The Money You Walked Away From

[prototoast]

I appreciate reading about others' perspectives on this situation. Earlier this year I took about a 40% pay cut to move from private consulting to the federal government (though in absolute terms, the pay is still good, and I am financially stable). The work-life balance in my new job is fantastic, but the work itself is incredibly dull. I get even less satisfaction out of my actual work than I did in consulting, and there are certainly times I miss the money. Now I'm trying to decide if I should:

1) Stay in my current role and appreciate what I've got, accepting I will never enjoy my work
2) Go for the money again in the hopes that even if I lose some of the work-life balance, but maybe find a role that I find more satisfying
3) Chase some jobs that I might actually enjoy, potentially walking away from even more money
4) Find some magical job that I enjoy, pays more, and leaves me with ample time away from work - I'm sure somewhere out there this role exists, but I wouldn't hold my breath that I'd find it in my lifetime

[Rich Beaudoin]

As long as your income is comfortable, I suggest prioritizing more free time/better work-life balance over higher income.