I'm turning 38 this year and honestly, I've done pretty well for myself. I’ve checked off a lot of the boxes I wanted to.
But lately, whenever I’m around guys in their mid-20s, I realize that the fire I used to have just isn't there anymore. It’s a weird feeling. I know people are going to read this and immediately think I’m just depressed, but it’s not that simple - it feels more like I’m just spiritually exhausted.
Looking back, I spent so much of my life constantly grinding, trying to prove my worth and pushing myself to the limit. Now? I kind of look at all that and don't really see the point of it anymore.
It’s like the younger version of me - that guy with all the ambition and raw hunger - has just disappeared. I can't even stand the thought of trying to muster up that kind of energy again. It's like I'm done with that chapter but don't know what comes next.
Has anyone else dealt with this? Any advice or thoughts?
man i feel this so hard. im 40 and i look at the younger guys at work grinding 80 hours a week and i just... cant. it’s like i ran out of juice to care about the "hustle" anymore. once you realize that the world keeps spinning whether you kill yourself for a promotion or not the motivation just shifts i guess.
i dont think its depression either honestly sounds more like you just reached the finish line of a race you didnt know you were running. you spent 20 years proving you could do it - now that you have there's no reason to keep shouting it. maybe its just time to find a hobby that has nothing to do with "success" or "ambition" for a while?
welcome to the club lol. i hit that exact same wall at 37. for me it was like my brain finally realized that all that "hunger" was actually just anxiety and trying to impress people. its quiet now and that feels weird at first but its actually kinda nice not having that voice in your head screaming at you to do more every single day.
