Making Sacrifices for Your Career
A friend of mine came up to me last week, asking if I wanted to take some of the writing gigs she was going to let go of. My friend loves writing, and loves this particular job, so I was surprised that she would give it up. The thing is, she’s also moving up the corporate ladder and couldn’t handle doing both her corporate work and her writing at the same time.
She said to me, “I hope this corporate thing works out, because I’m really sacrificing a lot for it.”
This is a common sentiment. Most people sacrifice some things for the work they do, whether they work for a corporation or own a business. I’m sure you’ve made some sacrifices for your own career - I know I have.
However, is it worth it? Let’s have a look at some of the things that people usually sacrifice for their careers.
1. Family and friends. When you spend a lot of time and energy working each day, that’s time and energy you could’ve spent building or maintaining relationships with your loved ones. This is especially hard on parents who miss out on special events in their children’s lives because of their careers.
How to strike a balance: Tell your loved ones about your career goals and communicate what it will take to get there. Create compromises that still allow you to spend time with them while you work extra hard for a promotion or a special project. For example, make a deal to call your spouse for at 10 whole minutes within your workday - and make sure your mind is on the conversation when you do so. Block out specific times that allow you to show your loved ones that you care. If you can talk to your supervisors about creating more flexible work times (or a telecommuting agreement, no matter how temporary), go for it.
2. Recreational time. Whether it’s gardening, reading, parasailing, or collecting stamps, there’s bound to be one activity you really enjoy (or want to try) that you don’t really have the chance to do because of your work schedule. True, you might think that these activities are “unnecessary”, but you need a bit of variety in your routine to get you revved up about both work and life.
Take advantage of your vacation leave and use it to do the things you enjoy, rather than sitting around in your house or sleeping all day. Again, if you can negotiate some work-from-home days with your supervisor, you can find ways to be more efficient in your own space and complete your work in less time. This leaves more room for hobbies and recreational activities.
3. Sleep. It’s strange that you might lose quality sleep or rest time because of work, when the truth is that you work your best when you’re well rested. Be creative when trying out sleeping techniques. Here are some articles that might help:
What have you sacrificed for your career? How can you tell if you’re sacrificing too much?
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POSTED IN: General work pimps, Worklife Balance, Workplace Wellness
4 opinions for Making Sacrifices for Your Career
Miranda
Mar 24, 2020 at 7:12 am
Great article on balancing work and home life. I thought it applied to my home business readers at WorkShak: http://www.workshak.com/2008/03/what-are-your-s.html
I think that before starting a home business, or going for that big promotion at work, it is important to step back and realize how much time and effort it will take. For some people, it is worth it, and they thrive. For others, the trade off isn’t worth the trouble.
Celine
Mar 24, 2020 at 7:33 am
Thanks for the comment Miranda!
I completely agree. Based on what I’ve seen with some colleagues and friends, they don’t necessarily measure these trade-offs and just look at the almighty dollar as their basis of accepting a job or leaping into a new venture or investment.
Hantulga
Mar 27, 2020 at 9:08 am
Nice tip. From now on im going to use your advice.
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