How I Changed My View Of Work
What is work, and why do we do it? In the last two years, I have drastically changed my view of what work means to me. Want to know more? Then read on!
Your Money or Your Life
In the last 1.5 years, I started to realize that I desperately need to work on my money mindset. I have always had, and sometimes still have, a pretty bad money mindset. So I came across the book “Your Money or Your Life” by Robin & Dominguez, which I can only recommend!
This book was more than I expected. Because it showed me more than ever that everything in life is energy, even money. And I never thought about it that way before. I began to realize that if I change my mindset about money, I will not only improve my relationship with it, but I will actually make MORE of it.
In this book, Robin & Dominguez talk about the meaning of work and that work isn’t always paid employment — which I hadn’t really thought about before.
I think I never saw work as something where I could fulfill myself, but rather as something “I had to do for money”. Of course, I always hoped to work in a job that I enjoyed or that meant something to me, but deep down I didn’t believe in it. Because “we all have to pay our bills,” right? You have probably heard or told yourself that before. And yes, let’s face it: we do. But what if you love what you do for a living, and you can actually make money doing it? Or, while you do your paid work, you do your other work on the side, doing what you love?
9–5 ’til you’re 65
I’ve always said that I don’t want to live the 9–5 life.
That I don’t want to have a work-life balance, because to me that means that work is something that you do outside your life — that is, it’s something that you don’t enjoy. That’s what I was told by teachers or older family members; I guess it’s a generational thing and a societal thing — definitely a German thing: work shouldn’t be fun, it should be hard.
But I always thought that I don’t want to take a vacation from my life, I want my life to be enriching enough as it is. And I figured the only way to do that is to get rid of this work-life dualism.
In fact, since I’ve been freelancing, my work has become more and more my life. And now that I’m actually building my own business, I see that there’s no real difference anymore. When you are the brand (unlike when you work for a brand), you can theoretically always work. My work is so varied at the moment, and to be honest, I love it. I get to create things I’m passionate about, and I get to see the value in my work that doesn’t feel like the “work” I always thought I “had to do”.
So, What Do You Do?
I read this quote the other day:
“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” — Pericles
And I don’t think it could be said more beautifully. I don’t see work as something that just helps me “climb the corporate ladder” anymore. I see work as something that has the potential to help others. And if it just makes someone think differently, that’s enough of an accomplishment for me.
There is no right or wrong. I understand each path, but I am very grateful for reflecting on these things and asking, “What am I really called to do?” instead of “What is the next best thing I can do”?
I am grateful for realizing that it is indeed possible to enjoy your life, and by that I mean the everyday mundane. That whatever reality you want to see fulfilled: it is possible. You don’t have to accept a reality you don’t want or don’t like. Sometimes we have to compromise, and sometimes things take time. Please know that the reality you want to build CAN be built! But you need to start asking yourself some questions…
5 Questions From The Book That Can Help You Reflect Today:
- If you didn’t have to work for a living, what would you do with your time?
- If you could take a year off work, how would you spend it?
- What is work, and why do we do it?
- What’s your life’s work?
- What do you like or dislike about the work you do for money?
I have changed the way I look at work, and I am excited to see where the journey will take me. What does work mean to you?
