The author of this blog, Nick Yates, would like to discuss the impact of life on work, and vice versa. One of the most unfortunate American misconceptions in modern times is that you can avoid “bringing your work home” with you. Many people feel that their work life and their personal life are completely disconnected and that being miserable or unhappy in one does not at all affect the state of the other.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is that most of us as human beings are not able to “switch off” the stresses of our working life just because we walked through the threshold of our home; nor are we able to “compartmentalize” our marital, financial or other types of stressors just because we arrived at work. Our happiness and state of mind, both inside and outside of the home, are inextricably connected.

So the question becomes: what can one do to maximize happiness in both life and work? The simplest answer is perhaps also the answer that most people are simply unable to accept and act upon; make money doing what you enjoy doing (as close as possible anyway). The unfortunate fact is that most people in America and the world at large choose a profession based on what they feel will make them the most “successful.”

Nick Yates cautions us, however, to think carefully about what we consider a successful life to be exactly. When most people think of the word “success,” they are using it in a monetary sense. Yet, studies and simple observation indicate that money and happiness are not correlated; in fact, if anything, those of us in “advanced” societies tend to be the unhappiest people on earth. We are overwhelmed with diseases of all kinds which have only shown themselves in modern times. These illnesses, both mental and physical, generally stem from the nebulous term “stress,” which is a concept peculiar to modern industrialized societies.

Thus, Nick feels that a monomaniacal devotion to money above all else will almost certainly lead one to an existence that is less than fulfilling. The reason is rooted deeply in the psyche and is often referred to in modern psychology as the “ego.” The problem is thus: we set a goal for ourselves which may or may not be attainable. From there, we either fail to reach that goal (thus, we have failed and are unhappy), or we reach that goal and find that we are not satisfied. It hasn’t “hit the spot” that we thought it would, and we are once again empty inside. We want more.

This cycle is will never end as long as your mentality remains unhealthy. A consistent need to achieve more even when you have “arrived” at your original goal, without an accompanying sense of accomplishment, is an indication that your goals are not in tune with the deepest part of your being. Try to be honest with yourself about exactly what it is that you feel you can do happily for the rest of your life. Very few of us are able to do exactly what we like and get paid for it, but we can get close, and we are almost always happier doing something close to what we like for slightly less money than doing what we despise for slightly more. Remember, forty plus hours each week for the rest of your life… is an eternity. We hope you have enjoyed this advice courtesy of Nick Yates.