Labor day reflections… What is a dream job anyway?

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.”  Well, I do believe that’s true to a certain degree.  However, what if you love what you do, but hate the hours, aren’t paid enough to sustain your lifestyle, or can never see your family or friends?  In my humble opinion, that dream-job of yours can become a nightmare pretty quickly if it’s not in alignment with other areas of your life. 

Much in the same way that a dream-home can suck up all your income and force you to work long hours while you’re never there to enjoy that home, a dream job can do the same.  Sucking up your energy and your time, so that you have very little to give to your family and your relationships, hobbies, self-care, etc.  Being a whole person, especially a whole person that is also a parent requires attention towards more than just your job. Are you really living the dream if every other area of your life is suffering?

Also, money is important, but it certainly isn’t everything. The recent headlines detailing the untimely and unfortunate death by suicide of Bed Bath and Beyond’s CEO teaches us that.

I speak with women and men alike frequently that are in this scenario but don’t quite know how to escape.  They love their work but hate their hours.  They get paid well but are yearning to spend more time with their kids.  Oftentimes, they are just stuck.  Frozen out of fear and unable to create a new path forward. 

Now, these are crazy times.  The economy and general state of the world is dicey at best and many folks are scared to look around for a new job in a bad economy.  I get that. I get all of that.  However, I will also say that there’s never a good time.  Also, how bad will you feel if your bad job quits you before you quit it?  There’s never a good time to find a new job, have a baby, take that trip, or to tell that person you love how you feel or that you’re sorry.  Which means there’s truly no time like the present to start working on yourself and towards aligning your career path with your actual life.

With that said, this Labor Day I want to inspire you and encourage you to take a moment to reflect on what it means to be members of the labor force.  Is your job and the labor you contribute at the expense of your mental health and your family’s wellbeing?  If so, the cost may be too high.  

Now, I’m not saying that you should quit your job, but I am thinking that if you find that your job is not serving its purpose, causing you undue stress, not paying your bills or cutting the mustard, then perhaps you should start exploring other options.  My dream for everyone is that they can do what they love and find balance in their lives along the way. Do work you love and on your own terms. This dream is not untenable. In fact, it’s very realistic given the rise in remote work options and flexible-work arrangements with killer companies. For those to that choose to seek new avenues towards work, the options are limitless. This can be the year that you move forward down your career path in a better, less compromising, and more thoughtful way.  

Cheers to you and all the laborer’s on this Labor Day!