How come I am 25 years old..

[Breakage]

Is there an idea that you consistently come back to? That's what I decided on. I kept coming back to an idea over all these years and decided I'm going to act on it. I'm 27 and just enrolled back into school. I'm going to have to bust my ass for the next several years but the end result will be something that I actually want to do.

 

[TalkinNoise]

Brother I'm 21 and you know what's helped me? Spending less time on the computer and experiencing more life hands on. Conversations, jobs, hands on experiences in general, etc...

Granted I'm only taking time off school to work, but in doing things like this for two years, I found a kind of, I don't know, emotional maturity? Like not book smarts, but a better understanding of myself, which in turn has helped my direction.

Also, set short term goals. Celebrate when you accomplish them, long term stuff will build off that. Enjoy life and meet some folks. Start by doing one thing different, a new class, spending an hr at the library, etc.... it can start with anything. I know it's a bit trickier for you since you got a kid, but I trust you'll find a way to make that general philosophy to work somehow. Involve your son and take him to a farm, or a gym... anything.

One way you're not going to figure it out is sitting at the computer 'brainstorming', direction needs to come hands on.

Take care and good luck man

 

[WandySaku2]

I'm it this position, too. 30, no kids, a GF that's pointed out to me on a few occasions about my lack of ambition/being fine with mediocrity (I've come to grips that I'll probably lose her because of it), no real prospects on an enjoyable career. As sad as it all sounds, I'm not bent out of shape about it. I'm happy 90% of the time, and just enjoy living life and enjoying it for what it is (I guess it's my good ol' southern boy attitude).

I've been taking coding lessons online (since it seems like a need from here on out and partially spurred on by the gf). Maybe I'll start enjoying it once I get a good grasp on it, and it does at least satisfy my interest in building and problem/puzzle solving.

 

[platfox]

And have no clue what career I want for my life? I have a women and a 6 year old son. We live in an apartment and make just enough money to survive comfortably. I haven't gone to college and I work in a food flavor facility mixing ingredients into batches.

I've had ideas that I wanted to act on but all of the passion in them seems to fade within a week or two.

How many of you have dealt with and overcome this?

You probably don't know what you want to do because you haven't had the luxury of being able to ponder it. Having a kid at 19 limits your options. But you're still young. Figure out what you want to do and slowly work towards it. I'm assuming the first 6 years of having a kid are tougher than the second 6 years so get on it and find a career. Try not to be 35 asking the same question (though it's not uncommon nowadays to switch careers in your 30's as well).

 

[Wolveswithkeys]

Ive considered Programming, Architect or engineering, science fields such as geology or chemistry, Website design, starting a business, Starting a business that designs websites...

The latest being the website design starting out freelancing and then possibly forming a business out of it.

Most involve going to college; I feel as if the answer will never be clear. maybe I should just start a path and stick with it regardless of how my intuition feels.

I'm an Architect it's fun work.

 

[Michaelangelo]

My friend is in your shoes. He's a security guard and really is lost. He tried school but just couldn't keep up with it. His fianc

 

[papitodd]

Making money is the only reason I do what I currently do. I'm a foreman for a company, and it's cool, but I don't give a shit about any of it. It's not meaningful or progressive, it's just work. I work, I get paid, I go home. There's nothing to it. No fulfillment.

Fucked up thing is, I know that I feel empty in this position, but I have no fuckin clue what kind of position would make me feel fulfilled. So I just stick around doing the same shit. The bills aren't going to stop coming while I'm trying to figure it out, that's for sure.

The American Dream, holmes. Do what you can for your family and yourself and understand that your life is more than your occupation.

 

[Yellowking]

And have no clue what career I want for my life? I have a women and a 6 year old son. We live in an apartment and make just enough money to survive comfortably. I haven't gone to college and I work in a food flavor facility mixing ingredients into batches.

I've had ideas that I wanted to act on but all of the passion in them seems to fade within a week or two.

How many of you have dealt with and overcome this?

Join the Military, try to get them to pay for school. Do something with engineering, computers/programming, or finance. Your still young, do this and your 30s will be great.

 

[BearGrounds]

The American Dream, holmes. Do what you can for your family and yourself and understand that your life is more than your occupation.

The American Dream isn't my dream, holmes.

 

[Bebop]

The American Dream, holmes. Do what you can for your family and yourself and understand that your life is more than your occupation.

you must have not gotten the memo. the new american dream is to act entitled then sue anyone who offends you.

 

[Quadrivium]

How come? Probably because careers advisers are shit. And maybe your parents weren't equipped with the right knowledge and experience to give you a broad scope career/business wise.

If I were you.. I'd read some excellent books (or download the audiobooks and listen on your ipod)

- Think and grow rich (doesn't just apply to financial riches)

- Rich dad / Poor dad

- How to win friends and influence people

Enjoy

 

[NelmarksGhost]

Damn. Some soul crushing talk going on in here.



^^^^
wtf? Rich dad poor dad? Where the idiot advises everyone to get rich flipping houses? Talk about bad advice.

 

[DoomAndDarkness**]

And have no clue what career I want for my life? I have a women and a 6 year old son. We live in an apartment and make just enough money to survive comfortably. I haven't gone to college and I work in a food flavor facility mixing ingredients into batches.

I've had ideas that I wanted to act on but all of the passion in them seems to fade within a week or two.

How many of you have dealt with and overcome this?

That's crazy. You have a kid. You need to man up and stop worrying about 'what you want to do with your life' and make your #1 priority providing for your kid. That should be all that matters. Appeal to family members and see if anyone can hook you up with a better paying job. In the meantime, take every scrap of overtime you can get. Find out how to get more money doing what you're doing now. Ask about night shifts or whatever they offer that pays better.

In your free time, go to job interviews or study online and try to get some credentials doing something better. Save money. Get a loan and go to school part time in your free time when you aren't at work.

 

[BulldogWrestler]

I can sort of relate. I'm 26 and back living at home after dropping nursing school, it just wasn't for me. I got my undergrad in Health/Kines sciences as a precursor to physical therapy school but didn't have the grades to get in and now looking into a career change because I just don't feel like retaking some heavy science prerequisites for a year to get my grades up without any guarantee of getting in.

I've been looking into getting a post-bacc certificate in Accounting and make a career out of it. At this point I just want a job that pays decently.

 

[Blackened]

I was a bass player when I was younger, developed into a guitarist. I put a lot of years in woodshedding to learn to play.

I could probably give lessons but its not something thats going to make me a lot of money.

Thats the thing. Once I started creeping up on 30, I realized I needed to find something that was going to provide for me and my family, regardless of how fun it is.

I actually know a few guys who I used to gig with who still are out there playing for $100 on the weekend here and there.

Same here man. Music was my thing. Started guitar at 10, picked up bass, piano at 16 picked up drums at 20, violin and mandolin at 21. I'm a master of my craft and have played shows, but I've never found the right group of people to stick around long enough to do anything with it.

Even then, the most I've ever been payed was $40 and I've played in front of 1000 people.

Decided to go back to college at 23 because... well, you know... fuck being a starving artist. I also know guys in their 30's that are still chasing their dreams, selling out, play music they don't like so the can have some spare cash... fuck that. I'll just finish my education and if a music project happens along the way I'll take it but it's not that important to me anymore

 

[Leverage]

What's the source of your enjoyment?
Maybe you never got enjoyment from studying certain fields or subjects.
Maybe the source of your enjoyment comes from that feeling of freedom and having quality time to explore whatever takes your fancy as opposed to feeling tied down to one thing.

Either way, Time is money. Don't waste/sacrafice your time any longer than you feel you need too. Learn to leverage you're efforts over time for the best return on your initial time investment.

With some people you spend an evening, with others you invest it.
Put that time into developing the skills for whatever will pay the best, make someone pay you to do the things you'd otherwise pay them to do or allow yourself to sit where you are if you're content with life. There's gonna have to be some sacrafice of your time somewhere, make it count.

It doesn't have to be about money either. Find out how you want to live, how your wife wants to live, and how you want your son to live and then make the sacrafices necessary to make it happen.

 

[Quadrivium]

Damn. Some soul crushing talk going on in here.



^^^^
wtf? Rich dad poor dad? Where the idiot advises everyone to get rich flipping houses? Talk about bad advice.

Or the one where it explains in a very simple way how successful people and wage slaves tend to think very differently.

Interesting that you haven't added anything of merit, only dissed other people's attempt at advising someone.

I'm guessing you're not particularly successful yourself. And possibly a little bitter about it.

 

[AznTrojan]

TS is too content with his current situation.. you'll be happier when you get out of a dead end job and starting climb that ladder to a career

does your job pay for any educational opportunities?

 

[Seano]

Same here man. Music was my thing. Started guitar at 10, picked up bass, piano at 16 picked up drums at 20, violin and mandolin at 21. I'm a master of my craft and have played shows, but I've never found the right group of people to stick around long enough to do anything with it.

Even then, the most I've ever been payed was $40 and I've played in front of 1000 people.

Decided to go back to college at 23 because... well, you know... fuck being a starving artist. I also know guys in their 30's that are still chasing their dreams, selling out, play music they don't like so the can have some spare cash... fuck that. I'll just finish my education and if a music project happens along the way I'll take it but it's not that important to me anymore

Yeah, it can come off sort of douchey to claim you're a good musician, but hey, I spent a good portion of my teen years and 20's practicing and studying. I'm a better musician than a lot of the hacks that were selling millions back in the 90s. Its one thing that I'm sort of bitter about, that that one thing I put so much time into and loved so much got me nowhere. I actually stopped playing all together for a few years.

Thats what is so crushing about it. Some of the best musicians I've ever heard, no one else will ever hear because they don't fit in with whatever shitty trend is going on in music.

 

[D Train]

I see work as a means to an end, plain and simple. I don't enjoy what I do and probably never will regardless of what role I am performing but I know it allows me and my family to live a comfortable lifestyle.

Maybe you need to focus on that rather than a defined career path.

Clearly, more people need to adopt this mindset. Work doesn't have to be fulfilling. You want fulfillment, volunteer at a homeless shelter, join a group that does meaningful work, raise money for a cause you believe in, whatever. There's no perfect job. Too many people get paralyzed looking for something that doesn't exist.
North Dakota is a wide open market for people who don't mind hard work. There is a job boom there due to the oil pipelines. They can't fill positions fast enough. Big salaries. Big signing bonuses. There's an option.