Think About It, There’s More To Your Job Than The Salary
It’s been a while friend, how are you? Today’s post is something I’ve been thinking about for some time, so I am glad you are here.
If you have a job (regardless of how high or low paying it is), you know that it contributes significantly to shaping your identity, especially when you depend on it to pay for critical or basic things in life such as your rent/bond, cars, sending your kids to school, buying clothes, food, education, travel and many other things. And the truth is except you won the lottery or inherited a bounty, you work hard to earn that salary. Why else would you get stuck in traffic to get to work to do the jobs you need to do to make a living?
But apart from the actual money you make on your job, have you ever thought of the other non-cash benefits that are available to you? This is apart from the paid sick days, paid maternity leave, health care insurance, performance bonuses and pension plans.
It’s easy and convenient to take things for granted, moan, complain, and think your job is not offering you all there is to offer, but have you ever stopped to consider some of the other benefits available to you?
No matter how high or low paying your job is, it’s not always about the money (seriously)! You know there’s abundant research in that regard. This is why my gist today is about nudging you to be more thankful for your job and seeing it in a different light. Here’s why I think there is more to your job than the salary.
- Lifelong connections
Your team at work can be a safe clan that provides your daily boost of happiness because there is so much congeniality and goodwill present. There are people who refer to the work colleagues as their ‘second family’, amplifying the impact connections in the workplace can have on an individual’s overall well-being. For example, I met one of my very closest friends, Linda at my first job after leaving university years ago and this is one long lasting connection I have in my life. Trust me, your job can offer you the opportunity of making long-lasting connections with people.
- Learning & Self Discovery
There are so many interpersonal nuances that being in a workplace helps you master. You can learn certain important life skills such as the ability to interact with people from different cultures and backgrounds when you have a job. You get to know yourself, sharpen your adaptability skills and understand how to interact with different people.
- Wellness benefits
Okay, I can write an entire blog post on this one. Benefits refer to things such as the below:
- Employee wellness programmes which are at no cost to you nor taken out of your salary package. These include personal counselling services, financial and legal advice etc.
- Discounted packages of subsidized lunches, free coffee, cappuccinos, tea etc.
- Free Health incentives: fruit baskets, smoking cessation & weight loss programmes, advisory incentives in the form of free online consultations with dieticians & doctors, rebates on gym and health club, free risk benefits which you don’t pay for, wellness events where you check your vital health stats etc.
- Non-financial incentives. So, some companies may not offer a lot of financial rewards but they are big on the non-financial incentives such as flexibility with work arrangements, personal life coaching services, employee discounts, flexible working hours, creches on-site, libraries for reading, volunteering days for community work, open parks for relaxation and unwinding etc.
- Exposure and experience
It’s said that no knowledge is lost and whatever job you find yourself in, it is a training ground. You get to know more about the industry and how things work in your industry. You get to know if it is an industry you love or not- a knowledge that you can apply later in your professional path.
- Ability to pursue your passion
Being passionate about what you do is not something money can buy. If your jobs affords you the opportunity to live out your passion, that is a big plus and if it doesn’t, it keeps you on the journey of discovering it. There are many people that don’t earn so much but admit to being fulfilled and living out their passion. While there are others that earn a lot but are unfulfilled. This type of situation often makes people go beyond the walls of an office to do something they are passionate about, something that can lead them to their next professional opportunity. If you keep an open mind, your job can lead you to discovering what it is you are truly passionate about.
In this era where unemployment rates are high and economic activities are melancholic, it’s easy to take things like having a job for granted. I once read it somewhere that it doesn’t matter if you like or hate your job, the truth is it helps you do the things you need to do.
So what am I saying to you today?
It is that if you’re slacking on your current job, make a decision TODAY to get better at it. If you are grinding hard but longing for a new one, keep pushing and keep getting the job done. But most importantly, regardless of which side of the fence you are on, BE TRULY GRATEFUL FOR THE JOB YOU CURRENTLY HAVE, because you and I both know that things could be worse.
I’ll catch up with you soon.
Till then, keep shining, share this post with your awesome tribe and take good care of yourself XOXOXO
Image: Pixabay