Live to Work or Work to Live?

In today’s volatile world of work, there has never been a better time to discuss this question. I can’t tell you how many social media discussions and posts I see every day about work life balance, or the lack thereof, in almost every branch of finance and accounting (and every other field for that matter!). The question of “live to work or work to live” is on everyone’s minds these days, and I’m seeing it start to boil over.

Let’s talk about what steps you can take to align your work life with your values, regardless of where you fall on the “live to work or work to live” spectrum.

Know What You Want

One of the best things you can do, no matter where you’re at in life or your career, is to define your personal vision for your life. I’m going to start sounding like a life coach here! But bear with me. It’s something I wish I had done coming out of college. I did it a little later but no regrets – I love my life.

Find a quiet place or your happy place – an armchair with a great view, a seat outside with a glass of wine or a beer or curled up on your couch. Take some deep breaths…and daydream. If you had your life exactly the way you want it, what would it look like?

Many might say, I wouldn’t work at all, I’d spend my days on the beach, or what have you. But let’s assume you’ll need a livelihood. What would your work and personal life look like if you had the perfect situation? Where would you work? Where would you live? How would you live? Lavishly? Simply? Family? No family? Don’t leave anything out of your perfect picture.

Where does this daydream fall on the “Live to Work or Work to Live Spectrum?”

Are you a natural workaholic type? Do you thrive when you have a million things to do? Are you the type to fill your days to the brim morning until night in a go-go lifestyle? Do you get an adrenaline rush from grinding out great work and living/breathing your job and (hopefully) making the big bucks?

Or are you the type that thrives on a routine, with set, predictable work hours, in which you can plan to deliver on set goals and objectives, and then turn off the computer, head home or into the living room or kitchen of your home, and attend to domestic/family/personal activities? (And you CAN still make big bucks or at least a very nice living on this end of the spectrum)

Our work culture is craving better balance, but there are still lots of people out there who fit the first mold. Often, people fit this profile when they’re fresh out of college and driving towards a certain level in their career. Sometimes they move towards the second type when they begin forming families. But there are all kinds of folks at every age who fit both types or fall somewhere in between. The key is to know yourself and what you want for your life now.

Evaluate Your Current Reality

How well does your current work and personal situation match the daydream you’ve conjured up? Something tells me if you’re reading this and doing this exercise, the two may be pretty far off. If you’re anything like the people I see venting and posting about their “live to work or work to live” woes, you may be nearing or already at a breaking point in your life. Perhaps your mental health is hitting a low. If so, you’re doing the right thing by taking stock, so you can make changes that will set you on a positive path.

I did this for myself almost 20 years ago (I’m avoiding dating myself! But if you’d like to learn more about my journey, check me out my LinkedIn profile.). As I approached a big change in my life, I was finally honest with myself that I hadn’t been happy in my career for quite a while. I was grateful for the experience it gave me, but I knew that the intense hours and sacrifices required to excel were not for me. My image for my life aligned with a “work to live” philosophy. But my current reality was squarely in the “live to work” camp.

Are You “Live to Work or Work to Live?” – Decide What Needs to Change to Achieve It

If you’re ready and determined to align your reality with the life you desire, you’ll need to do the work and decide what needs to change and how to accomplish it. It might require a minor shift, say from public accounting to a private industry role. Or perhaps a change to another industry or a larger/smaller company. Perhaps you need to make a more dramatic change, from a corporate career to something more entrepreneurial. (Take the Should I Leave My Job Quiz if you’re thinking a job change is in order.)

This is where things can get difficult. And scary. Change is hard. When I had my big “aha” moment and decided to make a big change, I left a big corporate Wall Street career to embark on an entrepreneurial journey. I started my own company and began writing and consulting, which ultimately led me to my role as a recruiter. It was a bumpy road, with a few wrong turns, and some ups and downs. But I knew what I was willing to sacrifice to get the life I wanted.

This brings me to the last part of this step. Decide what needs to change. And then decide what you’re willing to do in order to make the change and get the life you want. It may mean you make less income, either in the short run or long run. You may give up stability if you’re heading down an entrepreneurial path or pursuing an all-consuming role with a startup. Or you may experience the opposite, say, foregoing the excitement of a startup to gain stability with a more established company or some other steady-Eddy environment.

The idea is, there are tradeoffs in work and life, and you want to be trading up to something that better fits your “live to work or work to live” vision.

Whether you “Live to Work or Work to Live,” Take Action Now

Time is our most precious and finite commodity. It goes by fast. If you have a clear vision for your life and your current reality doesn’t match, take steps to change it. I did almost 20 years ago, and I’ve never regretted it. Not once. Don’t stress about achieving it all at once. Just map out the steps to get there and start tackling them. One by one. Brick by brick. Before you know it, you’ll be living the life of your daydreams.