Ask Lemmy

You're not crazy. If you're making enough to live on and you're happy, then I'm not sure what else a person could ask for.

For my part, I have a decent job in healthcare, making a good salary by any measure, but it's emotionally strenuous on the best of days and I dream of quitting to go start a flower farm. The bad days are utterly soul-sucking, so I absolutely cannot do this kind of work for another 18 years (when I'll turn 54 too), so I fully intend to do similarly to you once I am financially secure enough. Definitely not retail for me though; I got enough of that in my college days. 😛

I went the other way around, I was a central heating engineer and plumber in my youth and even if I liked the work a lot I hated the winters, it's so cold in a building without heating. So I switched to factory work, the payment was better and it was always a comfortable temperature, but it was so extramly boring. And I just couldn't do it and resigned after 3 years.

So I switched careers again, went to school and eventually to university at 30 years old and then gör a job in a small startup working a lot with open source and the colleagues were all very smart and nice. The startup got bought up by a big company and it got a bit worse, but more stable when it comes to projects. After 10 years I still work at this company even though I moved to a different continent, etc.

I have been working from home since covid and people trust me to do my job so they don't bother me, it's very nice.

I went from being a highly technical CIO/CTO for most of my career, to becoming a bartender. I adore it, couldn’t be happier, and now am studying to become a sommelier. I still do occasional cybersecurity and tech compliance consulting when a project piques my interest, but very rarely. I absolutely loved IT, but getting out when I did (~2 years ago) saved my sanity and health. Now I do a lot of home automation programming for myself to scratch the tech itch. Best of luck!

you remind me of me in some ways. I can't do what you do though as my wife has a lot of medical issues and its all on my pay. I must find something.

I dropped out of the IT game before I even started (dropped out of an IT qualification 20yrs ago), and can honestly say it was totally worth it.

Now I spend some happy evenings working on IT side projects related to my main career (entertainment) and it's fun. I even make extra cash doing freelance programming but because it's not my main hustle I get to choose to say no.

What I'm saying is while you are at the hardware doing what you enjoy, there is nothing stopping you from doing freelance IT work on the side, just look for the projects that inspire you. It's not all or nothing decision..

I noticed when I do volunteer work I look forward to getting my hands dirty and the physical labor involved. I quip to my wife that I'm going to go be a mailman or learn a trade, etc., but I'm semi-serious. 20+ years of ups and downs and it feels like IT is valued in general less and less. Even if a company does everything "right" like the video describes... a lot of companies are still quite toxic to work for overall. It's compounded by the fact that changing jobs in the field is painful now with multiple interviews required, etc. in a very crowded pool of talent.

Do it. It's not like it has to be permanent if you end up not liking it.

I'm at a stage where I wouldn't mind a job that kills some of my love for something, like IT which I do have a passion for, in order to knock out the rest of my bills and build a safety net. One year at that rate would dismantle the remaining bills plaguing me.

I had what should have been my dream job. I absolutely hated it and everything about it broke me and made me suicidally depressed. I took a lower paying job without all the responsibilities and long commute. I was surprisingly happy there.

For a while, I felt bad that I’d “demoted” myself. Then I reshaped my thinking to the following: I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. I can do whatever the hell I want. Never cared again.

Thank you for sharing this! I was a software engineer for over 10 years and was let go with most of my department in June. I've been coasting on SUB payments, enjoying the temporary freedom, and learning sooo much about myself. I've been applying to similar jobs, but the longer I've been away from that world, the less I want to go back to it. So much of me wants to run to a job I always wanted growing up - a barista, and restart my photography business which I had to drop as it was too much to balance with a full-time job. I've been mentally stuck the last few months trying to figure out what I want to do... it's nice to read something from someone in a slightly similar situation who is also considering a completely different path. I wish you the best of luck on your new journey, and I hope you find happiness in whatever work you decide on!

"Heaven in hardware" has been my retirement goal for quite a while. Chase your dream!

You've got the right idea, that video is spot on. I quit software for "work" in 2010 and moved to a job working for myself (self directed) doing work that I felt mattered (purpose driven) and that was work that required constant self improvement, both mental and physical (mastery). I'm no longer behind a desk, I meet new people every day and I am much happier. I also write more software now than I ever did at "work," because I write software with the express intent of supporting my self-employment endeavors - and not for anybody else.

As a religious studies researcher both sysadmin and hard labor give me joy because they’re solvable problems and working with my hands

Its good to destress sometimes

Not at all, I stepped down from a sysadmin gig for a job with less responsibility, more pay and now, after a couple of ownership changes, I'm working for a bigger company than I ever would have otherwise.

83k?? I've been in IT for 2 years and I'm about making that much. Would more money help? Maybe job hop to a company that fits your vibe better?