Image Source: Pixabay
According to recently released statistics on job satisfaction, “65% of employees in the US are satisfied with their job, while 20% of employees in the US are passionate about their job.” In addition, some of the main contributing factors to being satisfied with their current role include:
- A positive company culture
- High salary
- Opportunities for growth
- Low stress
- Autonomy
On the other hand, most employees aren’t passionate about their roles because they aren’t emotionally connected to their work. To grow both of these statistics, we must encourage others to forge a financially and emotionally fulfilling career and do so ourselves.
Here is some guidance on how to enjoy what you do for work while still living comfortably.
Understand the Importance of Meaningful Work
First, it’s essential to understand the importance of meaningful work. Meaningful work gives you a more profound sense of belonging and purpose. It means focusing on not just what makes you happy but providing that happiness to others.
Without meaningful work, you’ll likely never connect emotionally to what you do, and therefore will lack the motivation necessary to remain committed to your work. A large salary will only take you so far.
With a better understanding of meaningful work and its role in your life, take a deeper look at your life’s vision.
Explore Your Life’s Vision
Forging a career that is both financially and emotionally fulfilling is reliant on how clear you are about your life’s vision. In addition, knowing how you want your life to look overall will make it easier to pinpoint what kind of work fits into your vision.
What do you feel is your purpose in life? What do you see your life looking like in five, 10, 20 years? Who will be in your life at that time? What sort of work will you be doing? How will you spend your time outside of work?
Once you’ve explored the above questions to get a better grip on your life’s vision, take an in-depth look at your various passions. What are your natural talents? What do you enjoy doing? If money weren’t an issue, what would you be doing?
Now, it’s time to identify potential career paths that reflect what you’re passionate about.
Identify Potential Careers That Match What You’re Passionate About
Which career paths align with your passions? Out of those career paths, which are the most financially fulfilling? Which of these career paths can sustain you financially and emotionally?
Answering the above questions in detail will help you narrow down your potential career paths to one that provides a comfortable lifestyle and allows you to work passionately and purposefully.
When you think you’ve landed on your career match, it’s time to look at your current economic landscape.
Audit Your Finances
Auditing your finances is so crucial. Although you may want to leave your current career or job ASAP, it may not be financially feasible yet.
A financial audit can help you decide if it’s best to pursue this career now or wait until your finances are in a better place. For example, you may have to stay at your current job and save until you have at least six months of expenses put away.
Or maybe you want to take your time researching your new career, networking, and developing relationships in the industry before you step out on faith.
Whatever the situation, figure out what your finances can sustain before you make a decision.
When you’re clear about your financial situation, you can develop a plan to step into your chosen career.
Develop a Plan for Stepping into Your Chosen Career
First, work toward your financial goals if it isn’t the right time to transition into a new career.
If everything is good, you can begin your transition by building your freelance clientele or launching a job search.
Once you get into the swing of things with your new company or business, be sure to take care of yourself, learn as much as possible, develop great relationships, and enjoy your new role and responsibilities.
If you’re unsure about what career paths could be both financially and emotionally fulfilling, we’ve got three ideas below to start you off.
Three Career Paths That Are Both Financially and Emotionally Fulfilling
Here are three career paths that can provide both a comfortable living and enjoyable, meaningful work:
Entrepreneurship
Becoming an entrepreneur can be financially and emotionally fulfilling because there is no cap on how much you can make. You can also choose what kind of business you want to run and for what purpose.
For instance, let’s say you’re a talented writer and passionate about helping small businesses. In that case, you could start a home-based business that offers freelance copywriting services to small businesses.
Additionally, if you’re successful, you eventually get to choose when and where you work, contributing to a healthy work-life balance needed for a fulfilling career.
For instance, if your business is going well, you may choose to travel and work remotely. Of course, you must learn to collaborate effectively with your team and clientele remotely for your operation to continue running smoothly. Leverage online tools and forge relationships to make online collaboration seamless. If you master this, you’ll enjoy a growing business and productive personal life.
Marketing
Marketing is another financially and emotionally fulfilling career path. Many marketing roles are attached to an excellent salary. They also require you to use both your creative and technical skills, which contributes to feeling fulfilled in any career.
Furthermore, marketing can be meaningful because you spend so much time learning the best ways to connect and build relationships with people.
Explore the following careers in marketing to make a good living and find purpose in your work:
- Content writer
- Copywriter
- Advertising and promotion
- Marketing manager
- Social media coordinator
- Film/video maker and editor
Design
Lastly, you could embark on a design career path to ensure you’re financially and emotionally fulfilled in your work. Companies are willing to offer designers a hefty salary and comprehensive benefits package to keep them in-house.
At the same time, freelance designers are also in-demand. Some clients may not hire you full-time, but they can use you on a per-project basis and are willing to pay for it.
The following design careers could result in a financially-comfortable, emotionally-fulfilled lifestyle:
- Web designer
- Graphic designer
- Interior designer
- User experience designer
- Multimedia artist/animator
- Fashion designer
Conclusion
Forging a career that is both financially and emotionally fulfilling doesn’t have to be a far-off dream. Instead, you can find a purposeful and lucrative role by first appreciating how crucial meaningful work is in anyone’s life.
Next, dive into your life’s vision and what you’re genuinely passionate about. Brainstorm careers that match those passions and goals for your life. Then, take a look at which of those careers checks both your financial and emotional boxes.
Finally, audit your current financial situation to see how quickly you can transition into a more fulfilling career and develop a detailed plan for stepping into that career.