...says an article in Time Magazine. Making anything beyond that does not accrue incremental happiness. I think there are two points of diminishing return here. The first is salary vs. happiness. The second is salary vs. sanity. Perhaps the more you make, the more you lose track of why you are going down this path to being with.
When I was promoted for the first time at my first company, my VP said to me "Congratulations! From this point forward, every time you get promoted, your pay per hour goes down." Or the time you will have to yourself per hour goes down. Or you may or may not know it - the definition of what makes you happy starts diminishing.
I set a lot of goals for myself - I have been running full speed ahead since I graduated college. I felt like I had so much to accomplish, so much to give, so much potential to explore, so much to do! As I turn 30 I look back on the last 8 years of my life - I have surely checked off a few things on my "list of accomplishments". But it's just a list - nothing but a list. It's a list of tasks. Tasks that I need to achieve toward my overall so-called career strategy - a strategy that would supposedly get me somewhere. But what is the point of a career strategy if I don't have an overall strategy for life? It's like a company creating marketing goals without corporate goals.
So what is the overall strategy of my life? If I think back hard enough, I do have one, but I find myself deviating from it. My "corporate mission" has always been to "help others", i.e. "make a difference", "make a difference for others", "help make something better for someone". I'd like to think I started down the right or relevant path by attending the Hotel School - a school that serves an industry whose mission is to "serve others". Here I am now, in the hotel industry, except I'm not really making a difference for anyone. I sit at my desk all day at the corporate office "making a difference" for the company or the inheritances of the grandchildren of the owners of the company. I could be spending my energy making a difference for someone who doesn't have much. I have deviated far from this path.
Here's another stat - happiness boost from spending $10,000 on leisure activities is 4%. I reward myself - spas, massages, bags, vacations, etc. All these things that I tell myself that I really deserve because I have worked hard - all this buys me 4% happiness which if quantified by days would be 14 days out of a year. That's just about the average number of vacation days a person gets. Is that a coincidence??
But what am I working so hard for? All of a sudden I feel like one of those people meaninglessly searching for the meaning of life or the truth of God. After all, I've checked off quite a few things on my list right? I've accomplished some things right? I've had moments of clarity right? Yes, moments...like shooting stars... my lists have become illusions. I sacrifice my health and spend the money I make making up for it through physical and mental therapies. It has occurred to me, sadly, I can see the "top" much clearer than 8 years ago - and I somehow have no interest "getting there". I am not afraid of sacrifices and I have no problem with hard work - but what are they for? I am not sure, but looking up at the next few rungs on the ladder - I don't think so.
After traveling around the world, in the beautiful hotel room in Park Hyatt Paris Vendom, I sobbed. I can't think of the last tangible time I did anything to make anything better for anyone, including myself. Something needs to change, so badly, I know it. I need a severe shock to my system. I need resuscitating.
When I was promoted for the first time at my first company, my VP said to me "Congratulations! From this point forward, every time you get promoted, your pay per hour goes down." Or the time you will have to yourself per hour goes down. Or you may or may not know it - the definition of what makes you happy starts diminishing.
I set a lot of goals for myself - I have been running full speed ahead since I graduated college. I felt like I had so much to accomplish, so much to give, so much potential to explore, so much to do! As I turn 30 I look back on the last 8 years of my life - I have surely checked off a few things on my "list of accomplishments". But it's just a list - nothing but a list. It's a list of tasks. Tasks that I need to achieve toward my overall so-called career strategy - a strategy that would supposedly get me somewhere. But what is the point of a career strategy if I don't have an overall strategy for life? It's like a company creating marketing goals without corporate goals.
So what is the overall strategy of my life? If I think back hard enough, I do have one, but I find myself deviating from it. My "corporate mission" has always been to "help others", i.e. "make a difference", "make a difference for others", "help make something better for someone". I'd like to think I started down the right or relevant path by attending the Hotel School - a school that serves an industry whose mission is to "serve others". Here I am now, in the hotel industry, except I'm not really making a difference for anyone. I sit at my desk all day at the corporate office "making a difference" for the company or the inheritances of the grandchildren of the owners of the company. I could be spending my energy making a difference for someone who doesn't have much. I have deviated far from this path.
Here's another stat - happiness boost from spending $10,000 on leisure activities is 4%. I reward myself - spas, massages, bags, vacations, etc. All these things that I tell myself that I really deserve because I have worked hard - all this buys me 4% happiness which if quantified by days would be 14 days out of a year. That's just about the average number of vacation days a person gets. Is that a coincidence??
But what am I working so hard for? All of a sudden I feel like one of those people meaninglessly searching for the meaning of life or the truth of God. After all, I've checked off quite a few things on my list right? I've accomplished some things right? I've had moments of clarity right? Yes, moments...like shooting stars... my lists have become illusions. I sacrifice my health and spend the money I make making up for it through physical and mental therapies. It has occurred to me, sadly, I can see the "top" much clearer than 8 years ago - and I somehow have no interest "getting there". I am not afraid of sacrifices and I have no problem with hard work - but what are they for? I am not sure, but looking up at the next few rungs on the ladder - I don't think so.
After traveling around the world, in the beautiful hotel room in Park Hyatt Paris Vendom, I sobbed. I can't think of the last tangible time I did anything to make anything better for anyone, including myself. Something needs to change, so badly, I know it. I need a severe shock to my system. I need resuscitating.
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