lol

you hate america dont you.

i am in the air force and i kinda felt like the op before i joined and figured that 4 years in the af would be enough time/money to get me centered in something now i cant wait to get out and do something not really sure what though    

the story of our lives lol

[jagojon3]

You're 26, still young. You have a lot of time to figure out what you really want to do.

I wasted 2 years and got a degree that I will never use other than looking nice on a resume and now I am nearly finished with my mechanical engineering degree which is what I really love. 2 years isn't much time wasted really, but it's more than a lot of people I know. Some people take longer than others to figure out what they want, and there ain't a damn thing wrong with that. Don't rush into shit. Grab your woman's breasts every day. Piss people off while making others happy. Forget what your family has done to succeed if it doesn't interest you or feel right. Now if you were 40 and made this thread, then I'd say cut your losses and deal with not being happy at work, just be happy to have a job.

[SpeedyJAY]

Just me, but sounds like you are kind of non-commital about stuff, like when obsticales pop up you try to find the easy way through or give up. If you get into architecture with those traits you wont last long. I am just now taking my ARE exams to be a lisenced architect after 6 years of school and 5+ years in the workforce as an "intern", I often felt the same as you....should I quit...why the hell have I worked 11 years of my life for 40-50k a year.

When I assign a dollar amount to my life, no amount is enough. I stick with architecture because even unemployed I am still doing architecture, volunteering for all kinds of crap. If I take away money then yeah I like what I do, if I think about how little I make compared with the amount of stuff that I do....I hate my career.

Forget your family. My "successful family" totally disintegrated after my grandparents died and left millions in property, businesses, and liquid assests behind. In the process the family business was burned to the ground and one uncle stabbed the other. Family pride and money are never good together, money ultimatly isnt that important, they print more of it everyday. Just do what you do, and be the best you possibly can be at whatever it is. 



....and stop posting on the homemadeherpes website

[Ricky101]

think of something like the Snuggie, it made 1.5 million!

[AstroVannin]

My advice.... FInd somthing thats sustainiable for a "9 to 5" and do somthing you REALLY like afterwards.

Example. I work at the bank durring the day... Hours are lax, the job is simple, has good benefits.

On my own time, I do vinyl graphics, or work on my car(s) or sell parts, or whatever I feel like. But thats the shit I get some actual satisfaction from. If I decided I dont want to make signs anymore... no big deal, I can just stop and move on to somthing else. If I want to work on some more cars, thast fine too. I still have my regular bank paycheck. If for some reason my sign bus. REALLY took off I *might* leave the bank, but the likleyhood of me doing that is almost nil.

Hope thats of some use to you.

[BoostedSchemes]

doing stuff doesnt change how you feel
what you do doesnt really matter im slowly learning this

you can be a happy banker or a sad mechanic
you can be a sad stripper or a happy caddy

i do what i want with the money i make from jobs i dont really enjoy or apply myself in, and about 1 day out of a work week i really like whatever job im doing... i dunno its always gonna change man, thinking you can drift from shitty job to shitty job "looking for what makes you happy" is pretty childish

you make yourself happy, you make yourself sad
get the job that supports your lifestyle then go fuck your wifes throat till shes croaking, drink a beer

[absolutezroo]

What do you do in the Air Force that makes you wanna get out so bad? I bet your supply arn't you?

[darkelvis]

Just me, but sounds like you are kind of non-commital about stuff, like when obsticales pop up you try to find the easy way through or give up. If you get into architecture with those traits you wont last long. I am just now taking my ARE exams to be a lisenced architect after 6 years of school and 5+ years in the workforce as an "intern", I often felt the same as you....should I quit...why the hell have I worked 11 years of my life for 40-50k a year.

When I assign a dollar amount to my life, no amount is enough. I stick with architecture because even unemployed I am still doing architecture, volunteering for all kinds of crap. If I take away money then yeah I like what I do, if I think about how little I make compared with the amount of stuff that I do....I hate my career.

Forget your family. My "successful family" totally disintegrated after my grandparents died and left millions in property, businesses, and liquid assests behind. In the process the family business was burned to the ground and one uncle stabbed the other. Family pride and money are never good together, money ultimatly isnt that important, they print more of it everyday. Just do what you do, and be the best you possibly can be at whatever it is. 



....and stop posting on the homemadeherpes website

Yes, I am very non-committal about shit, but it isn't that something pops up so I get out of it...It's just that I get bored easily and will decide that I don't feel like doing it any more.

my posts on homemadeherpes are to either:
A:get more people here or
B:flame the fuck out of the new retards there....

I probably have like 10 posts there since RHMT came up.

[Conceptz-X]

Sit on a vacant beach staring at the waves coming in for however long it takes and sooner or later you'll figure something out.  

Just something I used to do when I needed to figure shit out.

[chris]

Alot of your non ability to stick with your choice is also because you have a blanket of support behind you that allows you to jump around.


Most people dont have that option and hence why you see the same dude at the same place forever

[MTZ]

What do you do in the Air Force that makes you wanna get out so bad? I bet your supply arn't you?

icbm maintenance, cool job BUT 2 much crap around it ... plus montana sucks