I'm bored with work and life in general...

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Mathias

Mathias

Here's the skinny. I have essentially what everyone begs for. A good wife. A good career in biotech consulting, and I'm a professor at a community college. I've got kids. I've settled down. I get it. But I am so fucking bored with the day in, day out routine that my life has become.

It's to the point where I'm sitting in my office hoping for something interesting to happen everyday. My job(s) aren't really all that challenging for me, nor satisfying to that extent. They pay really well though.

I hate to sound cliched, but I would give anything to have some adventure in my life. I'm seriously debating whether or not I want to spend the next 30 years doing what I do (essentially being a lab rab/ lab rat professor). I would give anything to be able to travel around and see the world; see some exotic locales that I've not yet visited.

I told my wife, I'd like to possibly consider becoming a PA state trooper. She thinks I'm nuts, and that I'm going through an early mid-life crisis. I know there are a couple of cops on the board? How do you guys like it? Is it interesting on a daily basis? I initially wanted to work for the FBI. A couple years ago, I got to phase II of the training and decided to put everything on hiatus due to finical reasons, and because my wife didn't want to move around the country. With PA trooper, I'd be taking a major paycut, and I might have to move to another part of PA. I think that career would better suit my personality and lifestyle. I'm a really outgoing guy, and being stuck in a building behind a computer for most of the day is killing me.

I dunno, I've had a really boring last couple of months. It just feels like I'm going through the routines until I retire...
 
sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

Sabbatical, do interesting things like field research, in South America or Africa... there's a lot to do in your field where you keep your job and get a little adventure on the side.

Get a mountain biking hobby... train for a triathlon (it is what my bro does because he is no longer hanging out of helicopters to take pictures.) a physical hobby or just exercise blows away a lot of that drudgery.
 
Espy

Espy

I can't speak to the cop thing but yeah, I'm with the other folks, hobbies are where it's at.
 
strawman

strawman

That's why I quit my job last year and started doing consulting. Mostly my job consists of meeting with a client, telling them, "Oh sure, I can do that, no problem," then getting home and going, "How in the world am I going to do that?"

Suffice to say, operating at the edge of my capability keeps me well entertained with learning new things and stretching myself.

I suspect that you'd find becoming a state trooper to be boring 95% or more of the time, and the exciting bits aren't as much fun as they might seem to be. In other words, you'd end up right back where you are now, but with lower pay.

It seems to me that a lot of what people are craving when they say they are bored is something that is outside their comfort zone - that pushes them creatively, mentally, or otherwise and forces them to use their head rather than go through a routine, sleepwalking most of the day.

A lot of people choose to do the job ("It's not what I am, it's simply what I do") and have hobbies or other interests on the side, and the pursuit of perfection, excellence, etc in the hobby stimulates the creative parts of the brain enough that they are fine going back to work the next day, going through the routine, knowing that they've got a neat problem to solve waiting at home.

Others simply switch job every 2-3 years. It takes about that long to turn a fun, exciting, challenging position into something boring, and each new job has a different set of challenges. Unless you're in an area bursting with companies that need your talent, though, it can involve a lot of moving.

I found that I couldn't have a boring job, a creative hobby, and enough family time, so I chose to try to turn my creative hobby into my job.

You've got to do what will make you happy, because playing the rat in the maze day in and day out will simply turn you into a vegetable.
 
Mathias

Mathias

sixpackshaker said:
Sabbatical, do interesting things like field research, in South America or Africa... there's a lot to do in your field where you keep your job and get a little adventure on the side.

Get a mountain biking hobby... train for a triathlon (it is what my bro does because he is no longer hanging out of helicopters to take pictures.) a physical hobby or just exercise blows away a lot of that drudgery.
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I really can't take any sort of sabbaticals (I don't have tenure), or travel far off since I have kids.

Although, the mountain biking thing sounds like a good idea.
 
Jay

Jay

You know, in some ways... I get what you mean but I always manage to get away a few days to regain some of my sanity. What do you do to you know... keep you stimulated? Beyond watching hockey and marital commitments?
 
Docseverin

Docseverin

Join the Army, become a Ranger. Go to exotic locales, me the locals and then kill them for their resources! I know so many people who joined after graduating from prestigious schools such as Harvard Law and Northwestern Medical school, just to get in some adventure before the grind that is life. So come on over, shoot some guns, get blowed up and enjoy the ride.
 
Jay

Jay

For example... in 2010 I discovered Mountain Hiking (with the woman or a friend only, no kids, good god), going to the Spa somewhere up North (i love sweden.. due to swedish massages!) and most interestingly enough, cooking.

Dude, I love cooking and making drinks for party guests.
 
sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

Mathias said:
I really can't take any sort of sabbaticals (I don't have tenure), or travel far off since I have kids.

Although, the mountain biking thing sounds like a good idea.
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The sabbatical was more of a goal, some thing to plan in the back of your head while you are waiting for the spectrograph (or whatever the hell you use) to go, "ding!"

Get a few more bills covered and get one of those "sell-out" 4-door wranglers, used, to abuse with the family unit in tow. If I was still doing the adventure sports, it would be my next choice in a car.
 
Mathias

Mathias

Jay said:
You know, in some ways... I get what you mean but I always manage to get away a few days to regain some of my sanity. What do you do to you know... keep you stimulated? Beyond watching hockey and marital commitments?
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Well I play hockey too.

I was thinking of taking up snowboarding.
 
ThatNickGuy

ThatNickGuy

Hobbies, as others have suggested.

What about challenging yourself in other ways? For example, I always enjoy challening myself, physically. As a result, I've grown to love being an urban cyclist. Would it be possible to, say, bike to and from work? Or, I don't know how much of a handyman you are, but maybe do some house improvements?
 
C

Chibibar

Bored with life? You can always do something with the kids at home or have activities with them. Take up paintball ;) (expensive hobby) good times with the kids (assuming over 12?) maybe take a week or two vacation to some country or even another state. Do a drive to a random state each year or something (2-3 week vacation)
 
J

Jiarn

Kids? Pffft, he said entertaining and interesting.

(total joke, I'm a father and spend time with them more than I have time in the day)
 
Mathias

Mathias

Kids are age 6 and below, with a newborn on the way. I'm really kinda just bored with work; not really my social life.
 
Piotyr

Piotyr

Hobbies would be a good way to supplement work that may be a little boring. Could even be something that involves work-related skills that you just don't have the freedom to do at work.

Of course, that also runs the risk of burnout, or that you are working all the time.

If there were something you always wanted to try to learn, though, and it's possible to either teach yourself or take classes to learn either nearby or online, it would be another way to keep things fresh.
 
Jay

Jay

Most of us are my man.

I took a pay cut last year (not a big one but close to 10k) to do this job I absolutely fucken love. I get loads of room to do my shit, can work from home at a reasonable rate and my boss is incredible. I got most of that money back anyways from overtime and bonuses.
 
sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

With your science background, instead of looking at being a patrol officer, look into working the crime lab. There have been reports of guys with your IQ level getting passed over for police jobs, because you would get bored with it.
 
Dave

Dave

Staff member
Not to sound like a prick but suck it up, man. I know where you are at but with kids that age you don't really have a choice other than to man up & grind it out. It sucks. You'll hate it. But why are you doing what you are doing? Is it for personal fulfillment or for your family? Up until you had a wife & kids you could do anything you wanted. I know it's not what you want to hear but let's turn it around. What would you tell me if I posted the exact same thing?
 
Mathias

Mathias

Dave said:
Not to sound like a prick but suck it up, man. I know where you are at but with kids that age you don't really have a choice other than to man up & grind it out. It sucks. You'll hate it. But why are you doing what you are doing? Is it for personal fulfillment or for your family? Up until you had a wife & kids you could do anything you wanted. I know it's not what you want to hear but let's turn it around. What would you tell me if I posted the exact same thing?
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I know, Dave. Normally that is my attitude, but if I have to trudge into work day in and day out for 30 years hating it, I'm going to put a gun in my mouth.
 
Espy

Espy

Daves right, BUT if you guys can survive on less money and you can do something that you don't hate thats not a terrible goal to have.
 
Cajungal

Cajungal

Staff member
There are some people I know who have not stayed in one job for more than 5 years. They're not as comfortable as they could be, but they are not poor. Maybe you'll be able to think of some skills you can put to use and still make a good living for your loved ones. I don't want to be too nosy about money details, but would y'all have to make any drastic lifestyle changes if you did become a state trooper?

I've felt somewhat the same things, except I'm not responsible for anyone but myself right now. It must be tough sometimes to know that you can't break free and do what you like any time you want to. Maybe in a few years you could involve your kids in some exciting activities like camping or hiking. I'm sure that you'll find a way through this rough patch.
 
Mathias

Mathias

I think it's the type of work, not really the line of work. I thought being a professor would be fun and exciting. Instead, it's mind numbingly slow, and full of administrative bull. It's not Harvard, so the the kids I teach are... dumb (for lack of a better word). The only real group I enjoy teaching are the adult night class folk. They genuinely have interest in the subjects I teach, which makes it fun and stimulating.

As far as consulting goes. I like the money. That's it.
 
strawman

strawman

Wait, you're a professor? Are you in a research university, or a teaching school? If the latter, searching out a position in a research university might give you back some of the creative meaning you probably enjoyed as a student. Of course, then you are expected to bring in a certain amount of grants per year, and it's a different nightmare, but one that may be more suited to your liking.

Unfortunately, students are dumb by definition. It seems that the teachers who really enjoy their work are somehow able to derive enough satisfaction out of the one student per semester that truly gets it and enjoys it - enough satisfaction from that one student that gets them through all the other students that are merely there to fill the requirements.
 
Fun Size

Fun Size

Have you considered taking up a drug habit? Properly budgeted, a crack addiction can take a fair amount of the sting out of the boredom of life without hitting your pocketbook too hard. As an added bonus, you get the adventure of hiding your newly aquired habit from friends and family who might otherwise interfere.
 
Azurephoenix

Azurephoenix

Do you have any creative hobbies? Music, art, photgraphy, etc? I find that my music and my interest in making crappy movies/special effects helps get me through the drudgery of dull repetitious work.
 
strawman

strawman

Fun Size said:
Have you considered taking up a drug habit? Properly budgeted, a crack addiction can take a fair amount of the sting out of the boredom of life without hitting your pocketbook too hard. As an added bonus, you get the adventure of hiding your newly aquired habit from friends and family who might otherwise interfere.
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I'm not sure that liking this is the proper response, but you made me lol, you get a like.
 
Officer_Charon

Officer_Charon

Speaking for myself, being a patrol officer goes somewhat beyond the mind-numbing tedium usually described, because you rarely even get a chance to exercise your brain. Usually it's drive, take the damned barking dog call at the same location for the 4th time that week, even though the dog isn't barking when you get there, pull over a car that you HOPE has something in it, write the ticket with a bitter sense of futility when you don't find a reason to search it, and send them on their way.

I get an honest sense of satisfaction from most of the people I deal with, because they tell me that I'm the nicest cop that they've met, and they wish that more were like me. But then I get two people in a week (admittedly, both were drunk AND high on pain meds, whee! ) tell me that I'm a horrible human being. I don't care about their doped-out opinions, but drunks are high on my list of blood pressure-peaking inducers.

It sounds to me that while you would enjoy something with a physical side to it, were you unable to stretch your brain, that would end up driving you nuts. Plus, as others have stated, you're bringing in teh phat lewt right now.

There's always contracting in Sandland... do three tours and retire happy. *grins wryly*

In all seriousness, a federal law enforcement gig might be right up your alley. Just be advised, there WILL be a gratuitous amount of tedium involved there, too. With the addition that you don't get the satisfied feeling from seeing something created.

Didn't mean to get tl;dr, but just a few thoughts on the subject. Do what makes you happy. Law enforcement DOES have it's fun moments, and I love this job and just about everything that comes with it, but consider the totality of your circumstances.
 
phil

phil

My folks started camping a few years back and that totally revitalized them. It's cheaper than a normal vacation, gets you away from the real world and you can bring kids pretty easily.

When they're feeling stressed they just pack up and go. Takes about an hour of packing before hand, hour and a half drive time, 30 minutes to set up once there.
 
Mathias

Mathias

phil said:
My folks started camping a few years back and that totally revitalized them. It's cheaper than a normal vacation, gets you away from the real world and you can bring kids pretty easily.

When they're feeling stressed they just pack up and go. Takes about an hour of packing before hand, hour and a half drive time, 30 minutes to set up once there.
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I love to camp, fish, hike, and ruin nature by off-roading through it. I wish my wife wasn't such a wimp, and would want to come with from time to time without being a distraction or royal pain.

The last time I took her anywhere like that was in 2007; it was an offroading/camping excursion with me and four other Jeep buddies. She was cool with the camping part -as much as any prissy girl can be, I guess - but when it came to the offroading part she was a pain in the ass to have along.

"Oh my God, we're not going up that hill." "You can't ruin this car, you need it to drive to work." "Holy shit you just scrapped your car on that rock!"

It didn't help that the one guy that tagged along for the Jeep trip acted like he'd never fucked anyone but his sister for 12 years, and made advances towards my wife at every moment she was 10 feet away from me.




__

Thanks for all the advice, guys. I've "slept" on it for a week now, and I'm not going to be making any drastic career changes. As Dave said, I've made my bed and now I have to suck it up - for the time being at least. I'm going to try and get more active in terms of picking up some new hobbies.

I think I'm going to take up writing and snowboarding. At least until my midlife crisis blows over. :)
 
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