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Would you rather do what you enjoy at work or what you earn more?
I'm not sure, what am I supposed to do with a job that I enjoy but that I can use the salary to afford my hobbies and travel? But what am I supposed to do with a job that I only moderately enjoy but the salary is great?
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3 answers
Chinyere Okafor
Educationist and Counseling Psychologist
1205
Answers
Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria
Updated
Chinyere’s Answer
Hello Jil Ellen,
It’s a tough decision and depends on your priorities and long-term goals. Here are some things to consider:
1. Job Satisfaction: Doing what you enjoy can make work feel less like a chore, giving you a sense of purpose and fulfilment. If you love your job, it might make your day-to-day life happier, even if the salary isn't as high. You’ll likely feel more motivated and creative in a job that brings you joy.
2. Financial Security: A higher salary can provide more stability, allowing you to save, invest, and afford your hobbies, travel, and other interests outside of work. While you may not be as passionate about the job, the financial rewards could open up more opportunities in other areas of your life.
3. Balance: Some people find a middle ground, choosing jobs that they moderately enjoy but offer good pay. That way, they still feel content at work while having the financial flexibility to do the things they love outside of it.
4. Long-Term Happiness: Ask yourself where you see yourself in the long run. Would financial freedom make you happier than day-to-day job satisfaction? Or would you rather enjoy each day at work, even if it means sacrificing a bit financially?
Ultimately, it’s about what matters most to you—personal fulfilment at work or financial freedom for your lifestyle. Finding a balance might take time, but it’s worth reflecting on what brings you the most happiness in both work and life.
Best wishes!
It’s a tough decision and depends on your priorities and long-term goals. Here are some things to consider:
1. Job Satisfaction: Doing what you enjoy can make work feel less like a chore, giving you a sense of purpose and fulfilment. If you love your job, it might make your day-to-day life happier, even if the salary isn't as high. You’ll likely feel more motivated and creative in a job that brings you joy.
2. Financial Security: A higher salary can provide more stability, allowing you to save, invest, and afford your hobbies, travel, and other interests outside of work. While you may not be as passionate about the job, the financial rewards could open up more opportunities in other areas of your life.
3. Balance: Some people find a middle ground, choosing jobs that they moderately enjoy but offer good pay. That way, they still feel content at work while having the financial flexibility to do the things they love outside of it.
4. Long-Term Happiness: Ask yourself where you see yourself in the long run. Would financial freedom make you happier than day-to-day job satisfaction? Or would you rather enjoy each day at work, even if it means sacrificing a bit financially?
Ultimately, it’s about what matters most to you—personal fulfilment at work or financial freedom for your lifestyle. Finding a balance might take time, but it’s worth reflecting on what brings you the most happiness in both work and life.
Best wishes!
Updated
Jamie’s Answer
Good question! I think there has to be a balance. Ultimately, you want to be happy in your job because you spend the majority of your life working and with your colleagues. However, you need a salary that can pay for your needs and some of your wants, as well. The biggest question: what is important to you? Do you want to enjoy your job every day? Or do you not really care if it is boring, as long as you get to go on trips several times per year? What matters to you is what is important. If you moderately enjoy your job and are not miserable, mental health is not bad, people respect you, etc., then the higher pay may be worth it to you. However, if it is affecting your health - mental, physical, emotional - then it may be time to reassess and find a job (potentially with a lower salary) that fulfills your life more. Every person is different, and everyone's priorities are different. There may be an opportunity for either advancement or a pivot within your current career field in the future that is a better fit and better pay, but it cannot hurt to ask if there are opportunities to change roles without changing companies. Good luck! Hope you find a balance that works well for you!
Updated
Tony’s Answer
It's a really difficult question to answer because they both have positives and negatives and it varies greatly based on one's individual circumstances, preferences, talents, personality, interests, etc. So, now at 65 and looking back at my own life, I do regret not following my "heart" more and do feel I based job choices too much on external factors such as salary which I think caused me never to be satisfied with jobs and thus I changed jobs a lot looking for the thing that I felt was missing. Therefore, my advice would be too spend more time on finding out what truly makes you happy, inspires and fulfills you, etc in other words your passion and let that determine your job choices.