Straw poll – turning 46, good time to quit?
I think about my future most when I am behind my wheels. Of the different encounters you get on the road – traffic jams, Singaporean drivers, radio news, trivials and songs, the pedestrians, rain on the windscreen, morning sun in the eyes and so on, the traffic jams jolts me down the memory lane. It reminds me of my job – a job that I’ve been in for more than 20 years. I’m in a jam and I wonder if it’s my fault or it’s others fault or it’s the government’s fault or my company’s fault that I’m caught in this jam. Rather than finding faults, I started thinking about solutions.
1. Change route
2. Change time
3. Take public transport
4. Take a break at the service station
5. Quit
Trust me – over the past two years, I worked very hard at exploring Options 1, 2 and 3. Which means I’ve been checking out head hunters and prospective employers. But I came to nothing. I figured that being an MD, these are not easy options to pursue.
Hence, in the last one year, I decided to think seriously about Options 4 and 5. I also started reminiscing the sweet old days when I think hard before I buy an expensive pair of shoes or go on a holiday. Money means a lot more back then but I was happier. Money means less now and I feel I am less happy.
So let’s run a poll here:
1. Are money and happiness actually inversely correlated?
2. Should one look at a career switch at age 46?
1. No to certain extent. The happy number is 75,000 a year.
http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2010/09/07/the-perfect-salary-for-happiness-75000-a-year/
2. Yes.
Interesting article – thanks! It’s a worthwhile research topic in the area of social economics. I think the crux of the matter is that for most of us, money has to be “made” and the costs of “making” that money include your time, your physical energy, your emotion, your brain cells etc. Each of these “costs of production” can be quantified in monetary terms too. So if you do a proper income accounting, your net income from your bank account balance to the number of grey hair might be net negative. That’s the point…
Basically… I should start buying the Big Sweep every month and Toto every week.
Haha. We should be tagged to a giant ledger book when we are born. This way we can make the bestest decisions.
1. only for losers
2. don’t think people in this industry (especially the successful ones) have any other useful skills. given that you are a MD, which should means u are at least fairly successful.. then no pls don’t change career unless u have to.
That is hilarious !! Great !!
Yes. I also believe in quitting on your own terms.
Only when you are ready and never a minute too late or too early.
No… how can you say that? Of course I have sellable general skills such as the art of deception… I’m also highly numeric. Surely that would be enough to run a profitable kachang puteh store.
Seriously, I am looking forward to a service break. You think about it – when we were in schools, we get big breaks a year. Most of the people have big leave entitlements just so as to have them forfeited.