I am 35 years old and can't even begin to count how many jobs I have had. I used to take pride in my work when I was 17-22 but as my salary increased I just followed the money. Something happened to me at around the age of 22 and since then I just drag my feet at every job that I work.

My salary was cut for the first time due to the company's finances. I spent years working minimum wage jobs and have never felt the inclination to work hard again. After the layoff, I was slowly able to get my income back to where I left off before. More recently the same thing happened to me again. I am once again underemployed and even at my previous position I dragged my feet although I was making a VERY LARGE amount of money for what I did.

I am in the Information Technology Field and no matter what job I pick I don't feel compelled to work hard just surf the web. Everyone around me seems so motivated but I am not.

All I want to do is spend time with my family. There are probably only a select few jobs that I like in Information Technology and the jobs are unrealistically hard to get due to all of the competition for them and/or the low pay that accompanies them.

I don't want to go back to school to do something else, I don't want to get back into debt that I cannot repay.

I also lost part of my motivation when I was forced to pay child support. I find it very difficult to be motivated when I have to pay my ex spouse money for the disservice of keeping my child away from me for 18 years.

I am hoping that you can help me get as motivated as everyone else around me seems to be.

I never had any guidance from my mother or father on the importance of working hard or anything related to a career so this has to come into play.

**Please no arguing with me over my feelings about child support. I will report you to a moderator. This is how I feel about child support as do many other people in my shoes. Nothing that you say to me is going to change my feelings about child support. I am only telling you part of what is causing me to feel unmotivated.**

Any thoughts on how to actually care about what I am doing? I know that my job supports my family, but my effective pay is so low that we can never afford to do anything or go anywhere or enjoy life.

I have become very crafty at convincing people that I am a hard worker but once I get in I just slack. It is the truth. I wish I would be like everyone around me who had that mom and dad who told them how to be competitive and/or even fake...but that just isn't me!

Thanks for your thoughts!