Midlife Crisis

Fk Gambling.

Much better off taking a punt on yourself …

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yea i gotta stop, thanks guys just needed somewhere to vent.

No disrespect and not trying to be a smart-arrsse

Go and see your Doctor, get a Mental Health Plan referral for 5 visits under Medicare to a therapist, and there are some very good ones around.

No-one solves gambling problems alone, and they sneak up on you, starting with small online bets and then blossoming into a huge problem before you know it.

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Do you know how gambling companies make lots and lots of millions of dollars? By taking your money. Don’t gamble, you will lose.

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Hambo’s right.

That Crown facility over there on isn’t built on the proceeds of winners.

My midlife crisis wasn’t so much a crisis of identity but rather one of necessity. I was out of full time work, working about10 hours a week as a doorman/barman/cellerman with two kids and a wife and needed to find work. My next door neighbour was a retired Warrant Officer Submariner Coxswain, and the pub I was working at had a lot of horse racing identities and sailors drinking there. At 6’5" I figured being a jockey was out of the question, so I joined the Navy.

20 years in come the end of the year, and I have to say it feels like less than 10. I have seen and done things I never would have dreamed of doing. Fast roped out of helicopters, boarded vessels in the middle of the night, swum by myself in 3000m of water in the middle of the Indian Ocean without another person in sight while waiting to be found and winched up by a helicopter (planned). Had an absolute ball at times and experienced some extreme pucker factor at others. Been involved with things that have dominated the headlines at various times, and been a headline myself when embarrassed by my mother going to the press and splashing my image on the front page of a major newspaper. What a ride.

Not saying it is for everyone, or even anyone, but it has been a hell of a ride. Still have a few years to go before I retire, not happy living on the other side of the country from my wife and kids, but I am going to miss it when I finally leave.

I have always said that the best indicator of whether the job you are doing is right for you, is how many times you have woken up and said to yourself that you don’t want to go to work. I don’t mean the old, “Jeez, it’s a bleedin lovely day, think I might chuck a sicky and go surfing” type of not wanting to go to work. I mean the, “I hate this job and I just don’t want to be here anymore” type of not wanting to go to work. I was always of the belief that if you felt that way more than once every month or so, you were probably in the wrong job for you. I can honestly say that in nearly 20 years in the job, I have only truly thought that once. I am in a job that I have thoroughly enjoyed doing and I am so glad I made the choice to enlist all those years ago.

Don’t get me wrong, there are aspects of this job, I don’t like, like the aforementioned living on the other side of the country from my wife. But overall the good has consistently outweighed the bad, and that is enough for me.

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Mrs diggers’ mate married a submariner and we were lucky enough to get access to a sub parked at Garden Island on their wedding day.

it would take a unique personality to endure 10 minutes confined underwater in that thing let alone several months.

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You’ve heard his music in the DJ thread diggo.

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Mark Evans was my PE teacher, and yes he was a ■■■■■■ back then too.

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like your style tin hill.

anticipating a warm up of the lid off when we topple the weagles at home?

Once a month???

Well La-De-Farkin-Da. What a thought.

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Anybody had a “first year and a bit in the professional world after 5 years of study” crisis?

Studied commerce\law at uni and been in tax/ insolvency accounting for the past year and a half. Taken me this long to realise that I just have no passion for any of the things I’ve studied or the areas I’ve worked in.

Got into accounting after uni because I wanted a job and accounting jobs are plentiful. First went into tax and after 6 months knew it just wasn’t for me.

Went into insolvency because it’s a genuinely interesting area in certain cases of corporate fraud etc, but it’s also mentally crushing at times and at the moment that’s gotten the better of me.

Got two cases, two women bankrupts, both hardly done by, both uneducated, both not really working. Main creditor in both cases is the ATO. I need to sell both of their houses. In one case the ATO will recover all their debt and the bankrupt will still have a fair bit left over to find another place to live… but this other case, she may have 20k worth of equity in her property with a debt of 100k or so. The company’s WIP on the job is also about 20k. So basically if I do my job, all the money recovered from the sale of the property will go to the trustee in fees and creditors will get nothing.

In effect I am forcing this woman from her home to line my own pockets. What’s makes things worth is that in this house she has not only her own parents, but her in laws and multiple young school age kids. The boss is pushing me to follow through with the sale because the company needs the cash. Today was probably the first day I’ve come back from work and just thought to myself that I genuinely hate the role I am performing in society. The only benefit from this course of action is that I, and my fellow employees get another pay check. I legit sit at work and just think of ways to get this woman off the hook, delay the inevitable, even though that’s probably technically in breach of some duty I owe to the creditors.

While working I’ve also been studying for my CA but halfway in my first module I started to realise that I have zilch passion for accounting in general and stopped studying and just failed the unit. Didn’t even care.

Just got nfi where to go/ what to do now. Reading through this thread seeing people change careers is somewhat encouraging. I can’t fathom working in law, again, no passion there. I want to try and get into IT, but I don’t know how I’d get my foot in the door. I know the role I am looking to get into, but you simply have to be degree qualified to be considered for it. I can’t take time off work to study due to just recently burdening myself with a mortgage, so I just don’t know how any further study is possible on a full time basis. Part time is always an option.

Eh dunno, just wanted to vent. I just have this innate fear that I’ll ultimately not change anything and just stick with accounting and be miserable in my work until I just turn into an alcoholic or a miserable husk of a human.

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I understand how you feel.
I don’t know what to say about it, other than if it’s affecting your health then just get out.
There are obviously other jobs out there for someone with your skills.

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I’m someone who frankly isn’t comfortable with human emotion. Maybe you are a bit the same. I much prefer to work with the coldness of numbers. I can derive enough workplace satisfaction from demonstrating my problem solving capabilities with numbers. I eventually got into funds management for a while, which was an excellent job for me (after doing some post graduate studies in my own time).

While working there, I remember the dealer who did all our trading of shares, and had done so for 20 years. He surprised me one day, revealing that he ultimately had a goal of moving into personal financial advice. ie. Giving people positive guidance with their money. Maybe that would be a feel-good use of your skills, after some more study.

PS. For everyone…I listened to this song right from my childhood, and always thought the melody was catchy, but never gave a moment’s thought to the message. But having listened properly, more recently, I think it is really good. Having an attitude of hanging in there during tough times, make incremental improvements, and the cycle will swing your way again:

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Pretty common

From someone that has a CA and many times during the studies, felt like whats the point. Stick with it, stick with your job to get the 3 years and let them carry the cost of the CA - crawl your way through to complete the CA. Get that piece of paper, because in 10 years time when you have more time obligations - it will become that bit harder.

You will look back and use those skills (no matter what the industry you land in) - even if you want to work for an NGO, start up etc - having those analytical and financial skills will repay dividends.

I think a part of your current experience is shifting from book learning, to real world. Humans and emotions, no type of book learning will prepare you for those type of objections you will face.

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Sounds like you’ve found out you have a soul, and a conscience.
You might find way more Job satisfaction as a Financial counselor?

Likely not as much money in it though …

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Anyone had any experiences with entering a franchise setup?

Mid - we’ll actually late 40’s.
Sick of working for someone else.
Environment is not currently conducive right now in my industry for going out on your own - missed the boat there.

But Franchise opportunities are now emerging.

So - To franchise or not?
Promoted as having your own business but when the volumes of franchisee agreements arrive, it’s not really your own business is it?

Feels very controlled - as it probably has to be in the franchise model. So how is this really different from being an employee except you end up working harder for only slightly more money and that is only IF it succeeds. And if it doesn’t, you’re liable in the vicinity of hundreds of thousands.

Often your job puts you in a hard place. Sometimes you need to seperate job from self to keep your sanity and your life on an even keel. So don’t take your work home.

It is not your fault that people get themselves into financial hardship and someone needs to sort out the consequences. Your compassion is admirable and do not lose it, do your job with integrity and dignity, and ensure the fairest outcome you can. Others in your employment show no remorse at grinding a bankrupt into the dust.

If you want to change careers then find something that suits your inner self, and work towards it. I had a good friend who after years as a CA, studied pschyotherapy and is now happy helping people and makes a good income. We often joke, "an accountant with a heart ! "

The important thing is to look after yourself and not be defined by a job.

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Mackster, I don’t have experience with a franchise but my wife works for a fed govt department and is currently investigating franchising failures. You may have heard a bit about it in the media recently, mainly with a company called food group.

Long story short is failure rates are pretty high, life saving wiped out, and a number of franchisees are pretty disgruntled by the whole process. My wife actually described franchising being similar to pyramid schemes in that you pay for the brand then you’re locked into buying supplies at inflated prices.

Just be careful with the projections they give you because most likely these will be for very successful stores and the turn over may not be replicated at your franchise. Message is do your own analysis, get financial advice and don’t just accept the numbers the franchisor tells you.

From what my wife tells me they have interviewed about 20 franchisees to date and the study has a bit longer to go before finishing.

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Some Franchises work for all but others are one sided and full of pitfalls.

Close friends had two Kwik Copy franchises and after years of returning profits to themselves and to Kwik Copy, had a few hard years and we’re screwed over and went Bankrupt.

So if you are considering any franchise study the franchise agreement, get some-one who is level headed to crunch numbers and scenarios to see what is possible in terms of hours worked and returns, and then meet with as many existing franchisees as you can to judge for yourself.

Mrs Fox and I started our own business in 1995, after both being retrenched. Had some very hard years, but worked well together and looked for opportunities, and now have done well.

Whatever you do, do not borrow or mortgage your assets against business loans. Try to borrow as little as possible and get a good accountant. Mine is wise and very conservative, which tempered my want to take risks.

And talking with as many people in the same headspace as you is a great idea. I met many small business people through EFC coteries like the Essendonians who are happy to give time and support.

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