Do you live to work or work to live?
Many will quickly say: I work to live! I want to take time off, relax, it’s just a job, it’s just money, and my family matters a lot more
Anyone who says otherwise, that they work to live… can be seen as being workaholics who don’t value their family enough.
I’m here to say that maybe we might want to consider the other side of this story:
There are those of us out there who love our jobs (myself included).
I love what I do, I’m good at it, and it gives me satisfaction. When I am on a contract, I actually bounce out of bed at 5.30 a.m. – 6 a.m., eager to start my day.
They did a number of studies, and found that comparatively speaking, if you work a 60 hour job at something you hate, it feels like an eternity, whereas if you work 100 hours at a job you love, you feel that time flies by.
I am also aware that there are certainly those of us who are true workaholics and cannot think of anything BUT work, to the point where their social and family relationships crumble.
I just think that living to work might not be such a bad thing, if you enjoy it and don’t let it consume you.
If you work to live, it’s seen as being positive, or the “right” way to live by not devoting your life to your job. I’d agree with that sentiment to a certain point because I subscribe to that mentality.
I work to make enough money to cover my needs and wants, and save for the future.
In a different light, it’s a negative feeling if you’re really working to pay for your consumption and lifestyle that you can’t afford, which is exactly why you see your job as a noose around your neck, choking the life out of you.
Everything in moderation
Neither one or the other is “right”, but I think a balance of both, where you are working at a job you very much enjoy but you don’t spend a lot and therefore don’t need to work as much, but choose to, is the best of both worlds.
