Working for money versus Working for a purpose

http://www.everydayminimalist.com/?p=1995

You know how the saying goes: “Find something you’re passionate about and the money will follow?”

Working for money is a necessary evil, but it doesn’t have to be evil
You definitely need money, there’s no question about it.. but if you are going to spend 40 – 60 hours of your life on your job, why not find something you like?

It’s interesting to note that the people who work only for money, aren’t happy, even if they’re making bank in the high 6 figures.

In fact, they’re anxious, stressed out and worried.

But it doesn’t have to be unpleasant because there are many people who do love their jobs…

How can you know if it’s the right job for you? You haven’t tried anything else….
Simple.

I love what I’m doing. I don’t need to do another job to confirm that I really loved my previous job.

If I didn’t love what I was doing, I would be looking for something else.

It’s never too late.

It’s like trying to find a partner for life — sometimes you need to date all the frogs before finding your Prince, but sometimes your Prince just appears and you know it.

Negativity is an easy trap to succumb to, but you just know when you’ve found what you enjoy to do, because the good parts outweigh the bad.

I just don’t want to stress out about finding the perfect job.

No job is ever going to be perfect! There are ALWAYS pros and cons, it’s just a matter of whether the pros weigh out the cons.

Why working only for the money sucks
It’s a vicious cycle.

All they’re doing, is waiting time out in an office somewhere, watching the clock for when it ticks to 5:00 p.m., and then to rush out the door towards freedom.

Then on their off hours, they feel sad or depressed about their job, and go out to spend (retail therapy) to make themselves feel better.

A new TV.

A new car.

…and it all cycles into a funnel of creating more debt, which makes them depend on the money from their job even more.

It never ends.

Break the cycle
Acknowledge that there is a cycle of some sort of coping mechanism being used – when I was unhappy at some points of my earlier jobs, I shopped.

Some people eat.

Recognize the coping mechanism used and when you feel the urge to shop, eat or whatever it is you do, find a more positive activity.

I tried very hard to change my shopping habit into an organizing habit.

When I get stressed, I make lists.

I organize.

I back up my data.

I arrange my necklaces neatly and play with them.

I arrange all my clothes by type, then by colour.

These are all the new coping mechanisms I’ve created to help myself deal with an upsetting or depressing situation.

Work backwards
So how the heck does anyone find what they’re passionate about?

Go the other way and use the elimination process.

So instead of trying to figure out the perfect job, try and figure out what you would HATE as a job.

Create two columns: Want and Do Not Want

If you hate to create flow charts and organize, put that down on your “DO NOT WANT” side.

You can also think about what you do enjoy: working with a team or working independently, and from there, a list of skills you want and don’t want to perform will appear.

After that starting point, you will be able to try and find a job that best matches the description.

I should mention that keeping an open mind helps – sometimes the unlikeliest job is the one you end up loving, so volunteer for every little project and give everything a chance.

I wasn’t sold on the job that I am currently doing, but I’m glad I gave it a chance (past a year) and now I love it.

A job should make you feel good most of the time, and make you feel like you’re making a difference at the company, the world or for yourself.

What it shouldn’t do, is make you have dark, depressing thoughts.

So do you work just for the money, or for a purpose?

http://www.everydayminimalist.com/?p=1995