Simran
How do you maintain a balance between doing what you love and making sure you are making a good amount of money?
I am a high school senior and even though I do not know what career I wish to pursue, I want to make sure that I am doing something I love, while still being able to comfortably support myself. I guess I would just love to hear different perspectives on your career and how you keep the balance between both things. #career #money #income #interests #passions #balance
3 answers
Mia Shipman
Mia’s Answer
HI Simran:
Great question.
If you can get paid doing something that you love to do I say go for it. Money can't always be the driving force. Yes, we all need money but how much? Only you can define what a "comfortable" lifestyle is for you; it's different for each individual. Comfortable lifestyle for me might be a mansion on the hill with 3 cars, a dog, and two cats but for others a studio apartment with a fish might be considered comfortable.
I hope this helps.
Thank you for this advice it was really helpful
Maeve
I agree. I'm not experienced, but I personally think that as long as you do something you enjoy and love in life, it will provide you the most comfortable lifestyle. What is the point of earning so much money when you don't enjoy your career? When you don't enjoy something, it will not make you happy even if you do receive so much. Money can give you happiness not make you happy.
Linda
yes, it definitely does! thanks
Simran
Thank you for the advice. I've been wondering the same question for a long time
Teal
Jenny Hill, CPLP, CTDP
Jenny’s Answer
You touched on the key point in your question, I think- balance. Like any balancing act, you will need to continually adjust and check in with yourself to make sure you're not going too far in one direction or another. There will likely be times that pursuing your passion is priority one, and times when making the paycheck is priority one, but those times need to stay in balance. You'll likely have competing passions in life- and balancing those will be tricky as well!
As you learn more about yourself and what you want and need out of life, that should help you to determine your path. Right now, maybe think a bit about what your passions are and how those might translate into a career- and what you can do to move in that direction. Keep asking questions, keep learning, keep improving, and you'll always be making progress.
Tommaso Deserti
Tommaso’s Answer
This is a huge topic for me. I think about this a lot.
How much money is enough for you?
I was recently reading an article about this survey on happiness related to income.
The happiest people were the one with median income around $70k. Crazy right?
I want to give you something to reflect on and I'll go a little metaphysic here: ask yourself what is the value of money?
It's a rectangular piece of paper that for convenience we decided is worth $$$. The same piece of paper though can be worth $100 or $1.
Society speculates on that so in certain part of the world they are able to charge x10 for the same raw material.
Going back to my initial question, how much money is enough to be happy?
Today may be enough to buy a new pair of shoes and treat your loved ones to dinner.
Tomorrow is to buy a new watch, then a car, a home and a new and better car etc.
My advice to you is make sure you love what you do, if you are good at it money will come.
And when money will come, keep asking yourself: am I still happy?
I'm planning to leave this world with a big smile on my face and just few coins to pay the trip in my pocket.