Roy Tang

Someone on quora asked:

Is it worth it to stay at a high-paying and comfortable software job if I don’t feel like I’m growing there?

It’s really up to you to decide if where you are is something you’re satisfied with. In life, you often come to a crossroads where you have to decide whether you are willing to settle with what you have and are comfortable with, or to go out to seek something better. The choice is not always clear-cut, and the right answer always depends on the person and what he wants out of life

It is a tenuous balance between ambition and happiness. If you are too ambitious and always keep moving on looking for the next best thing, you run the risk of never being happy. If you find yourself happy where you are, you run the risk of settling for something less than what you could have had. You have to look inside yourself and figure out where that balance lies.

Think about what happens if you stay: what’s the best-case scenario? Will the job eventually become more challenging? More engaging? What’s the worst-case scenario? Will it become even more boring later on?

Think about what happens if you leave: are you likely to be able to find new work? (Actually there’s minimal risk since you don’t have to resign before looking for new work). Will you likely do well at any other job? Will you find happiness elsewhere?

For my case, I worked in a software job for more than a decade. It paid really well and I was well-respected by my peers and it was quite cushy for me. But eventually I decided to leave and take a break from working for a while to figure out where to go next. I had enough savings to live comfortably for a new months. Absolutely no regrets, enjoying all the free time I have now :)