09-18-2017, 11:59 PM
For me it has always been a balance. Even if your main goal is simply stability, the financial aspect is always there. But one of the first lessons I remember from my old man was: "If you wake up in the morning and think 'aw shit I have to go to work,' start thinking about a change."
I've been fortunate enough to never really look at the (career) jobs that I've had and never have really seen them as work. Being a teacher was a lot of fun in my mind, and being in public servant in the courts has been very dynamic and always something new every day. Throughout it all I just made sure that my own lifestyle fit within the means that my job provided for me, rather than establish what I desire as a standard of living and then busting my ass trying to maintain it. As long as I'm content, that's what is important to me.
Take my current situation. Sure, I could be making probably 3x what I make working in the private sector. But then I'd have to work just to find work, worry about a paycheck that varies, work wonky hours, have to find my own health insurance, pension, vacation, the list goes on. It's worth the lesser paycheck for me to check into my job at 9, check out at 5, and not have any of my work or responsibility follow me home. Peace of mind and stability have their value as well.
Money will always be a motivator. For some it is the first, and that's not always a bad thing. Children, for example, need a lot of it, and I'm sure most parents want to provide as best they can. But if it becomes such a priority that you are miserable for the greater part of your day, that's when I would start to question if it is worth it, and try and find a better balance.
I've been fortunate enough to never really look at the (career) jobs that I've had and never have really seen them as work. Being a teacher was a lot of fun in my mind, and being in public servant in the courts has been very dynamic and always something new every day. Throughout it all I just made sure that my own lifestyle fit within the means that my job provided for me, rather than establish what I desire as a standard of living and then busting my ass trying to maintain it. As long as I'm content, that's what is important to me.
Take my current situation. Sure, I could be making probably 3x what I make working in the private sector. But then I'd have to work just to find work, worry about a paycheck that varies, work wonky hours, have to find my own health insurance, pension, vacation, the list goes on. It's worth the lesser paycheck for me to check into my job at 9, check out at 5, and not have any of my work or responsibility follow me home. Peace of mind and stability have their value as well.
Money will always be a motivator. For some it is the first, and that's not always a bad thing. Children, for example, need a lot of it, and I'm sure most parents want to provide as best they can. But if it becomes such a priority that you are miserable for the greater part of your day, that's when I would start to question if it is worth it, and try and find a better balance.
