Many people are concerned about having enough money with which to retire. This goal can be so overpowering that they may be willing to endure unsatisfactory working conditions for years in order to get to that magic number that will signal freedom from drudgery. What if there was another way to achieve financial independence — a way that provided an attractive quality of life while still accumulating funds for the future? That is the theme of today’s commentary.
Money can be a very powerful motivator for some people. Believe it or not, it can also be a demotivator, especially if making money is your number one priority. We all make trade-offs in terms of selling our time for money. Essentially, that is what we do when we work for a company, or for that matter, work for ourselves. We are trading time for an economic benefit.
Years ago, a job was viewed as primarily a means to an end. You worked hard enough or long enough to get what you needed and then you got out. Obviously, this paradigm has changed. Today, more and more people look to their job as not only a source of compensation, but as a social network, a sense of self-identity, as well as intellectual engagement. But as they say, someone still has to pay the piper.
Our proposition is that you can have it all – a satisfying work/life balance in a job or profession that is truly rewarding for you. The first step in achieving a healthy balance is identifying what you really enjoy about your job. If you have the ability to vary the work you do, see if you can move duties that are not as fulfilling off of your plate and shift them to someone else. This will free up more time to pursue the things that you find most engaging.
In our experience, there is no amount of money that can make a lousy job experience worthwhile. You owe it to yourself to find real satisfaction in your job. If you do, what you do may never feel like a job again.
PLEASE SEE IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE INFORMATION HERE.
