Why do so many people hate their jobs?
Bio-chemistry is upstream of everything
Last week, I said that bio-chemistry is upstream of everything.
By this I meant that bio-chemistry is upstream of your success in life including promotions and career change…both of which can seem scary but which are easier when you are full of energy and confidence.
Your bio-chemistry dictates your health, your energy levels and your ability to do hard things. Your bio-chemistry determines your lived experience. It acts as the prism through which you see the world.
Just to be clear, this was an argument for health, wellness and the fundamentals of sleep, circadian rhythm, nutrition and exercise.
This was NOT an argument for the current medical paradigm where depression is treated in the first instance by prescribing anti-depressant pills and where lifestyle changes are either completely ignored or downplayed.
Back to the dopamine problem
A brief reminder of the importance of dopamine.
Dopamine is the The Molecule of More and it feels good. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter responsible for motivation, desire, pursuit, movement and drive.
So if you have a problem with motivation, you probably have a dopamine problem.
Here are the signs of a burned out dopamine system:
procrastination: you don't do The Thing
you can't finish a book
continual doom-scrolling, surfing and flitting online
inability to access a flow state
low libido
inability to focus
mood swings
anxiety
The good news is that these symptoms are all fixable if you address the root causes.
The excess consumption of any cheap thrill (junk food, gambling, drugs, alcohol, shopping, porn, social media etc) can burn out your dopamine system and lead to a state of listless demotivation. This explains a lot about the modern world.
What role does career play in depression?
Depression and anxiety can be complicated.
So this is not to say that depression doesn’t have a range of contributory factors, the exact mix of which will vary between different people. Obviously there are a range of factors that contribute to depression.
This includes your career choice and how you feel about your work.
Do you feel like you are learning? Do you feel like you are paid your market worth? Do you feel like there is a purpose to what you do…even if it’s just supporting a family (I don’t mean to downplay this - it’s actually a really big deal).
I’m currently reading Tell Yourself A Better Lie by Marissa Peer (a therapist & counsellor) who has this to say on the subject:
In my experience, I have found that there are generally three broad reasons people experience depression…
The first is not following a person’s heart or desire. Countless times I’ve met with clients who dreamed of being an actor or musician in their lives but, for whatever reason, ended up doing something else.
While their lives may look more than adequate on the surface, they have a strong conviction inside of them that they were meant to do something else. Until they heed that, it’s difficult for them to feel like they are fulfilling their lives or ever will.
While having a strong calling and denying it is one manifestation of this cause, it can be more prosaic than that too. Too many people in the modern world have jobs where they don’t feel like they have any agency or make any impact on their community or the people around them.
These kind of jobs - where people spend their time day in, day out without any real tangible outcome for their efforts - can certainly cause depression too. We can’t spend the majority of our lives doing things that don’t bring any satisfaction or meaning and not expect to pay a price.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that everyone has to become an actor or musician. Indeed being a hairdresser, builder or driver can bring great satisfaction is workers are treated well and feel like they have a connection to the people and community they serve or work for.
This is not wrong.
The problem is that the supply of wannabe artists, footballers, popstars, musicians, poets and novelists greatly exceeds the demand for their services. Observe the queues around the block of hopefuls for the auditions of “Britain’s Got Talent” and similar.
This is one reasons why “Just Follow Your Passion” can be such bad advice for young people.
What if they are passionate about being a singer but can’t sing? (most talent show entertainment relies on this unfortunate paradox).
And how would the average 21 year old even know what their true passion is?
What is my solution?
Maybe we have to spend some years toughening up? Maybe we have to spend some years doing a job that isn’t our dream or our passion? Maybe the passion comes later (e.g. via a side-hustle) as we find our way and build skills, experience and mastery?
But if you are doing a job that doesn’t feed your soul, it is VITAL that you don’t fritter the money away on fleeting dopamine hits (see above).
If you are doing a job for the money (most of us), then it’s vital that you create a surplus and put that money to work in your compounding machine. This buys you options in the future.
Having a cash emergency fund means being able to wait say 3-6 months for a good job to come around after you get laid off, rather than having to take the first one you find. That can be life changing.
Having some investments means you are getting off the back foot and onto the front foot in life. Now there is no reason to be terrified of your boss. Paradoxically, that will likely make you more confident and better at your job and thus less likely to lose it.
Being mortgage free means the ability to make a career change or take a job with lower pay but flexible conditions. A job where you can work from home or a job with a shorter commute etc.
And then there’s having enough to be able to quit working and pursue your passions.
My point is that working towards a purpose and using your money to buy freedom and options have benefits that luxury goods can’t compete with.
Why Men Have Midlife Crises
The risk for people pursuing financial independence before making a big, scary career change is that they are leaving it too long. They are stuck trying to eliminate all the risk before making a change. Fear and a scarcity mindset will do that to you.
There comes a point where your time runs out.
I was struck recently by this video which attempts to answer the question of why men have midlife crises:
What do you think? Is this wrong?
Who wants to give me the counter-argument(s)?
How do you know if it’s time to make a change?
How do you know if you are depressed…or just temporarily burnt out?
How do you know when you have enough? How do you know when it is time to pursue your passion?
Good questions!
Those are questions you should be asking when you are thinking about looking for a new job or career change.
Extra time for ongoing clients
I made an important change to the structure of my financial coaching package (explained here) to lower the effective cost, give value and reward clients on a recurring subscription.
My coaching plus Escape Manual package included 2 hours coaching time per year but going forward the 2 hour limit will only apply to people who have cancelled their subscription renewal.
For ongoing Coaching + Escape Manual subscribers, I am lifting the 2 hour limit and allowing ongoing subscribers as many coaching hours as they reasonably need.
Full details are set out here. Please hit reply if you have any questions.
Love to everyone
Barney