Love your work or love your life?

Do you work because you love your job or do you work because it pays the bills and afford the lifestyle you always wanted?

When I got out of college it seemed that you were suppose to love your job. It seemed to be a development that correlated with the fact that in order to be considered successful you would have to work more than play. Was it always like this or is this a new development? Did my grandfather love selling corrugated cardboard? Does my dad love selling sandpaper? Maybe they do but it seems that they worked (and work) so on their time off they could play in whatever manner they want. My grandfather worked hard and in his down time he hung out on his boat, smoked good cigars, and drank great scotch. My dad has more hobbies than I could probably count and more toys and gadgets. However, he spends a lot of his weekends and evenings cooking and making amazing dinners to pair with great wines. So regardless of loving their work they have certainly lived like they enjoy life. I could be so lucky to enjoy my free time.

I tried the idea of picking a job/profession based on a passion or hobby. What I came up with is that the things I enjoy doing are things that are creative and being creative for someone else doesn't spark the same passion. I thought interior decorating would be fun because I enjoy decorating my own house but the thought of having a client that would want me to do an entire room in purple or some other morally reprehensible idea. So that was out. Pastry Chef sounded like a good idea. Thought cake decorating would be fascinating. That got thrown out because designing someones ugly wedding cake sounded as horrible as the purple room. So much for making my hobbies/passion my job. It seems that the only way to make you passion your job is if you eat sleep and dream it. And lets face it I am not Martha Stewart and I don't really have that kind of energy.

So I have come to a tough balancing act in my life. Most days I enjoy going to work. Most weeks I enjoy my weekends. The balancing act comes that I get very wrapped up in work and forget all the great past times I enjoy. Maybe I am just lazy. By time I get out of my week I am ready to just kick up my feet and relax and that seems to lead straight into a lot of nothing for my weekend. So how do you balance it all. Do you plug away and make your weekends a flurry of tasks and to-do's just like your week? Do you kick back and decompress from the week and just do whatever you feel like? And if you don't do the things you love then are the long hours and the money worth it?

I don't know that answers but I feel like every winter about a month into daylight savings I am asking the same questions. I go to work it is dark I come home it is dark and I feel blah about it all. My only solution is to try and keep up on my hobbies. Maybe I will look into a good scotch and a cigar.

choices

Do you want $300 jeans or the tasting menu at gary danko? Do you spend your money on the expensive car payment or at the grocery store? Do you want a high rent and a better apartment or do you want to travel the world?

Which choices do you make, how do you decide? I am sure there are people that don't have to choose but they aren't the majority and the rest of us have to figure out the balance. When I was younger I asked my dad how the people that lived in the trailer park could have such nice cars but didn't have a nice house. It was my first lesson in choices and priorities. My second came when I called home and told him how expensive it is to live in the Bay Area. He replied with "do you want to pay a lot to live there or pay less and live in Indiana." 9 years later I am still in the bay area. I don't own $300 jeans and I refuse to spend too much money on a car or an apartment.

My priority is to afford more moments. Try more things. My everyday life doesn't need to be glamorous or showy.