Man’s hand holding butterfly net, catching flying banknotes
Is it really about the money?
Everyone complains that they aren’t paid enough for what they do. I have yet to meet someone who says they are overpaid.
I’ve heard people say, “I’d like my job more if they paid me properly.”
[ctt template=”3″ link=”k1qQe” via=”yes” ]Have you ever said that your company doesn’t pay you enough? Have you said that money would make you happier at work? News Flash: No it won’t.[/ctt]
But is money really the biggest issue? If your pay was doubled, would you be much happier? Do you like what you are doing because you are paid well? Or, is the lack of money just your excuse for not loving what you do?
We all know the adage that “money doesn’t buy happiness.” And while I joke about it all the time (asking people to send me their money and I promise I would be happy having it), it doesn’t make your job any better. At all.
Money is not the deciding factor.
Let’s take an example. Say your daughter is getting married in the summer, and it just happens to conflict with a major product launch at your company. It wouldn’t matter how much money you were offered to come to work then; you just aren’t going to do it, are you?
I’m 54, and when my dad was young, his family was very poor. Money was (and still is) very important to him. He has a “scarcity” mentality, meaning he’s always worried he won’t have enough money. Growing up, it seemed to me as if we always did have enough money, and I don’t feel that I suffered. I’m not sure he would see it that way.
When I was going to college, my dad instilled in me the importance of having a well-paying job above all else. I knew that I had to make good money so that I, and my family, didn’t suffer. I grew up focusing on the number that was my salary. My first job was as an admin. Since being an admin doesn’t pay as well as many other jobs, I was always unhappy with my pay. For a while, that unhappiness worked its way into being unhappy with my boss, my company, and my profession.
My children were not raised with a focus on the almighty dollar, in the way that I was. By the time I had children, I had understood there was far more to life than just money or a specific salary.
When my younger son, Patrick, graduated from university with a degree in Engineering, he was in hot demand. At every interview he went to, he was offered the job. He was able to pick and choose where he wanted to work.
But the job he selected was not the best paying one. He turned down a six-figure position (right out of university, if you can imagine) because the “cost” of that job was more than he wanted to pay. They expected heavy overtime (as part of his annual salary), they expected a fair bit of travel, and they expected a lot more than Patrick was willing to give just for a big paycheque.
The company he chose provides an excellent quality of life in a town that has reasonably priced real estate. And when overtime is expected it is not only rare, it is also paid. He was offered excellent benefits and an education allowance. That was the job that made sense to him. I’m glad he didn’t focus on the salary; I’m sure he is much happier with the company he chose because it aligns with his values.
What is it at your company that makes you happy? I’ll bet it is the people you work with. There is no amount of money in the world that I would take to work with someone abusive. The money would not make me love that job.
[ctt template=”3″ link=”11hvm” via=”yes” ]What is it about your company that makes you happy? What is important to you at work? It’s the people![/ctt]
The people matter the most. The feeling I get when I go to work, when I’m at my desk, when I’m completing my tasks. Those tasks matter to me as well. I know that I wouldn’t do well collecting money in a tollbooth. I’m glad there are people who do that, but I know there are other things that make me happy.
Sit down and write a list of all the things you love about your job. Write the same list about all the things you don’t love about your job.
Would money make any difference to the second list? No.
Stop thinking about the number that goes on your taxes each year, and focus on all the other benefits you get by working where you work. That will be more likely to make you want to get up in the morning and feel grateful that you work where you do!
