Do I enjoy what I do or do I just enjoy the pay?

Do you enjoy your monthly pay check? I imagine so. Do you enjoy your pay more than your work? For some of you that might be a question to ponder on.

For those of us who are working, our work time makes up the most dominant hours of our week. It’s important to enjoy this time. We won’t get the time back. And yet we can feel trapped working in a role that is not inspiring, with colleagues that are demotivating and you have that constant feeling that you are just living for the weekend.

It happens that you started in a role that you enjoyed and then along comes the pay rises and with that more responsibilities, typically managing people and then the role becomes more draining and less enjoyable. But there’s no going back because your expenses have expanded with your increased pay checks. It is not an uncommon path.

So, can money make you happy? Yes. In a recent study, the happy London annual salary was calculated as £79,524. Considering that the average salary in the country is currently around £32,000 says a lot.

But does it give you the same joy as other areas in your life, your partner, your family, your friendships, your interests?  Possibly not.

We all work to earn the money we need. But if you’re working just for the money and you’re not enjoying the work then it’s time to have a chat with us about your financial plan. It’s important to understand if your financial needs can be met doing things differently. This might provide you with the confidence to take a new direction and find some joy. 

Of course, there’s that voice saying ‘are you serious?’ Giving up your pay feels like madness. You’ve got bills to pay. School fees to fund. True.  But is that what you want your life to be about? If so, then there is nothing more that you need to do. You can continue down this path and caveat emptor. If you are prepared to answer some difficult questions, the thought process behind your answers might help to unlock other new, inspiring opportunities for you to follow and believe in.