The Millionaire Hostage

Hi Scott,

I feel trapped! I spend my days doing a job that pays me over $400k per year -- but I hate it. I’m good at my job so I get away with it, but every day it kills me just a little more. The bigger concern for me is that it is beginning to affect my home life. I am in my mid-40s and I need a change. I have $1.2 million in cash and around $500k in my super account. What should I do? Grateful for your thoughts.

Sam

Hi Sam,

Wealth gives you a lot of things -- but it can’t banish your fears -- in fact, sometimes it creates them. You’re an excellent case study: you’re scared about leaving a job you hate, because you don’t want to give up the dough.

That’s a waste of your life, and a waste of your skills. Now you’re obviously a smart dude -- morons don’t tend to make four hundred grand a year (unless they play for Collingwood).

So what should you do?

You should definitely change your career -- but not until you’ve found your next adventure.How do you that?

Arun Abey, author of How Much Is Enough, has a thinking exercise called ‘the three circles’, that’ll help you get to the core of what makes you tick (and what gives you a tickle). For the next week, before you go to bed ask yourself these three questions:

What am I passionate about?

What am I good at?

How can I make enough money from it?

The truth that they never tell you in the Mercedes dealership is that adding another million bucks to your bank balance won’t make you any happier than you are right now. It’s time for you to get to the centre of your three circles.

Scott