I think I am having a midlife / career crisis

[Lone Sailor]

If you're not happy, then whatever you're doing isn't worth it. Money is nice to have, but your happiness and your family should come first.

[Silverback]

Corporate America is an easy game to play. Leave your personal ideas at home, drink the kool-aid, do your fucking job, and be as flexible as possible. Leave your personal bullshit at home, and your work problems at work. Remember it's a job, not your life, and they do pay you to be there and do what they ask you to do. They don't pay you to argue, bitch, and complain about the work.

If you don't like what you're doing or who you are working for, go find another job.

[sc281]

Corporate America is an easy game to play. Leave your personal ideas at home, drink the kool-aid, do your fucking job, and be as flexible as possible. Leave your personal bullshit at home, and your work problems at work. Remember it's a job, not your life, and they do pay you to be there and do what they ask you to do. They don't pay you to argue, bitch, and complain about the work.

If you don't like what you're doing or who you are working for, go find another job.

This.

[Kyle]

its weird, I own a car lot and I hate it. I think about closing it all the time and getting a job doing what youre doing. Im stressed out of my mind all the time. If its not one thing its another. We have been SLOW the past two months, and with no weekly paycheck its been hurting. I keep telling myself its not worth the stress. I guess we are in the same boat at two different ends of the business.

Make that 3 man! The grass is always greener on the other side. I have to tell myself everyday that if it was easy then everyone would be doing it. Truth is the economy sucks and this time of year really sucks! For whatever reason our business slows down around September and stays slow into November. We all just have to hang in there! Unless you do something drastic like move to Puerto Rico, you are going to end up in the same shitty situation just at a different job, with a different boss, and a whole different set of issues.

On a side note, Puerto Rico is nice this time of year! We just got back and I would love to move there tomorrow if I was in a little better shape!

[JC316]

its weird, I own a car lot and I hate it. I think about closing it all the time and getting a job doing what youre doing. Im stressed out of my mind all the time. If its not one thing its another. We have been SLOW the past two months, and with no weekly paycheck its been hurting. I keep telling myself its not worth the stress. I guess we are in the same boat at two different ends of the business.

Ah yes, I am in the car business too and yeah, slow is an understatement. You have to sell everything so dirt cheap at this time of year. In my case though, I have to make it work, my body can't take the stress of a typical style job.

[Sean88gt]

Ah yes, I am in the car business too and yeah, slow is an understatement. You have to sell everything so dirt cheap at this time of year. In my case though, I have to make it work, my body can't take the stress of a typical style job.

Crazy since new car sales are way up this year.

[JC316]

Crazy since new car sales are way up this year.

Oh I went on a liquidation spree on my personal cars and sold three cars in two weeks, I just had to put them up cheap. Problem is that it's entering the stupidly slow season. All of the holidays coming up, plus the election, people are holding on to their cash.

[DC COBRA]

Make that 3 man! The grass is always greener on the other side. I have to tell myself everyday that if it was easy then everyone would be doing it. Truth is the economy sucks and this time of year really sucks! For whatever reason our business slows down around September and stays slow into November. We all just have to hang in there! Unless you do something drastic like move to Puerto Rico, you are going to end up in the same shitty situation just at a different job, with a different boss, and a whole different set of issues.

On a side note, Puerto Rico is nice this time of year! We just got back and I would love to move there tomorrow if I was in a little better shape!

Make that 4 man, I have been in business 20 years now, turned 50 few months ago and I feel like I am going to have to keep on working till I pass. The government has found a way to take everything you make so no retiremenmt for me. Seems like you just turn money these days and not make any. People are getting tougher to deal with as they are streched to. I still enjoy working on cars but it getting tough on the body and there is alot more stress these days but it is the only way I know how to make a living. too old to start over. Can't work for somebody else because there are days I can't work with myself. So take the good with the bad and hang in there and hope it will get better thats my thinking.

DON

[6.7dually2009]

Well I own a car lot too and it has been slow for like 4 months but just like any thing you have to save for the rainy days and try to keep your bills as low as possible but going back to the main issue does your wife work were she can get medical that's what I would look into and then you could try your on thing if you are good at service you might try your own shop and selling cars if you were that good at selling you probably could
Make it plus when it is your ass on the line if you sold cars like that you will make it.

[Dlachance]

Find something you have interest in doing, but not something you neccessarily love doing, and start a business! (probably after the election though.) I'm 19, so no mid-life crisis, but during my upbringing, it was made pretty clear that my parents were not going to subsidize any of my habits outside of school and basic neccessities. I got my first job at Tom Thumb and had it for 13 months, then did pool service for a summer when I was 16/17. The first job sucked and pay was shit, but pool service was making me $500/wk salaried (summer job), and I loved it. Problem was, I was showing up at 8am 6 days a week and coming back to shop anywhere from 5-8 at night. After that summer, and after saving up capital, I decided to officially start up my own business. I had done a few vehicles before and had a few customers since I loved detailing. The lady who owned the pool service company was one of my detailing customers. When I officially started up, she even loaned me an additional $1,500 on top of what I had saved. Through a lot of hard work, trials and errors, I ended up with 32 monthly customers and 7 bi-monthly customers, no counting all the one time details, and many of them. I out 100% into every car no matter what kind of car it was. The July before senior year, I brought in over $4,500 and hired a friend that has been working with me since. Since 16, I've been paying for my cars, gas, insurance, cell phone, gym, most food, clothes etc. and I do not regret my parents being what I would have formerly considered "harsh" on me, and it has taught me lots. This has been very rewarding and at the same time, the hardest work I have done. But what keep on telling myself is this, "I will only get out of life what I put into it, and no one will feel sorry for me". Now that I'm leaving, my brother will be picking up my work part time as unfortunately I've had to let a lot of customers go.

In all reality, you can do anything, it just depends on what you are willing to sacrifice.

[prostock1]

I'm in the same boat Richard.... really loved the money I made while at the BMW dealers, but the long hours to make that big check and the every other Sat. along with the c/p getting very slim....it got old....

I've been in a mid-life career crisis since Nov. 2007.... so far, I still manage to bring home a decent check,,,,,, I'm currently working on Euro cars again at a indy shop....but I'm going back to Fleet Maint....I need the low cost health insurance, holidays, sick days...etc.....

Good luck with your decision.....

[prostock1]

Just wait til you get my bill! J/K

Dude... I just got done working on a 2004 SL600 bi-turbo..... what a fucking mountain of over engineered crap.....

Does anybody at the dealer really look forward to working on the v12 shit boxes ???

Mine had ABC problems.... low pressure, installed a reman pump, pressures came back, but was noisy as shit....re-installed old pump to verify it was acutally the re-man pump....second re-man was fine....

Even the gravy on those cars is shit...

[gearhead78]

First of all thank all that have posted. I know this is not the best place to post something like this but its the only place where the is a concentration of people that live in DFW and some that I know personally. I'm not looking for all the answers just wanted to get some of this off my chest.

its weird, I own a car lot and I hate it. I think about closing it all the time and getting a job doing what youre doing. Im stressed out of my mind all the time. If its not one thing its another. We have been SLOW the past two months, and with no weekly paycheck its been hurting. I keep telling myself its not worth the stress. I guess we are in the same boat at two different ends of the business.

Its funny because what you are doing is what I have thought about doing for years. I do on a small scale 3-4 cars a year in my spare time just trying to build up project money.

For what its worth, I just got done making some adjustments to my life insurance and retirement so I should be sitting pretty when retirement comes or at the worst, my family is taken care of if I pass. That alone took some stress off me. I'm 39 as well. I'll send you my agent's name and you can talk over options with him. We're young enough we still have a lot of time on our side for growth of retirement and such.

I do have life insurance so my family is good if I croak. Its while I am hear I worry about LOL

I know exactly where you're coming from. I was an architect for 13 years (working for 'the man' at a very large firm) and just quit to start my own business. It's not architecture, but it's still in the drafting field. I'm finishing up my second week and I'm almost past the point of stressing out, wondering what the fuck I just did.

I made good money as an architect, but I knew I would never 'make it big' until late in my career. I was sick and tired of the corporate America side of it and I had an opportunity present itself that I simply couldn't pass up.

I know it's easier said than done, but business ownership is where it's at. Sure there's risk, but then there's the reward if you make it work...

Good for you man. I hope it works out for you.

Despite the headaches, heartaches, panic and so forth, I'd rather strike out on my own than go back to corporate America. If you are the least bit outside of the mould, you don't fit.

I'm busy now, bidding a lot of projects and doing everything I can to get back to where I was before.

I will forward one piece of advice from a friend regarding corporate America - always keep a minimum of 6-12 months worth of income in savings so you can leave at a moments notice, never let them own you.

I am trying to get back there on the saving side. I used to always have it. I spent a bunch building my shop and then having my daughter that died at birth, some medical stuff with my wife and then one of the twins was in NICU when born even with insurance my saving is gone now. My head was pretty fucked up for about a year after Chloe died and I was going to work but wasn't making any money and just kept pulling out of saving to make ends meet. My head is back on strait for the last year or so but just have not been able to climb back out of the hole yet.

Well I own a car lot too and it has been slow for like 4 months but just like any thing you have to save for the rainy days and try to keep your bills as low as possible but going back to the main issue does your wife work were she can get medical that's what I would look into and then you could try your on thing if you are good at service you might try your own shop and selling cars if you were that good at selling you probably could
Make it plus when it is your ass on the line if you sold cars like that you will make it.

Wife working is out of the question. Anything she could do would just pay for daycare and someone else raising out kids is not what we want.

Find something you have interest in doing, but not something you neccessarily love doing, and start a business! (probably after the election though.) I'm 19, so no mid-life crisis, but during my upbringing, it was made pretty clear that my parents were not going to subsidize any of my habits outside of school and basic neccessities. I got my first job at Tom Thumb and had it for 13 months, then did pool service for a summer when I was 16/17. The first job sucked and pay was shit, but pool service was making me $500/wk salaried (summer job), and I loved it. Problem was, I was showing up at 8am 6 days a week and coming back to shop anywhere from 5-8 at night. After that summer, and after saving up capital, I decided to officially start up my own business. I had done a few vehicles before and had a few customers since I loved detailing. The lady who owned the pool service company was one of my detailing customers. When I officially started up, she even loaned me an additional $1,500 on top of what I had saved. Through a lot of hard work, trials and errors, I ended up with 32 monthly customers and 7 bi-monthly customers, no counting all the one time details, and many of them. I out 100% into every car no matter what kind of car it was. The July before senior year, I brought in over $4,500 and hired a friend that has been working with me since. Since 16, I've been paying for my cars, gas, insurance, cell phone, gym, most food, clothes etc. and I do not regret my parents being what I would have formerly considered "harsh" on me, and it has taught me lots. This has been very rewarding and at the same time, the hardest work I have done. But what keep on telling myself is this, "I will only get out of life what I put into it, and no one will feel sorry for me". Now that I'm leaving, my brother will be picking up my work part time as unfortunately I've had to let a lot of customers go.

In all reality, you can do anything, it just depends on what you are willing to sacrifice.

Keep at it man. You are me 20 years ago. I was with a single mom and if I wanted anything I got it myself. I started pushing a mower up and down the street at 8 years old knocking on doors "can I mow your lawn for $5" In my mid teens I went to work busing tables at Bonanza because they would hire at 14 if you worked part time. I started driving and get in to air cooled VWs taught myself how to fix them and then spent the next few years driving up and down alleys and streets of Garland and Mesquite looking for bugs that look like they were sitting offer $100-200 tow it home get it running and have it in the Auto Trader the next weekend for $1000. I wanted more so I also started calling around body shops looking for an entry level job and landed a restoration shop sweeping floors and cleaning up the property. One day the painters helper did not show up and I was called over to learn to wet sand. I picked it up and did well enough they made me painters helper and started teaching me more and more. I worked there after school and summers until I graduated. After working there full time about 4 months after graduation I decided I wanted to work on cars for fun in my life and not to make a living. I saw a help wanted sign at Super Shops and off I went.

I'm in the same boat Richard.... really loved the money I made while at the BMW dealers, but the long hours to make that big check and the every other Sat. along with the c/p getting very slim....it got old....

I've been in a mid-life career crisis since Nov. 2007.... so far, I still manage to bring home a decent check,,,,,, I'm currently working on Euro cars again at a indy shop....but I'm going back to Fleet Maint....I need the low cost health insurance, holidays, sick days...etc.....

Good luck with your decision.....

So what happened at NTTA? I have not talked to Brain in a couple years now. I need to track him down and see how he is.

[jyro]

most your age go through those feelings

I have been thinking a lot lately. I am about to turn 40 and I don't see my life turned out any way I planned financially.

coulda, woulda, shoulda. Mid-life crisis is all too common, it causes a lot of divorces , Women have it too. No other advice just don't let it ruin your life, it's temporary.