Work is a major part of our lives. Most of us spend more time working than we do with friends or family. In most cases, we do it because we need the income in order to get by, but not because we love spending our time at work.
Although work is a necessity, it doesn’t have to be a negative aspect of our lives. Many people are choosing to make work fit around their lives rather than allowing work to dictate their lives.
Here are some things to consider in terms of the way a job or career will interact with your life.
Of course, the biggest area of friction for most of us when it comes to a healthy work-life balance is related to schedule and working hours. We tend to work whenever we need to in order to get the job done, and then try to fit our life in the hours that are left over.
If you want to achieve a better work-life balance or work hours that fit your life instead of the other way around, you’ll need to find a job or money-making opportunity with the flexibility to have control over your hours.
According to reports, there are more than 56 million freelancers in the U.S. (source) and that number is increasing. Freelancing can be an ideal way to gain more control over your schedule. You can work part-time or full-time, and complete the work when it’s convenient for you (of course, you’ll have deadlines that you need to meet).
Most jobs also dictate where you must live. Of course, some jobs involve travel, but that will be outside of your control with most jobs.
With a job or career that allows for location independence, you can live and work from anywhere. Maybe you travel frequently and work wherever you are, or maybe you stay mostly in the place where you want to live.
The number of people who identify as digital nomads is quickly increasing, and that’s because it provides incredible flexibility that allows you to live the life you want while still generating an income.
Some digital nomads choose to start an online business, and others work as freelancers or remote employees. Starting a business may require an adventurous spirit and some capital, but there are also some very good opportunities to make money online without an investment.
The job that you have is likely to be impacted by your experience or qualifications. Of course, some jobs require very specific qualifications, and if you don’t have them, you can’t get the job.
In some cases, you may be able to get the qualifications through education or increased experience with time, but that may involve your career dictation many of the details of your life.
If you don’t have the qualifications for a job that you want, there are still plenty of possibilities. There are a growing number of entry-level work-from-home jobs that have little-to-no qualifications and also offer excellent flexibility in terms of schedule and location.
If you’re like most people, your job doesn’t really interest you. Maybe you don’t mind doing it because you need the income, but it’s not your ideal way to spend your time.
Fortunately, there are ways to incorporate your interests into your work. It may involve finding a job that allows you to do things that you enjoy, but more likely it would involve starting a business around one of your hobbies and passions.
There are countless possibilities here, but let’s take a look at a few examples:
- If you enjoy photography, you could start your own photography business.
- If you like crafts, you could start an Etsy shop or sell on many other sites like Etsy.
- If health and fitness is your passion, you could work as a personal trainer (or if you want more location independence, start a health and fitness blog).
Work is an important part of our lives, but the other parts of our lives shouldn’t suffer in order to pursue a career. Think about schedule, location, qualification, and interests to see if there are ways that you could find a better work-life balance.
Marc Andre is a personal finance blogger at VitalDollar.com. He worked in the finance industry for 6 years and has been a full-time blogger since 2008.