The Paradox of Earning
Sometimes I think I’m crazy, or better yet, like I’m in an echo chamber. If you’ve caught me in a conversation for longer than an hour or if you read these emails, you know I am a big proselytizer for work being a source of enjoyment and not merely a means to a monetary end.
I hope you know that when I say this, I am fully aware that no matter what kind of work you do, whether you love it or hate it, there are always bumps in the road. There are always parts of the job that you don’t want to do. I love what I do, but there are parts of my job as an ice cream operator and separately, as a life coach, that I don’t enjoy as much. But, there’s a difference between not liking parts of your job that are temporary and likely delegatable and experiencing physical discomfort like insomnia or migraines, and emotional discomfort like anxiety and overall dread.
I certainly didn't love caring for three children while gut renovating a second store during COVID, but I never regretted switching careers because of the temporary discomfort of it all. I am stronger because of it and I still get to do what I love.
When your job is getting the best of you, it’s taking a toll on your quality of life, and you’re still locked in because the money is good and the end of year bonuses are better, it may be time to start planning your exit strategy.
This is what a college friend did after putting her future in journalism on the back burner in exchange for a more lucrative career in tech sales. I read Alyssa’s story, which was recently published in HuffPost Personal, and didn’t feel like the life-affirming experience I’ve had over the last six years where I traded a larger check for a happier and healthier life and lifestyle was unique to me anymore.
Here I was reading the story of someone I’ve known since college, whose career I’ve followed, who admittedly shared that while she was good at her job and it paid well, it was eating away her life force little by little, everyday.
Meet Alyssa, a friend from college who left her six-figure job in tech sales for a simpler life.
Many fall into careers by chance. Others ignore what they truly enjoy in exchange for careers that pay well because they are doubtful they’ll ever make a living from what they love. And so, they go to work and compensate for what they are not getting there with other forms of spending. The result is a hedonic treadmill where you creep closer to retirement and wonder, “What if...what if I had just tried to get off and actually do something I truly cared about?” Your cost of living continues to rise to keep up with the relief you need from your job and the cycle continues.
Listen, I’ll be the first to say that ice cream saved my whole life. Without this career, I would not be able to parent the way I do or care for myself in the way that I do. I create my own schedule. I set my own goals. I take myself on a trip without my kids and husband every fall and travel with my family during the holidays and at the end of the summer. I pay my bills, help extended family pay theirs and still save for retirement. I get seven to eight hours of sleep and eat whole meals.
I’m not saying this should be your life. I’m not even saying my life is your dream. I’m just saying that this life better suits me than the life I was living before deciding to do a career 180.
Making big professional shifts can feel scary. They are scary. But that fear is good data that there’s something there worth exploring. Please don’t get to the “what if I tried” place years from now. Challenge yourself to make an exit strategy or share this email with someone who you know you should.
If you’re looking for a partner to support you as you make this shift, I would love to be your person. Investing in the transformational power of coaching is a small price to pay for protecting your life force and opening up the floodgates of an abundant life well lived.
Sending my best,
Petrushka
Your Local Ice Cream Lady & Life/Business Coach