Love your work?
The Secret to Finding a Job you Love while Paying the Bills.
It’s a long and meandering road for some us to find our career passion.
My younger sister decided at eleven that she was going be a doctor. On the pretext of a ‘better education’ she pressured our parents to send her to boarding school. She focused and worked hard. The ambition of medicine drove her to excel.
On the other hand, I searched long and hard for a career foothold. As I bounced across myriad artistic expressions I was always envious of my sister’s early determination.
Still, even she digressed. While the original plan was to be a human doctor, she’s actually an animal doctor. A vet. Who now works in the marketing department of a global pharmaceutical company that develops animal medicine.
It’s comforting to know that even those of us who start with a direction, usually meander. Recently I updated my work history and I realised that no matter where I’ve gone, I always seem to end up swimming in words. Though it may seem frustrating at times, as a writer I’ve found the journey mandatory. It’s improved my skill and ideas.
At the other end of my family spectrum sits ‘older brother.’ In every way he’s the opposite of ‘younger sister.’ He starts early, ends late and works weird shifts to accrue flexi-time. This he takes in 6-month chunks, escaping to France every few years. He works to live, not the other way ‘round.
Finally there’s my older sister. Perhaps she has it the hardest? She doesn’t have a ‘job’ at all. Her time is spent raising 3 busy girls and supporting an incredibly successful, hard-working husband. She doesn’t get any official ‘adult’ time off, like those of us who escape to the office. Though she has plenty of dreams, they wait in the wings for this hectic life stage to pass.
Yes, even in our small family of four we’re very different. Though I have moments of life envy, I like my ‘work/life’ balance. What is the secret? My vote goes to: admitting your passion and having the courage to follow through. And… being prepared for things to change.
When I was single I could afford to be more creative with my job status. Now that I have a mortgage and two kids, it’s a much tougher balancing act. Often I’m exhausted, incredibly challenged yet somehow, infinitely more rewarded.
What about you? Do you love what you do but struggle to pay the bills, or do you sit through the drudgery of work to pay for your lifestyle outside it? Have you put your dreams on hold or are they costing you the earth?
Tell me – Is it possible to have both? Love to hear your thoughts… Let’s get this conversation started.
YAY! I am excited to say I LOVE MY WORK! Although it will never pay bills like a mortgage in the Carribean, my work as an ecologist, and now as a science communicator and teacher, is one of the reasons I’d like to keep working as long as I can in life. I’ve deliberately chosen it as a lifestyle and want to instill in my children a love for nature, science and complex processes that make the earth revolve through that work/life choice.
Work-life balance: hmmm, well, I’d like to think that by making my work my life, I can achieve balance, but it’s not that easy really, especially as the ‘sit down at the computer’ part of my work is the isolating bit that you can’t really incorporate into the ‘life’ part. Travelling to exotic islands to research ants however, IS something I consider ‘life’ as well as ‘work’. I’m happy with my balance because I know I can’t do everything (even though I try sometimes) and because I’ve chosen what i’m doing deliberately (well, most of it!).
I have one of the most unconventional ‘careers’ of *nearly* anyone I know, and I think that’s what I love about it.
↓ Quote | Posted June 30, 2008, 9:15 amI’ve been to the smallest country on earth – for WORK!!!!!
love your conversations threads charli.
love the bug
xxx
Apart from unconventional, also one of the most important, most interesting and most exciting careers of anyone I know. You are an inspiration bug girl! x
↓ Quote | Posted June 30, 2008, 10:10 amI had a job that was my life. No balance at all. I was working really really hard with people I, fortunately, really really liked. Working as a web producer in London during the ‘good old www days’ seemed about the most bloody fantastic thing to be doing at that time. I wasn’t saving the world, not even slightly, but I lived for work.
Now I have a more balanced view. After being forced to take time off, by small children-shaped resources, I was thrilled by and terrified of the prospect of returning to paid work. On my first day back, I was almost dizzy with excitement at having a security pass and an employee ID. Plus the toilets had really cool taps that turned on automatically when you put your hands under them!
A few months on, I enjoy my work a lot, definitely enough to keep turning up and thinking thoughtful thoughts. My paid job makes me even more happy to have days off with the kids. I don’t need work to fill my whole life any more, because I have another whole life to deal with. And clean up after.
↓ Quote | Posted June 30, 2008, 8:09 pm