Career Advice – Should I Follow My Heart or Follow The Money?
Being stuck in a job that you don’t enjoy because you need the money can be extremely painful.
It can be constricting, draining, and leave you in a permanent state of frustration.
And as the years go on, it can feel like life is slipping through your fingers.
The tiring contemplation of whether to leave financial security or pursue meaningful work can make you give up all hope.
But it is possible to shift out of the constant deliberation and into a place where you feel empowered and happy with your choice.
(And what if I told you it’s possible to have both: to be pleased as punch with your career and have the cash to splash?)
Here are three tips to help you decide.
Tip 1 – Take a good look at the potential result of each option.
Envisioning the outcome of your choices helps you clarify what is important to you.
Start by exploring what would happen if you followed your heart, and then do the same if you followed the money.
For each option, ask yourself the following questions:
- What would life look like in 10 years?
- What impact would you have on your family, friends, and people around you?
- How would you be feeling?
- What would you be thinking?
- What would you have achieved?
- How might you have impacted the world?
- What legacy would you be leaving?
- What would people around you be saying about you?
- What would your health be like?
- What would a typical day look like?
Important note: Take time to answer these questions. Block out an hour or two, undisturbed, and let your mind go.
Even better, talk it through with a good friend, a supportive person who can listen objectively.
Express the vision for each option out loud. Hear yourself say it so that you can experience how it could be. Notice how you feel after you have immersed yourself in each option.
Tip 2 – Understand your ‘why’ behind each alternative.
There is no correct answer when choosing your future — but good choices and a little visioning will go a long way.
Knowing why you are deciding on a particular path can fuel the passion furnace and make the difference between success and failure.
We all have different values. For some, family is their number one; for others, justice is their driver. For many, it’s all about leaving the world in a better state.
Know your why – what makes you tick — and let it lead you.
For example …
I worked with a client who felt ashamed that he wanted to earn more money. But, when we drilled down to his why, it was to give his children the education he didn’t have.
Knowing this was important as it enabled him to make his sacrifice worthwhile.
Another example …
Another client of mine valued meaning and fulfilment in her work, and money was secondary. With a mission to see exploited children in India set free, she was willing to go without material wealth.
There is no right or wrong. But being clear about why you are doing what you are doing will enable you to push through when the going gets tough.
As author and pastor, Bill Johnson says, ‘vision gives pain a purpose.’
Tip 3 – Look at it from a different perspective — could it be possible to follow your heart and make money?
I can’t tell you how often a client has come to me in a state of confusion as they try to grapple with either-or. But a simple shift in perspective can change everything.
What if instead of it being an either-or question, it was a both-and question?
What if you could have both high work satisfaction and a healthy income?
Start dreaming about what you want in the next era of work, and remove all limitations. This will open you up to new possibilities.
As Walt Disney said, ‘if you can dream it, you can do it.’
Too often, clients come to me believing it’s one way or the other. And after we start working on their challenge, new possibilities emerge, creative solutions bubble up, and the seemingly impossible dream finds its way into reality.
How Justin did both: followed his heart and made money.
When Justin first came to me, he had been trying to leave his role as Managing Director for a leading investment bank for eight years. After his father’s death, he longed to return to his home town in America to be close to his sisters.
However, his fears about how he would fund such a move with a wife and new baby, coupled with his natural risk-avoiding temperament, led to a state of analysis paralysis. He wondered how he could ever make the change.
Through our coaching sessions, Justin risked dreaming of a life where he could do meaningful work with autonomy and make enough money to fund the education for his children, nieces, and nephews.
Focusing on a personally valuable vision gave Justin the motivation to make changes towards his goal. Within eight months, he had resigned from his current role, secured a new job as an investment advisor for the private wealth management arm of the bank in his home town, which enabled him to have the autonomy to grow his own client base.
He was afraid of losing his bonus, but his vision was so compelling that he was willing to take that risk. Despite resigning before the cut off date, the company still granted him the entire bonus. If you are in the banking world, you will know that this is not a small sum!
Whatever you choose, know your ‘why’ to set you up for success.
It is easy to feel like you can’t do the things you love because you might not get paid well for it. Don’t just assume this is the case.
Take time to explore the result of each option, why you want to take that route and consider whether it is possible to have both.
Take a moment to consider the following questions:
If you were granted 10 wishes around your work, what would they be?
If you could have both-and what would that look like in 10 years?
When was the last time you saw a dream come true?
What if this happened again?
I love helping people who want to go after their big, scary career dreams by turning the journey into an exciting adventure.
If you are ready to take that first step, why not drop me a line, and let’s work out a plan to get you on the path to your dream career.