If My.Mojo Is Nothing Then....

[techgnome]

It hit me like a ton of bricks today on my commute home.... I really don't want to do this any more. That was the first epiphany. It was immediately followed by the second epiphany: I've lost my passion for this line of work.

And I'm not talking about burnout where I just don't feel like coding.... I'm mean serious passion loss... the kind that makes you go dig out the numbers to the local truck driving school.

Problem is, I don't know how to deal with that. Programming is all I really know. It's all I've ever done, since.... well, for the last 25+ years, let's say. And now I really don't want to do it any more.... Unfortunately, I have to keep doing it, I've got a family to support... if it were just me, I'd be cleaning out my desk tomorrow.

I didn't think this was possible....

Even now.... I feel like I'm wandering the VBF halls aimlessly...

-tg

[Paul M]

You need a holiday or a long break

What other line of work interests you anyway? Whether your capable or not just spit it out

[techgnome]

The only other line of work that really interests me is being a Chef.... which takes training and $$$ I don't have.... unless I hit the lottery tomorrow....

-tg

[mendhak]

How do you know you've actually lost your passion for this line of work, it partially sounds like you hate your job... Elaboration?

[Atheist]

Try getting into game development It is bound to be fun.

[techgnome]

athiest; mendhak - when I was burned out before, It's not like I didn't want to code, I just didn't want to. ... this .... this is different.... it's not that I hate my job, I don't want to program at all... period... even the "fun" stuff I'm working on at home.... I just don't want to do it ... if I didn't have a family to support, I'd be packing my desk right now and digging out the number for Acme Truck Driveing school.... or heading down to Union Pacific to see if they have anything open working with trains....

The fire is gone.... poof.... it's all about the greenbacks now...

-tg

[Hack]

If you sunk your teeth into an interesting, challenging project, it would probably come swarming back. I've gone through stages like this, but never for too long and I've got 30+ under my belt.

[Shaggy Hiker]

I'd give it time. You're probably onto something real, but you may not know what it is quite yet. I actually wrote a message to pretty much everyone who knew me saying I would never hike another long distance trail. I even stuck to that for a couple years. My reason was that long distance hiking means constantly pushing out the miles in an almost mindless fashion. I wanted to go slower, less object driven, and see more things. Therefore, I went on a variety of aimless cross-country map and compass trips of durations less than 10 days (about the most I could carry comfortably). That was fine for a couple years, but then I began varying things up, and have done a few month long trail hikes in the last few years, so I'm back where I was, with more variety thrown in. You may get to be the same way with coding.

And as far as truck driving is concerned (I have a Class A, so I can drive semis, and have done so), it isn't much fun when you are driving along a street and somebody cuts into the buffer you leave in front of your self, and you have to hit the brakes hard, and those 13+ tons of steel just don't start slowing down right away like they would in a car, and you are wondering if you are going to swat that little SUV out of your way like it was a bug hitting your grill. No, the truck driving could have too many tense moments in heavy traffic or bad weather.

[Muddy]

a week in Rio de Janeiro has been known to restore mojo.

based on your symptoms I recommend this.

It is now summertime on this side of the equator.

book it.

you can justify the cost by performing a gap analysis between laborer and programmer salaries.

[Fromethius]

Meh. Don't worry about it. Programming is like phases. Sometimes you love it, sometimes you hate it, and sometimes you are just neutral.

For around a year I wasn't on vbforums, reading programming books, or coding at all, but now I'm reading like crazy, working on multiple projects, and posting on the boards.

Here's something that maybe, just might help. Tutor someone! Find someone who desperately wants to get into programming. Help them on msn, aim, or something. Answer all their questions, etc. One, you'll be helping out someone who really needs it. Two, them asking you all these beginner questions will really make you feel smart and want to code yourself. Three, their ideas may spark some ideas of your own. Four, you'll feel good about yourself for helping someone else.

If none of these work, try making a program you never got around to, or gave up on earlier in your life because you simply couldn't figure it out or just stopped working on.

Or, if you're a kid, which you're not!, just stop programming. When I stopped programming, I played video games a lot! It was really fun. Then, one day, I just had an urge to go back on vbforums and then I started coding and reading programming books more!

[Atheist]

I'm actually going through a phase right now where Im sick of programming too. Sick of answering programming questions aswell

But I think its due to the fact that I hate winter so bad.

[Hack]

Meh. Don't worry about it. Programming is like phases. Sometimes you love it, sometimes you hate it, and sometimes you are just neutral.

Sometimes love it. Yes

Sometimes hate it. Yes

But in 30+ years I've never been neutral about it.

[RhinoBull]

TG, you need a vacation man and I don't mean a week or so - take few months if you can afford it of course.
Ot at least take the temporary leave and go work for Home Depot or Sears or something so you will fill the difference...
This happens in every industry in every profession - people like us don't lose our passion, we just get tired once in awhile.

So, take it easy.

[penagate]

Or, if you're a kid, which you're not!, just stop programming. When I stopped programming, I played video games a lot! It was really fun. Then, one day, I just had an urge to go back on vbforums and then I started coding and reading programming books more!

Man I wish life were that easy.

The only other line of work that really interests me is being a Chef.... which takes training and $$$ I don't have.... unless I hit the lottery tomorrow....

Being a chef sounds cool. Hectic, but cool. Maybe you could save up slowly and take night classes or something like that.

If your life's just work from 9–5 and then coming home, you're always going to get fed up with it eventually. Try some different things; anything that has nothing to do with computers. Have some fun! You don't need to take a long vacation to do that, although it would help. You'll either get your passion back, or you'll find something else that appeals to you more.

[FunkyDexter]

Let's be honest, most people do a crappy 9-5 which, at best, doesn't excite them and, at worst, actively hacks them off. We're extremely lucky to be in careers which give us any kind of buzz at all.

I think any job that's going to excite you (including chefing, which I'd love to do as well) is going to need training because it's going to be a skilled profession (that's what makes it interesting). If you really want a career change I think you're just going to have to bite the bullet and find a way to do that training. I don't believe there's no way you afford it though, night school courses don't cost much, neither does getting plenty of practice on your own. Ultimately you're going to need a qualification of some sort and that might cost a bit but if you've done the leg work up front it shouldn't be to onerous.

[szlamany]

tg - really? A career change? Leaving programming for good?

It really sounds like a long vacation might set your brain back on track - but if you are really considering a career change then do it!

Don't look back - just do it.

Quit the 9 to 5 - find some consulting firm to farm you out for bigger $$'s without long term obligations and become that chef you want to be.

Tell us where you are cooking and we'll all show up

[Hack]

Tell us where you are cooking and we'll all show up

I'll bring the beer. Some one else bring the steaks!

[Shaggy Hiker]

Being a chef sounds cool. Hectic, but cool.

If I was a chef, I'd have died of heart failure ten years ago when I topped 500 pounds.

[DirtyHowi]

at least i'm not the only one who thinks the local trucking school is a viable alternative to the code monkey lifestyle.

[CodedFire]

Come work with me. Im on really good money so that wouldnt be an issue. Have phones thrown in your face. People speaking to you like your twelve or lashing out at you because they know you cannot answer back. Try repating the same information to people 3 times each only for them to get it wrong and get pissed at you.

Sometimes you get sick of a job, but you dont go to work to relax, thats why its called work. Some people just happen to be lucky and enjoy there jobs. id say right a list of all the things you hate about your job, how much your paid, holidays etc, and compare it with average joe and im sure the love will come back. Its only natural to assume the grass is greener.....

[techgnome]

Ok, things I hate about the job:
finicky customers
corp owners who don't truly understand what it is that we do here
pay is ok, but below the median....
Holidays... a measly 7 pd holidays yr....
a retirement plan that's being phased out....
The medical ins. is laughable, and still costs an arm, and half a leg
But that's besides the point .... one could have the best benefits in the world, but if you don't enjoy your job, really what's the point?

I'm tired, I'm stressed out, I'm burned out, I'm not having fun anymore, and just plain fed up. Maybe it's a funk, maybe it isn't. Either way, I still have to come in, punch the clock, work and go home everyday.... surely there's more to life than that....

-tg

[CodedFire]

Go it on your own then, my main dislike about my job is the corprate bs that goes on everyday. Maybe a change in direction is simply all you need. It sounds more like your tired of the grind than the actual coding itself!

[DirtyHowi]

that's all well and good pythagorias, but no one wants to live in a 3 sided box under the bridge with the lil ones. the only reason i keep coming here instead of something else, even tho the benefits are laughable, my 5 year old has a heart condition and has had 2 open heart surgeries in the last 3 years, maybe after they say he'll be ok i'll find something else to gripe about, until then...

[Fromethius]

Ok, things I hate about the job:
finicky customers
corp owners who don't truly understand what it is that we do here
pay is ok, but below the median....
Holidays... a measly 7 pd holidays yr....
a retirement plan that's being phased out....
The medical ins. is laughable, and still costs an arm, and half a leg
But that's besides the point .... one could have the best benefits in the world, but if you don't enjoy your job, really what's the point?

I'm tired, I'm stressed out, I'm burned out, I'm not having fun anymore, and just plain fed up. Maybe it's a funk, maybe it isn't. Either way, I still have to come in, punch the clock, work and go home everyday.... surely there's more to life than that....

-tg

Ever seen the movie fight club? You remind me of the narrator.