Take away the money

What you need is not always what you want out of life. The difference between need and want can be hard to discern sometimes, but the two don’t have to be in conflict in your life. If happiness lies in getting what you need as well as doing what you want to, then the same principle should apply to our work. I believe that less happiness can be found from working because you need to, than from working because you want to.

Financial positioning can dictate what people do to get money, if the people involved make decisions based on need only. Bad financial positioning, whether it is self-inflicted or not, can be dealt with by making decisions that consider what you need as well as what you want out of life. It will be a case of finding that right balance for yourself; to get what you need while doing what you want to. Yes, we need money, but we also need to be happy with our lives.

I found a way to separate need and want, when it comes to my work. Whenever I am not sure of whether I am working because I need money or because I want to, I just put money out of the equation. I ask myself if I would continue to work if I didn’t get money for it. The answer to that question will show me whether or not I need the money more than I want to do the work. This helps me to identify passion and it helps me make decisions that consider my happiness as well as what I need.