It's becoming increasingly more important, especially to younger workers like the millennial generation; changing your career so that you have an adequate work-life balance is becoming more important than the actual job itself.
The priority for so many of us is freedom, freedom to do what we want when we want. But now, there are increasing barriers, and we are expected to give more of ourselves for a job that's not important to us, and for minimal pay. Dedication to our job appears to be unprecedented, and we can see this in how many family men are physically unable to spend much time with their children. And so, there's got to be a point when we decide that enough is enough. Of course, we need to earn money, but surely our life and happiness are more important? And for those people out there but are fed up with their work, and the never-ending grind, what are the options?
Making A New Life For Yourself
More and more people are looking for that way out, the access point to a life that makes them happy and fulfilled. For so many of us, our happiness in life hedges on the career choice we make. Understandably, this is why so many people start to forge their own career path. Going freelance or starting their own business is one of those dreams that we’ve all had. After all, who doesn't like the idea of dictating their own hours, and doing what they want when they want? But so many people soon find out, it's not as rosy as our dreams make out. Starting your own business, or freelancing means you've got to operate with a thick skin, because you may be openly criticized, or struggle to get people to buy your products and to work with you, and this feeds into what you perceive to be weak about yourself. This is just one part of a multi-stranded tree of problems. Even if you overcome business obstacles, there will be another one that comes up sooner or later. Even technological issues can be a thorn in the side of any freelancer or business leader, and while there is technology to solve real business issues- the issues that mean the difference between success and failure, if you look at the idea of freelancing as a way to be your own boss, the reality sets in pretty quickly that it's a bigger challenge than you ever contemplated. And for all these negative perspectives, setting up your own business or working for yourself in a freelance capacity can suit people down to the ground. If you are used to a regular wage, and a certain security, this approach is not for you.
Re-Educating And Starting Again
The way it used to be, changing careers in the middle of your life was unheard of. It was perceived as foolish and a quick way to pour everything you worked for down the drain. But now, it's very common for people to make changes in their career, or even go back into education. Twenty years ago, it was an anomaly to see just one mature student over the age of 30, now, you see so many more. And while it's not feasible for so many of us to go back to college and to spend three years studying, this is where you can take advantage of online courses. Not only is it a great way to get a sneak preview of a new career path but you can get genuine bona fide qualifications without having to leave your home. The benefit of doing it like this is that you're not leaving yourself open to the elements. When we're so frustrated with our working lives, the last straw can be at any moment, where we snap and we walk out the door without any plans. Now, you can gradually build up your experience and expertise without jumping ship so soon. As the gig economy is in rude health, if you have enough fingers in many pies, you can use the freelance approach to get sneak previews of different career paths. Granted, there are plenty of freelance websites out there, and competition is fierce, but if you are looking for something that feels right, you can use this “try as you buy” mentality to find out what does suit you. This way, you're still earning a regular wage, and you are getting to grips with new and exciting opportunities.
Is The Grass Always Greener On The Other Side?
While we've spoken about making a new life and making seismic changes, is the grass always greener on the other side? In other words, are you making unnecessary changes just to be unhappy in the next phase of your life? It's very easy for us to blame our job as the sole reason we are unhappy. After all, we spend a third of our life there, if not more. But this could be down to something completely different, not necessarily the duties, but maybe it's the people you work with, or it's the company? So if we are looking to make changes in our lives so we feel a sense of purpose is it actually the job or is it everything else surrounding the job? Because we place so much importance on ascending to the next level, we believe that the next step will magically transform our lives. But whatever your dream career, you have to remember that everybody has aspects of their job that they have to get on with, and aren’t so enthused. No perfect job is 100% perfect, and if we get this out of our heads, this may bring everything into focus. We can look at what we're doing right now, strip away all of the superfluous details, and actually find out that what we're doing isn't so bad. But on the other hand, it could be something as simple as you not feeling challenged. We all face periods of stagnation, and we get bored with what we're doing. Conversely, the job may be too much for you to cope with, in which case are you stressing yourself out pointlessly every single day? Because we believe that to get by in life we've got to give everything we can to our job, when we look back on our lives are we going to wish that we did more work? It's unlikely. And if we spend half our lives looking for something that's not really there, or we mistakenly believe that changing career will be the answer, we could be bitterly disappointed.
It's not a surprise that people place so much importance on their jobs, because they spend so much time there, but if you are fed up with what you're doing; only you have the power to make changes to your life so that you feel you've made a difference. Other people are happy coasting, but if you are frustrated in your career choice, it's not just about taking the appropriate steps to re-educate or do something that suits your lifestyle, you need to decide if there's something more lurking beneath the surface. Because your career choice is an easy target if you're unhappy, it may be the other aspects of your life that need changing. Sometimes when we are unhappy, we can't see the wood for the trees. And while the daily grind is becoming more pressurized to truly make a difference in your life, you've got to make the decision, change your work or change your life?
