Build Your Career Around Your Life (Not Your Life Around Your Career)

Our behavior is driven by a purpose. We often work to achieve certain objectives that help improve our conditions and enhance our satisfaction and happiness.

Individuals may have varying preferences regarding what they derive happiness from while working. For instance, some may enjoy working for security and comfort, while others may prefer creativity or independence. These preferences are subjective and neither is right or wrong. Most people fall somewhere in the middle.

Value is ultimately subjective to your own personal viewpoint. Someone may be willing to work 80+ hours a week because they like the extra money, while someone else may prefer to work only 20 hours a week and enjoy a more modest living. Again, neither is right or wrong. You have to ask yourself, “What am I working for?”

Sometimes, however, we substitute our own values for someone else’s values without even realizing it. We are raised to believe that following instructions from schools and parents is the only way to achieve financial success. This path involves being obedient, adopting their worldviews, going to college, obtaining a degree, and then finding a job that aligns with our studies. This is the modern-day “American dream”. We are taught that if we follow this path efficiently, we are guaranteed a decent living.

The problem with this approach is that our educational institutions are designed to inhibit independence, self-determination, and creativity. Instead, their primary purpose is to process children like “human resources” and categorize them according to the demands of the economy. Consequently, we are conditioned to pursue the economic vision of someone else, such as a corporate boss, politician, or bureaucrat, rather than our own goals.

Pursuing our own goals can be challenging, particularly because we are so accustomed to being cogs in a machine and following a predetermined path. However, it is essential to live consciously and ask ourselves what we want and value. Individuals who wish to live more freely should take action by following their own vision, becoming an entrepreneur, or creating alternative sources of income and sustainability with friends or family.

Building a career around one’s life, rather than vice versa, is crucial. It is essential to choose a line of work that is more fulfilling and resonates with our goals. Happiness is subjective, and we should strive to find a career that aligns with our values.

Are you dissatisfied with your current job? Here are key questions to ask yourself…

• How happy am I with my current job? (on a scale of “1-100”)
• Do I believe in this company’s ethics and the value they offer to society?
• Do I like my boss/respect my boss?
• Do I get along with most of my coworkers?
• If something is lacking, is the extra income or security worth the trade-off?
• What are some realistic alternatives?
• If I could be doing anything I wanted, what would it be?
• Is there a way I can make a transition to something better?

Take the time to answer these questions and you’ll have a clearer idea on how satisfied you are with your current situation. What do you want for your future?

It is never a bad idea to consider making a change if you are unhappy with your current situation. Sometimes, if we don’t take a step back, we may end up pursuing long-term goals we never intended to pursue, leaving us wondering “What was it all for?” To avoid such a situation, we must live more consciously and ask ourselves what we value and want.

No one lays on their deathbed with regrets like, “I wish I spent more time in the office.”

Both big and small changes to your work life can be beneficial. You may want to make a huge leap, such as completely changing your career, or starting your own business, or doing a hard reset. Alternatively, you can focus on making small changes at a time, such as negotiating better hours, finding more interesting tasks or projects, making friends at work, providing constructive feedback, and finding ways to align your company’s values with your values.

If you truly hate your current job, especially if it clashes with your core values and morals, then the only choice you have is to find a way to transition out of it. You don’t need to quit right away if it isn’t practical or realistic, but you should start taking active steps to find alternatives (if you ever want to be happy).

The central theme of this post is to be flexible about your career in a way that best suits your lifestyle and preferences. You do not need to be a slave to a hateful boss; instead, find a workplace where you feel is productive, meaningful, and comfortable for you.

Here are popular examples of famous people who made big career changes throughout their lives (add them to your role models list and study them):

• Jeff Bezos – Founder of Amazon, started his career as a hedge fund analyst before creating the world’s largest online retailer.
• J.K. Rowling – Author of the Harry Potter series, started her career as a researcher and bilingual secretary before becoming a full-time writer.
• Tim Ferriss – Entrepreneur, author and podcast host, started his career in sales before creating a successful lifestyle brand and writing several best-selling books.
• Vera Wang – Fashion designer, started her career as a figure skater and journalist before becoming a fashion editor and eventually creating her own brand.
• Elon Musk – CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, started his career in software engineering before becoming a serial entrepreneur and revolutionizing the automotive and space industries.

Ultimately, you should aim to build your career around your life, not your life around your career. Remember, you have the final responsibility in how you live your life.

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