There are a lot of things which contribute to our overall happiness. Careers are definitely one of them. Having said that, I personally think that my career only contributes, maybe, 10% to my overall satisfaction with life and it surprises me that it seems to be much greater for everybody else.
I’m quite pleased at the moment, in that I work for a charity and it’s nice to know that my work is part of something which is genuinely good. In cases like that, it’s easier to understand, but if all you’re doing is helping to raise profits for a business, I struggle to understand the importance people place on their jobs.
I mean, I can totally understand the importance of having a comfortable income. There have been times where I’ve struggled financially and it is stressful. But other than that, money is just money.
I don’t mean to sound too cynical, because it’s nice that this kind of thing makes people happy, but for me, being able to spend time with friends and have time alone to relax, are two things that are so much more valuable. I’d happily choose a life where I have to live off minimum wage, but have a very busy social life over having a high paying salary and barely ever seeing anyone.
I just don’t feel that a career (no matter how good) can give me any meaningful sense of fulfillment. My job is what I do, not who I am – but I tend to find that when people describe themselves, it’s often who they are, which is a little bit concerning…
