I'm earning $180,000 a year as a product manager at a tech startup in Austin. On paper, my life looks great. In reality, I work 60+ hours a week, haven't taken a real vacation in three years, and had a panic attack in my car before a board presentation last month. My husband and I just inherited a small farmhouse in Vermont from his grandmother. It needs work, but it's paid off. Part of me fantasizes about quitting everything, moving there, and starting a small CSA farm. I've been reading about permaculture. We have enough savings to last 18 months. My parents think I'm having a breakdown. My boss says I'm "on track for VP" if I stick it out two more years. My husband says he'll support whatever I decide, which somehow makes it harder. I know the "smart" move is probably to stay, pay off student loans faster, and max out retirement. But I wake up every morning dreading my inbox. Is this a mid-life crisis I'll regret, or should I trust this pull toward a simpler life? — Burned Out in Austin
When does practical success become a prison? Franklin's industry meets Thoreau's simplicity.
I'm earning $180,000 a year as a product manager at a tech startup in Austin. On paper, my life looks great. In reality, I work 60+ hours a week, haven't taken a real vacation in three years, and had a panic attack in my car before a board presentation last month. My husband and I just inherited a small farmhouse in Vermont from his grandmother. It needs work, but it's paid off. Part of me fantasizes about quitting everything, moving there, and starting a small CSA farm. I've been reading about permaculture. We have enough savings to last 18 months. My parents think I'm having a breakdown. My boss says I'm "on track for VP" if I stick it out two more years. My husband says he'll support whatever I decide, which somehow makes it harder. I know the "smart" move is probably to stay, pay off student loans faster, and max out retirement. But I wake up every morning dreading my inbox. Is this a mid-life crisis I'll regret, or should I trust this pull toward a simpler life? — Burned Out in Austin
Benjamin Franklin
"Industry and steady effort build the foundation for true freedom"
49 votes
Henry David Thoreau
"Most people live lives of quiet desperation—simplify before it's too late"
44 votes
93 votes total
Full Positions
From Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
"Industry and steady effort build the foundation for true freedom"
An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. Small, consistent habits compound into great change. Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. The VP track offers security that farming cannot guarantee.
From Walden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience
"Most people live lives of quiet desperation—simplify before it's too late"
The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. Simplify, simplify. I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life. Your panic attack is your soul crying out for authenticity.