Everyone wants to make money and be comfortable in life, and this has led to people going to school to acquire degrees, skills, and knowledge that allows them to qualify for a good job or better placement in a company they desire.
Yes, we all have to pay the bills. And our plans are in most cases connected with money, mortgage, traveling, a new car and other things. Yes, money will not bring happiness, but it helps to turn some of our dreams into reality.
Those are very good ambitions because being poor or lacking some success or achievement in life tends to make one miserable and depressed; having a lot of money does not necessarily guarantee happiness either. It’s necessary to get money that you need but then what happens if you’re getting highly paid but do not have time to spend with loved ones, relax or even enjoy life itself? Yes, you have a lot of money but are miserable.
Recently, I read so many articles about how people are feeling miserable in their job and how they are ready to switch it to a position that will give them fulfillment. I started asking my friends around the globe if they are happy at their work and I often heard the same answer: “I don’t like my job, but the company is paying me more than others and there is no other place on the market where I could get the same money or more.”
They are trapped in the “gold cage,” locked in with the high salary but miserable in what they do. For them, the change of the job is only money related, and money has become a necessary motivation for taking any new role.
And if they change their job, they will only do it for a bigger paycheck. But is it a smart move to join a new company just because of financial reasons?
Money
When you’re motivated by money but are not enjoying what you do or barely have time for yourself, it will get to a point where you will feel worn out and exhausted. At this point, you will not feel like working at that job or company anymore, but because of the ‘large’ amount of money being made, you are afraid to quit. However, in the long run, you’re no more productive at the job and, if you’re not careful, you might end up losing that job.
However, if it is something you love, there will be that desire to succeed, and this will make you more creative and more resourceful and consequently allow you to thrive and create progress swiftly.
Sure, it is essential to consider the economic implication of taking a job as to whether it will be able to cater for your needs and those of your family with some extra but, beyond that, additional income might not necessarily guarantee happiness and satisfaction.
According to experts in the field of economics, human wants are unlimited. It is just part of human nature to want more because we are under the impression that more brings satisfaction when, in reality, knowing when to be contented is what brings about happiness and not our net worth.
Depending on the economy of the area in which an individual is located, the money needed to satisfy their significant needs is subjective and is directly related to the area in which an individual finds him or herself, but the fact remains that more money does not necessarily guarantee satisfaction or happiness.
Take the happiest place on earth, Bhutan. People do not have high salaries like people in San Francisco, but they are more satisfied than people on the other side of the world. And their gross national happiness isn’t just Bhutan’s marketing slogan. That’s why it is essential to determine what your passion is because doing it will most likely give you fulfillment rather than doing something you do not enjoy.
Yes, going after your passion or trying to do what you love, especially after turning down a higher-paying job, might seem like taking a step into the unknown. Every small smart step you take should leave you alive to take the next step.
According to Professor Kahneman, a Nobel laureate in economics, “Many people want to make a lot of money, but the benefits of having a high income are ambiguous; also, wanting money is not a recipe for disaster, but wanting money and not getting it—that’s a good recipe for disaster.” He went on further to say that, “When you are wealthy you can buy more pleasures,” but a recent study suggests that wealthier people “seem to be less able to savor the small things in life.”
Nobody wants to have everything they presume they want and then still be miserable. Don’t get the message wrong; it’s not like it’s a bad thing to desire to earn some ‘serious’ money, but that should not be the ultimate goal. Instead, having happiness, peace of mind and a sense of fulfillment should guide our job-making decisions.
Why a good team is better than a more significant salary
You might also consider things like the kind of people you will be working with; will they help further your career or rather ruin it even if you will be making a lot of money in the process? It’s fair to say most people want a good reputation and would like to have built a good legacy when all is said and done, but then not everyone does, right? Why?
Many times, people get frustrated at their job, leaving them depressed and disinterested in what they are doing despite earning a fat salary package.
You might need to carry out some self-examination to see if you are on the right career path and if you genuinely enjoy what you’re doing. Nothing compares to happiness and fulfillment and it should not be substituted with an accumulation of wealth or material things because they rarely bring happiness but sometimes are accompanied by problems that could have been avoided.
If people are happy, they are doing a better job, and if they are surrounded by people that support them and believe in them, they will achieve more. People often go into sectors or apply to companies because they’re widely viewed as being interesting rather than because they find the job in question personally appealing and intriguing.
But choosing the right “company brand” should be less important than picking the right team that will be cooperating with you for the next few years. Having the right people around you is the best motivation that will move you forward faster than any big check can do.
What really matters in your career is personal happiness too!