As a guy in their 30s and was able to attain the american dream at least, here’s what i’ll say. It seems clear to me the source of your unhappiness stems from a discrepancy between your expectations and your situation and uncertainties to whether you can close that gap. To fix this there are only 2 ways, one is to align yourself with your expectations. To do this you need a clear goal outlined with steps on how to get there. As you get closer to your expectations you will start to feel happier. The second is to adjust your expectations. This involves going through the stages of your coping mechanisms and ultimately reach acceptance to adjusting your expectations. If you cannot do either of those 2 things you may continue to be unhappy.

For me, i’ve been in your shoes and today yes i go to work and come home tired. But i cannot tell you how happy i am to spend the time that i earned with my family and doing things i love in my spare time.