MONEY

We don't have real goals. We're often never really productive. Why? Because 99% of what we do is for money. Money isn't a goal, it's a means to an end. The majority of people work for money out of necessity which is a fact of life. Those who work diligently to learn how to provide more value to the market place will acquire more of it. But to cover the basic necessities of life doesn't require much money. It does when you want nice versions of the necessities i.e. bigger house, nicer car, name brand clothing, grass-fed free-range organic gluten free vegan food from Whole Foods etc. But when you can afford to buy anything you want, things tend to lose value to you quickly. Things are an insatiable pursuit.

Stating an objective subjective here: Nobody's true goal is money. They intend to use that money. Having money isn't pleasurable in itself. Being able to spend money on things that we need or want is pleasurable. Having peace of mind about your financial situation is pleasurable. Again, money is a means to an end, not an end. Many people spend countless hours in chronic states of false productivity at jobs that they don't like to get money for things they don't actually value or will soon not value because of basic supply, demand, and scarcity that run innately in our brain.

Don't lose sight of the fact that you can find a balance (arguably the best) between work and life when your work is your life. I will use myself here for simplicity sake: If I didn't have to work or was performing a job that I didn't get paid to do, it would revolve around something that has to do with health and wellness because I love it. Plain and simple. I don't need any other incentive other than my passion for it and enjoyment of experiencing it--working out, eating, reading studies on nutrition and exercise physiology, trying new movements, etc.

I wake up and walk into the gym. My office is in a functional fitness gym. My administrative work involves programming, setting up class schedules, creating memberships online and integrating into our booking software, familiarizing myself with movements, meetings with my online clients (individuals with similar priorities and goals), facilities management i.e. general upkeep, purchasing of new equipment, etc. team meetings with employees to go over gym related items. It all revolves around the gym. A gym that directly reflects my branding and vision of health and wellness. It's simply doing what I would be doing on my own time. I've just monetized my lifestyle. That's what entrepreneurs do. To provide juxtaposition, imagine that I was a printer salesman. You think I would sell printers if I wasn't getting commission off the sales? Of course not. I don't give a f*ck what printer you use. Honestly I hate printers all together because the bluetooth printing never works when it should. But back to the point: just ask yourself if you would do what you currently do for money, if you weren't getting money to do it. Entrepreneurship isn't the only way of achieving that.

I feel that many people find themselves struggling to figure out work-life balance because they don't like their work. You're trying to bandaid the problem that is spending the majority of your life doing something you don't enjoy. There's no balance there. Between your career and sleep, most of your time alive will be occupied by those two things. We need to sleep, but our career we have the ability to make choices about. Put the time into finding a career that actually suites who you are. One that plays to your strengths with people who are like-minded. Can't find it? Create your own. Plenty of barriers in your way, yes, but just remember that somebody else with less resources than you has already done it. We're constantly searching for the next source of happiness to latch onto: people, money, substances, etc. As Billy Idol said:

"It doesn’t matter about money; having it, not having it. Or having clothes, or not having them. You’re still left alone with yourself in the end."

Except you could replace money in that quote with anything. You only get one life—act like it.

~ Bonde