“A-a-ay, I’m on vacation… Every single day ‘cause I love my occupation…” by Dirty Heads.
In all seriousness, how many of us can actually say that… honestly, that is?
Over ¾ of Americans hate their jobs, people have dropped out of the workforce in alarming numbers, and when you drive around, you see help wanted signs everywhere.
Where have all the workers gone?
Well, it seems as though they have gone fishing. Gone on vacation. But much of the underwhelming employment numbers are not that people are taking vacations, but that they are opting out. Many are trying to figure out how to live life on their own terms and escape the proverbial rat race. Now we can all surmise that the unemployment benefits are feeding this, but it should be telling.
What would it take for every day to feel like a vacation to you–without feeling like you have to quit your job in order to accomplish it? For everyone, this will be different. Different mindset. Different choices. And I would also say different experiences in life. We often don’t know what adds the most value to us, so we chase after what sounds like it would add the most value. That may be money, fame, popularity, or other motivating factors.
The difficult part is that you and I constantly hear about successful people that chased pursuits that left them popular but not known, rich but not wealthy, important but not fulfilled.
This is a reality that so many of us choose not to accept to be the truth–if you are pursuing these things, they are temporal, it will not bring about lasting fulfillment. It may make things more exciting or more comfortable but not necessarily bring the fulfillment you thought it should.
Money makes you more of what you already are, so be careful about your pursuits until you know who you are.
Now, this is not a cop-out to lose motivation, to lose perseverance, and to not try things just because you don’t feel like you know who you are. What it is, though, is an encouragement to figure out how to live life purposefully, intentionally, and to be mindful that every decision either moves you toward or takes you from a life where you can so-called live the dream, live your dream.
Thinking about what your ideal life would look like, not your retirement life, but your life of what you would be doing here and now. Would you be working at a certain place, would you start your own business, would you prioritize things like your faith, your relationships, or maybe your health differently?
What would your ideal life look like?
Now think about how much money it would take to live that life. This will be the part that may surprise you the most. It definitely surprised me. Oftentimes we don’t define what it is that truly motivates us, like spending more time with our loved ones, building a business that makes an impact, or pursuing a relationship with God, but once we do, life becomes simpler. Simpler because you have focused yourself.
If you truly focus your energy on those aspects that give you the best return on where you place your time, talent, and resources, you will find greater results. For me, I enjoy work; I enjoy the opportunity to learn, grow, and advance. I also enjoy having the flexibility to be available to family and friends. Now, I’ve done the structured corporate thing and enjoyed that for a season, but being able to work remotely in order to have flexibility really matters to me. So I have worked to pivot and adjust based on this preference.
I have also found that I really thrive on having a morning routine, having time to jump on my mountain bike, go for a run or hike, or develop others through platforms like this.
CTA:
My call to action is to find what it is that you value greatest and pivot in order to ensure that those aspects that matter most to you are also the same areas that you are placing the greatest effort so that you’re, in turn making every day a vacation.
