A Wake-Up Call to Live Your Best Life
As you sit at your desk, staring at the computer screen, you can’t help but wonder: is this it? Is this what I’m supposed to do for the rest of my life? Spending most of your life doing something you hate is enough to make anyone feel miserable. Yet, so many of us find ourselves in this situation. According to a recent Gallup poll, 85% of people in America don’t enjoy their jobs.
So, why do we stay in jobs that make us unhappy? For many, it’s fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of not being able to pay the bills. But what if I told you that staying in a job you hate wastes your life? What if I told you you deserve to live a life filled with purpose and fulfillment? It’s time to wake up and take control of your life. It’s time to quit your job and pursue your dreams, even if your dream is a different job or new career.
The Childhood to Retirement Ratio
Let’s take a moment to visualize your life as a timeline. The first third of the line represents your childhood and teenage years. The middle third of the line represents your working years, and the final third represents your retirement. If you’re lucky, you’ll live to be 80 years old. That means the majority of your life will be spent at work. Do you want to spend most of your life doing something you hate?
Don’t Work for Retirement
Some people stay at a job they hate because they’re working hard and grinding it out for retirement. But the reality is not everyone will live to be 65. And even if you do make it to 65, on average, you only have about 15 more years left to live. Don’t waste the best years of your life waiting for retirement.
Reinvent Yourself
It’s never too late to start over. If you’re unhappy with your job, quit it. Find another way to make money. You can wake up tomorrow and completely reinvent yourself. Become the person you’ve always wanted to be. Or at least find a new job doing something you don’t hate or, better yet, do something you enjoy. It also makes sense financially because you should be paid more at your new job. On average, staying employed at the same company for over two years will plummet your lifetime earnings by about 50%.[1] Get in touch with your passions and find a job that correlates more with your work energy. If you are entrepreneurial or knowledgeable with tech, you could also launch something that could create cash flow. If you’re successful, you will wish you had done it sooner.
Your Children are Watching
If you have children, consider the example you’re setting for them. If you work a job that you hate, what message does that send to your children? Do you want them to grow up and do the same thing? Or do you want them to watch you live a fulfilled life doing what you love so that they can grow up and do the same? Find something to do for a living you enjoy and show your family it is possible, set the example. Quitting a job you hate will also make you a more positive person to be around and could improve your relationship with your children or spouse,
Money Isn’t Everything
No matter how you make money, we all end up as dust. It’s okay to make less money doing something that you love. Don’t feel the need to buy a bigger house or a new car just because your neighbor did. Don’t worry about keeping up with the Joneses. You will likely be happier making $52,000 in a job you enjoy than $100,000 in a job you hate. Many will make more in a job over the long term that they love as they will bring more energy and enthusiasm to it.
Don’t Fear Judgment
Don’t fear being judged by others because you don’t have a great job title. Don’t look back at the end of your life and see unfulfilled dreams or missed opportunities. Don’t be so busy making a living that you forget to make a life. Self-employed entrepreneurs don’t care as much about social status as they care about freedom and living on their terms. If you enjoy a job, that should be the most important thing to you as long as it provides enough pay for monthly bills.
Life is Short
Life is short. Do something that you love and be proud of it. When you’re not working, spend that time with the people you love. You weren’t born to pay the bills and die. You were born to thrive. Life is too short to spend doing something you hate or staying in a career you despise. Sometimes the issue is the company or the boss, and the solution could be as simple as working for a new company or transferring to a different department to get a new boss.
Conclusion
If you’re unhappy with your job or your purpose in life, it’s time to make a change. Don’t waste the best years of your life doing something you hate. You deserve to live a life filled with purpose and fulfillment. It’s never too late to reinvent yourself and pursue your dreams. Don’t let fear or the need for financial security hold you back from living your best life. It is unlikely to be financially successful when you hate what you do for a living. There are better odds of financial success doing what you are passionate about because you will put in the time and energy to be good at it.
Remember, the majority of your life will be spent at work, so it’s essential to find a job that you enjoy and that gives you a sense of purpose. Don’t be afraid to pursue your passions responsibly. Life is too short to live with regret. Live your life so you have no regrets about what could have been. You can always go get another job, but you only live once.
Ultimately, it’s not about the job title, the paycheck, or the material possessions. It’s about living a life that makes you happy and fulfilled. So, if you’re not happy with your job, take action today. Quit your job and start living the life you were meant to live, whatever that looks like for you. Find the right fit, as there are endless ways to make a living. Your future self will thank you for it.