100%. As I've gotten older, the things that have given me the most satisfaction are those that take place over a long time.
It's kind of like planting trees - it can take a while to see the fruit, but then it keeps on giving with some ongoing maintenance.
In my life, my significant other, my career, and financials are those areas I heavily invested early on, and a decade on they are quite strong. I still struggle, but when I take a step back, I can see these are very good and feel grateful.
There were many times I have been tempted to leave. But I kept an eye on the big picture, what would leaving really change for me? And the answer was not much, I am still me (as noted in the article).
On the other hand, I have under invested in myself (health, hobbies, spirituality) and friends. My main struggle is working to shift my focus away from maximizing the former, and begin balancing more of the latter.
I’d like to add something else to that list - the connectedness you feel in a community: the neighbors you grab beer with and help out in a pinch; the cashiers you get to know over time; the people at the after hours sports team or hobbyist community you get to know. Move to a different city (or even across town!) and that takes time to rebuild.
It’s why I nearly considered an academic career and decided against it - having to constantly move for grad school, then post doc positions, onwards and onwards regularly never appealed to me.
It's kind of like planting trees - it can take a while to see the fruit, but then it keeps on giving with some ongoing maintenance.
In my life, my significant other, my career, and financials are those areas I heavily invested early on, and a decade on they are quite strong. I still struggle, but when I take a step back, I can see these are very good and feel grateful.
There were many times I have been tempted to leave. But I kept an eye on the big picture, what would leaving really change for me? And the answer was not much, I am still me (as noted in the article).
On the other hand, I have under invested in myself (health, hobbies, spirituality) and friends. My main struggle is working to shift my focus away from maximizing the former, and begin balancing more of the latter.
It's an ongoing journey :)