We all care about our career. We put years not only to get to the position we are now. But also to educate ourselves and build up the knowledge and skill base that have gotten us this far. We shouldn’t pretend that careers are not a significant part of our lives. It only fails to acknowledge the amount of effort and accomplishment that have got us to this point. However, your career isn’t everything. This article is about making sure you appreciate that.
Looking at other opportunities
A lot of us love our careers, but sticking to one rail all your life is an easy way to eventually grow disinterested and even resentful of it. It’s always a good idea to have some other options or interests lined up at some point. Take the case of Martin Chitwood for an example. A legal expert specializing in securities litigation. Enough work to fill up a lifetime, you might think. Even then, he finds time to work as an entrepreneur, switching tracks into his own startup and even work on producing a film at the same time. It just goes to show that you always have opportunities. Be ready to identify them, even if it means a bit of risk.
Looking at the future
It’s also important that we think about what’s going to happen beyond work. You don’t want to be one of those people who leaves the office only to find out they’ve left a piece of them behind in it. Even worse, that they haven’t prepared for life outside that work. Investments not only give you another piece of your life to focus on away from work. It also helps you ensure that you have a future that doesn’t have a certain degree of risk as to whether you can support yourself or not. Finding your passions and hobbies now is another way to prepare for the future, too. No-one wants to find their retirement boring, do they?
Maintaining your balance
However, you don’t have to wait for the future to start to look into other aspects of your life. Even outside of other opportunities, you should have a balance between what your work and your life outside it. You need to be strict with yourself, too. You need to set yourself rules and even a schedule for when work can come calling. You need to make time for breaks and to spend time with your family. One of the most common regrets expressed on the deathbed is that people wished they had spent less time working. You would be hard pressed to find one person who said that they wished they spent more time working. Keep that in mind next time you put off spending time with your loved ones to finish up some extra assignment.
Our work can be our passion and that is a fantastic thing. However, no matter how passionate we are about it, we need to remember that it’s only a part of our existence. Our future beyond work matters. Our other interests and opportunities matter. Our life matters. Don’t neglect your balance.
