I’m a 36(M) and I have essentially held the same creative profession for almost 10 years. My resume is solid but because my profession is more of a craft and I’m the only person in my department, there has never been an opportunity to move up.
Two years ago I was laid off for the first time and that led me to my current job, which I’m overqualified for. The benefits are solid, the job is extremely secure, and I can retire in 20 years with a pension if I stay long term. I’ll be secure but not wealthy.
I just don’t have the energy (or identity) to be a careerist. I don’t want to excel. I care about the quality of my work but I don’t want to suck up to bosses who are narcissistic to achieve a promotion. I feel like I would betray my values by doing that. (I don’t have kids and I might feel different if I did.) But I’m far more interested in pursuing a passion and creating a life outside of a career. Part of me feels like I’m settling and giving up. The other part of me wonders what would happen if I tried to pursue my passions for yoga, writing fiction, and reviewing movies on social media.
Thought of the day:
Is it important to care about the prospects of my career if I haven’t moved up in 10 years or should I settle and start focusing on building my life outside of my job?