We live in a very consumer-driven society. How many television shows, movies and songs have we heard over the years glorifying making and spending money? Make as much as you can,” “spend as much as you can,” “get as much as you can”…… The messages are all the same.
Now don’t get me wrong. I want to make as much money as the next person, but I learned years ago that when it comes to your career, there’s something more valuable than a nice paycheck – OPTIONS. You see when most people get increases in compensation, they usually upgrade their lifestyle which requires more money – a bigger home, that luxury car you’ve always wanted, putting the kids in private school, adding one more vacation to the annual calendar, etc.
Yet, when something goes wrong on the job, too many times these same people feel stuck. Why? Because their lifestyle becomes a direct reflection of their big paycheck, and they’ve created no escape routes for themselves; no options. They suffer for months and years doing work they hate, working for someone they don’t like or respect, or feeling like their trapped in a career that is going in the wrong direction fast.
If this is you, you can begin to turn it around.
If you know what you want to do in the next chapter of your career, but realize it’s going to require you to sacrifice some/a lot of your current paycheck, begin by figuring out what you can cut. I know it’s not easy letting go of the things you’ve worked so hard to accumulate, but is keeping these things worth the headaches, stress, frustration, declining confidence, boredom and fear you’ve also accumulated?
By making small sacrifices now, you’ll acquire great gains in the future. By re-prioritizing what’s really important for a rich career, you can open up a door of possibilities you’ll love and will most likely bring financial gain as well.
#TakeBackYourCareer
Until next time….