Often times people have the wrong jobs they have to start, they took them cause they paid right amount of money and that weighed more than enjoying what you are doing. Then you doing it a number of years of doing crap you now hate with every ounce of your being-so you are going down mentally or perhaps you physically can't do it-that was my case, I just couldn't lift any more. But I prepared myself for this outcome, I saved up 3 million, had rental properties that had positive nets, but one month of no rent, guess what, you have to keep paying the mortgage but I had that figure too, insurance, everything I could think about so when I quit, I was pretty much set to change careers to trading. The one thing I didn't count on, after few months, trading can be incredible boring. My last job of 17 years, overall, I actually loved, yea times of doing something you don't like, but overall it was pretty good. I didn't want to put in for disability, as I knew I could still do other things I had went to school, and I knew all those jobs I would hate. But the boredom of sitting there in 1999, minute by minute was compete drag, making money was no longer a joy, it was a mental commitment to do it each day, now had to go to a gym to workout whereas before never did, work was like a gym, you just didn't have anyone like this forum never found back then to spend time, make friends, at 43yo, and you not made many friends other than former job, you are so screwed. At some point I couldn't even enjoy dating, but I was making money in the Big S&P 500 cause the ES just didn't have the volume yet and I had gotten use to calling the floor, you get set in your ways in life and you don't realize that.
Friend of mine came by and asked if he could park his truck out front, yeah, sure, didn't know it was 75 feet long, yep truck and trailer, and he was one of the best day traders I knew, showed me his set up and stayed for a week showing me how to trade from a truck, it no different than at home, I was hooked, took training and went driving till I got ill in 2008, have over one million safe miles under my belt. You make your own rules so long as you get there in time, companies don't care and I still did what I did at home, just new scenery each day and often forget where I was when I woke up. It not for 99% of people to be a gypsy of sorts, but I never really fit into most crowds, you have to come to terms of who you, stop lying to yourself too, know your limitations is huge. And I do miss being on the road, meeting real people in real small towns. Come home when I needed a break. Of course am single and unable to have children, some say I am lucky, but never saw it this way, thinking too old at 61yo to try for that, can't see having diapers into my 70s nor playing football and tossing the ball without getting surgery on shoulder. But I could teach them how to make a living after college, always good to have options.
Couple of Neuro surgeons once told me that trading was the hardest careers they ever failed at, most likely only other career they tried for several years. You have to build a Trading Plan that takes years, then even worst, you have to be able to trust it.
I think it important to keep having challenges, make new directions, change is good if you prepare for them, and really expand your circle of distance, there is so much in the world we have not seen, so grab your laptop and whether you love developing systems in my case or manually trading, book a flight, cruise, train and just go. Maybe I will find my best friend that happens to be a woman that way.
Was it worth it, tough to answer, many have already said how much time they gave up to become decent trader, and if you tire of manual trading and know a very good programmer, start a partnership and go bigger with automation, start a Hedge fund after that, keep expanding till you find what you love to do.
Just remember, money is a Tool, it pays the bills and it is collectable, tools have a proper place and happiness still comes from within.
(I own 3 properties, one doubled in value since I purchased it in 2012) My first home is over double its value and the other is about 8%[next door neighbor house] higher in value.