Work isn’t supposed to be the best part of your day. It serves a purpose: working earns us money which allows us to survive and, hopefully, extra income gives us the ability to do things we enjoy, too. The longer we work and the harder we try, the more money we make. With any luck, that extra spending money becomes fancy cars, bigger houses, designer shoes.
Several years ago, I left journalism in search of a bigger career. Journalism is a field I love, but a field known for overworking and underpaying its employees, so I left it, taking an editing job with a large company’s website. The pay was great; I moved from Washington, D.C., to a much cheaper city, and took home a hefty raise despite the cost of living being much lower in my new home. I enjoyed it for a while, going out to eat more often and ordering more expensive wines than I ever could before.
Once the excitement of “oh-my-gosh-I-can-afford-this” wore off, I began to learn that, in a different way, I was paying for that extra income. I didn’t feel challenged at work; I didn’t feel as though I had purpose.
I brought home my paycheck, but I’d left my happiness and sense of purpose behind in the old Washington Post building. I wanted to return to journalism, but to do so meant giving up my shiny, big-world salary.
I took the lower salary, and decided it was time to redefine success.
Success is taking on a challenge and finding a solution. It’s coming into a new position and doing it in a way that’s never been considered before. It’s surprising your boss with innovation. It’s having a fulfilling job and home life.
We spend less and save more now that we have less disposable income. I shop sales and never want to upgrade my MINI Cooper. Best of all, I’m happy to go to work, and I come home feeling grateful to do something I love. I’m satisfied with what I have: a job I enjoy, and time to enjoy being around my husband and our dogs. I have everything I need, and many things that make life a little bit better.
Source: Wile, K. (2017). Life lines: Is happiness worth a pay cut? Bizwomen. Retrieved from https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/out-of-the-office/2017/06/life-lines-is-happiness-worth-a-pay-cut.html?page=all
First Post—Module 1
The wages/salaries we make are important for our livelihood, but just how important?
• Have you worked a job where the pay, benefits, location, etc., were terrific, but you just were not happy? On the other hand, have you worked a job where the pay, benefits, location, etc., were not so hot, but you were still happy? (If these situations do not apply to you, does one or both describe something someone you know has experienced?)
• Is there a job or career you would never pursue regardless of the pay offered to you? If so, what job and why?
• Should employee happiness be one of the compensable factors employers should look at in their job evaluation process when determining the pay for a position? Why or why not?
