Ask HN: I've been slacking off at Google for 6 years. How can I stop this?
Hi there, I did the exact same thing as you (at Google Sydney), before eventually deciding that I must strike out into the wilderness.<p>In the few years since I left; I worked as a solutions architect managing a team, a team lead, a remote dev, and now in a startup. Front-end, back-end, flip-side, all the ends. So I&#x27;ve been deliberately trying different angles of my career to see what suits.<p>I&#x27;d describe this process as grueling, (&quot;challenging&quot; is too friendly). I honestly think I would have been happier staying at Google, farting around, and being social. I agree with a lot of the comments here. However it&#x27;s a catch-22, because the me that exists now wouldn&#x27;t choose to go back and overall I think this has been good for me – and not just because of the, er, _character building_ aspect of it.<p>If you stay at Google, make the most of it by progressing deliberately in your social life. If I&#x27;d&#x27;ve stayed, I could have comfortably raised some kids with my wife by now - but that&#x27;s still on the todo list.<p>If you leave, just jump right in. I didn&#x27;t study anything, I just picked it up as I went along. If you were able to follow Steve Yegge&#x27;s advice and Get That Job At Google, then I&#x27;m sure you&#x27;re a smart cookie and can fake it til you make it.<p>Basically I&#x27;m saying you can be happy either way. If you leave, know what you&#x27;re getting yourself into. If you stay, don&#x27;t waste this time but use it on yourself.