Any CEO who expects to keep their job needs to be working lots of hours, lead by example, and be frequently accessible and also very visible.

I have worked in sales and sales management roles for quite some time and many sales roles do offer you the choice to manage your own schedule, and choose where you want to live. Not all field sales people need to travel extensively, there are many industries that have huge field forces that are able to work local to where they live. As you go into management it gets tougher because you may be traveling a lot more and have more responsibility and demands. Also the money can be decent. In my industry entry level sales people in their late 20s and early 30s can make $120K easily, which is not going to make you rich but will keep you in good bikes and gear.

Good sales people are strategic and know how to spend their time in front of the best revenue opportunities, so they can often be highly successful without the appearance of working that hard. This gives you flexibility over your time allocation and works with training.

I don't think you should apply to become a teacher based on the information you have given. It sounds as though you would not be prepared to put in the hard work and hours required to do a good job. The first few years as a teacher require a huge investment of energy in the job, if you want to do it well. You say you are a competitive person so I don't think you would be happy with yourself if you became a crap teacher. I've been a teacher for almost 20 years and am now in a position where my experience allows me to be effective on a far smaller time and energy investment but make no mistake, the first five years of being a teacher are hard and require more commitment than I think you are prepared to make.

My wife is a teacher and during the year does at least 2 hours of homework a night. I have a 4 day a week job and 5 weeks vacation. I am still there because of that.

I have to say as well that it seems bizarre to me to be choosing a career based on how it accommodates your hobby. What do you want to achieve in life? What difference do you want to make? How do you want to be remembered? What contribution can you make that will improve the world a little bit? I love triathlon but am under no illusions - it is a hobby that matters to me but has zero impact on the world as a whole. I can understand if you are a pro triathlete and are pursuing an athletic dream but based on the numbers the OP shared I don't think that really applies here.

My advice is figure what career attracts you purely by the nature of the work itself, so that you are doing something you think is worthwhile, that gives you a sense of purpose and achievement. Don't choose a career based on the vacation days it offers!

It seems bizarre to me that some people enjoy S&M since I personally don't think I would have enjoyed either end of it. But I am able to take the me out of it and accept that peoples preferences differ to mine and that what tickles my fancy doesn't necessarily apply to everyone else.

I value time with family and friends over money, I value spare time over money and I consider personal improvement to be my corner stone. I get that most people don't think that a 5-10 year plan to maximize my potential in a sport - that probably won't get me to Kona - is worth pursuing, but why would that matter to me? I still get the enormously satisfying feeling of improving. Yes, learning a new language can do that, or learn something new in mathematics or physics. But I have done that now for 5 years and at this point I would like to know my physical potential before I get old and can't even run a 40min 10k.

If it is terrible stupid to invest this much in a hobby, why do people on ST go up at 2.30 in the morning (Sorry Nate) to get in workouts on the trainer? In my book we are all crazy, the question is only to what degree. I would rather get in sleep and work 3-4 days a week for a few years, being poor (which I have been for 5 years) during the process and then start my career, than getting a career now, wondering what could have been and then start my mid life crisis.

I get that you don't agree, and I think it's perfectly normal.

BTW: I won't set any mark on this world. I am by now means clever enough. If you realised the work I have to put in just to learn mathematics at this point you'd understand. But I can affect my close ones and use my time to create memories with people I care for. To me that is more important than earning a lot of money for me and even more money for someone I don't even know.

Not sure what career you think I have but I am a teacher - certainly not using my career for money or personal gain. I spend my days teaching kids how to do maths then I coach sports and then I go home and spend time with my family. I get up every morning before my kids wake up so that I can get my training in. My values are probably very similar to yours (based on what you have written on this thread). In fact my point was the exact opposite of what you seem to have understood: my advice is for you to figure out how you can contribute something to the world so that you use your time here to make a difference, however small. If you find a career that gives you a sense of purpose, of meaning, then you might even be able to avoid the mid-life crisis completely.

Just the language barrier, but that's on me.

Reading your post again I think I agree with you. But I need a job to pay for rent etc while I play around and find out what to do with my life. And yes, I promise to put in the hours needed if I become a math teacher and scale my training back accordingly :)

You'll have no choice but to put in the hours - the kids will eat you alive otherwise! It's a rewarding job though, once you accept that the rewards will be for your soul rather than your bank account. And there are loads of teachers who train and race with a good amount of success. Good luck!

I agree with everything samtridad is saying. I am teaching (science) and working on my masters degree right now. My decision to teach was fueled by a passion for education. The summers off and mid year breaks are a bonus (an entire summer to train full time before Kona, I'll take it). I am also lucky to live near school districts that are on the upper end, almost outliers, when it comes to salary. Finding 6-10 hours a week(some weeks up to 15hrs) to train on work weeks hasn't been difficult so far... But, I am a young single guy, no kids, nobody depending on me, do what I want when I want.... that might be a bigger factor than the job itself. I am also in the time range where if I just keep training for a couple of years I will be able to get a pro card and maybe even be contending for prize money.. but so are many other people. Everything has to line up, it takes a lot of discipline, and a lot of help from others.

Bottom line is -- your passion should relate to your work because this will lead to more happiness. Dreading work everyday does NOT help your training. All of the other circumstances in life need to be taken into consideration to allow you to focus on triathlon as much as you want.

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Mason

Part time bike messenger, part time lifeguard sounds about ideal. Free gym/pool membership and no excuses for not going to the pool.

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Madison photographer Timothy Hughes | Instagram

I've worked in an investment bank before (associate) and done many long triathlons.....not at the same time though. I can't imagine any way you could do both with any kind of success.

How do you become an investment banker? Not for now, but it is one of the few jobs I actually think sounds really interesting.