I have done many jobs in the past and was never happy with any of them, I prefer to dance to my own tunes, work toward my own deadlines. This motivates me and I enjoy my work more and thus do a better job.
My new job title is ” a bum” who loves his life,has time for his family and who has a more than average bank balance.

Failing this, save up for it. Save enough to cover expenses for three to six months (and “expenses” really means the bare minimum of rent, utility bills, etc) and quit your job. Living off savings is scary but if you start picking up client work right away, even if it’s only one-off gigs from Craigslist at first, you’ll have some money coming in to cover the rest of what you need. If you’re disciplined (and good at what you do) you will hopefully have sufficient regular income before your safety net savings runs out.

o Get the fire – encountering something (or someone) that really captures your passion. For me, David Allen’s method did this. This requires being open to new things entering your life, and *listening* to yourself then one of them resonates.

o Learning – One of the best reasons to stay with your job is for rapid education in something new. Get creative and make the new stuff someone fit with your responsibilities. Pump up your brain!

o Practice – Start applying yourself to your new passion. I went 1/2 time to do this, but nights and weekends happen too. Work with others to get better at it – experience is a lot different from sitting in front of our monitors!

o Network – This was huge, and – as a geek – something I’d totally forgotten (or never knew?) My social abilities had shriveled like a cadaver’s tiny curled claw :-) Read, practice, and let your personality come it – might require some self-(re)discovery… Starting tips at A geek “gets” networking: The strange magic of connecting with others

Hopefully after some number of months you’ll realize you’re ready to make a switch – a different group, different company, or (as the post encourages) a job where you make all the decisions, take all the risks, but get all the rewards (personal and professional).

It’s hard – in the US health insurance is a real disincentive, for one – but I will never turn back. Why? Well, when I was ready to quit, I was still in the mode of “where should I work next?” Nothing was leaping out (in fact, the prospects were frankly pathetic) and I thought, “What I really want to do is get paid for reading, thinking, writing, and creating experiences, maybe a corporate or scientific blogger.” Turns out I got that, but I had to work for myself to make it happen. One year and counting!

Sorry for the long ramble – you hit a nerve.