If you ask anyone “What are your priorities?” The answer will be some variance of family, faith, friends, community and work. I thought if I clearly identified and stated my priorities that my life would be balanced on my terms.
I’ve spent a lot of energy evaluating my skills, interests and passion to determine the best use of my time. I was under the impression that I was in charge of my career. Turns out, that isn’t necessarily true.
I am about to end my involvement in the Leadership Twin Cities (LTC) program, after more than a decade. The Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce gave me an opportunity of a lifetime. The LTC program shaped my career, my professional network and my circle of friends. While I would like to say “I outgrew the program” or “I have too many other clients” or, better yet, “I don’t need the money” – what I really have to say, is that I don’t have the time.
My focus has changed. Most of what I do each day isn’t what I get paid to do. I am now the “sandwich generation” caring for aging parents and parenting a child. I know everyone is juggling their priorities…or are they like me, and their priorities are juggling them? Could I be doing this differently? Better?
I have a friend who doesn’t like where they work. They like what they do, they just don’t like their employer. This person is making a lateral move to a new company with a substantial cut in pay. Will it be easier for them because they are choosing the sacrifice rather than the sacrifice dictating their choices? Would the person’s family make a different choice?
While you juggle “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” which ball would you be willing to drop first?
While in the pursuit of happiness I have found that I get the most satisfaction making my family happy. I have worked hard to be where I am and who I am so I try to not let the daily grind of work let me down. Like your friend I too enjoy my work but my present employer has made choices in the direction of thier future that are not compatable with my own. However I must remind my self of my own favorite quote ” the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence until you gotta mow it.” So even though I am making plans to leave I am working hard at making the best of a poor situation until I find that one position that drives my “pursuit of happiness.”
I think that when you look back on your choices, family is the most important one to get right; and making the right decision now will set a precedent in the long run. That said, I also think that being able to choose to sacrifice something—as in your friend’s situation—because you can, is always preferable to having your choices dictated by circumstance.