Ask HN: I'm bored at work and life, what should I do?

[bigJavaLava]

I'm a little at a lost and could use some advice. I realize that I'm very fortunate and this is probably a problem of privilege, so I hate to lament the situation.

Truth be told, I'm really bored in my career and trajectory in life.

I'm in my early 20s, full-time software Dev, making decent pay, living on my own, with finances that are all stable (students loans, car, etc).

However, I'm just bored out of my mind at work. The work is uninspiring and projects have no direction. In my weekly journal session, I'm noticing that work is the lowest part of my week; which sucks cause it's 40 hours of boredom. The though of doing this for even another year makes me frustrated.

Outside of work, I spend time hacking side projects with the hope of turning something into a profitable business (so I can work for myself).

I also do sports during the week and try to go out regularly. Those are usually my bursts of short lived excitement.

I know I am extremely goal oriented and need something to look to for accomplishment. I feel like I need one of three things to happen:

1. Find work that has more value creation (I would probably love teaching if it paid more) 2. Work on solutions that solve actual real-world problems with a visible impact. 3. Start my own business and be more dedicated to growing it to how I see fit.

Anyone have any suggestions? Should I just accept things how they are?

[mooreds]

Look for a new job (possibly in a new city). That is the lowest risk way to change your world. If you interview, you may find that your current jobs has benefits you were blind to.

Another alternative that I pursued was taking a sabbatical. If you have the means, take a few months and travel. If you want to do some work, here are two organizations that can help with that:

https://wwoof.net/ (farming work)

https://www.bunac.org (short term work visas)

[IanDrake]

Just an option: learn to like your job.

You can try to turn the mundane into micro challenges. Can you build a script to automate those TPS reports?

Whatever your task, how can you make it more interesting? Take the final product from an 8 to a 10.

Go watch a dude perfect video on YouTube, those guys are the masters of taking trivial things and making them interesting. Basically, do the IT version of that.

[rman666]

You’re probably a really smart person. There are many problems in the world that need solutions:

Figure out the solution to boredom and share it with h others in your situation.

Or

Share your dev talents with non-technical entrepreneurs who are desperate to find a dev to work with.

Or

Figure out what really makes you excited and happy and do that.

[bradleyjg]

Have kids. You won't have time to be bored.

[kopiblanca]

I approved this message.Now, i only had 25-30min for to do my own web development,which i meant,i do it on daily commuter,MRT XD

[bigJavaLava]

A little too soon for that haha