In Part 2 of the Career & Money series I talked about how you can do some life planning and determine if you really want a job or a career. This time I am going to take that a step further so you can align your career choices with your values and the type of lifestyle you wish to live.

What Are Your Values?
Our values are the things that allow us to thrive in our life. After our basic emotional and physical needs are met, we yearn for something more in order to feel fulfilled, happy, and purpose driven. This is where our values come in. While we may all have numerous things we value, there are typically 4-6 core values that really make us tick. These core values turn on the Technicolor in our lives.

How can you determine your values? When I work with clients we take an extensive look at needs and values through a series of exercises. However, you can start getting clear on your values with this simple exercise.

The following is a list of common values (by all means not comprehensive of all possibilities). Read through them and make a note of the ones that truly excite you and feel like they touch the core of who you are when you’re at your best. If a particular word conveys a sense of what is important to you (ex: adventure) yet doesn’t feel quite 100% resonant, try replacing the word adventure with similar words that may hit home more strongly for you (ex: risk, danger, experience). If you don’t see a word that you just KNOW is right for you run with a dictionary or thesaurus or simply brainstorm in your journal until you hit on it.

Here’s a list of common values

Adventure
Risk
The Unknown
Thrill
Danger
Beauty
Elegance
Grace
Refinement
Impact
Touch
Inspire
Encourage
Influence
Alter
Contribute
Serve
Assist
Strengthen
Create
Invent
Build
Imagine
Design
Discover
Learn
Discern
Uncover
Educate
Feel
Experience
Emote
Feel Good
Lead
Guide
Govern
Persuade
Mastery
Expert
Excellence
Dominate Field
Outdo
Compete
Fun
Sensual
Sex
Entertain
Sports
Play
Bliss
Be related
Part of community
Connected
Unite
Nurture
Family
Love
Tenderness
Compassion
Sensitive
Support
Respond
Spiritual
Passionate
Religious
Honoring
Teach
Instruct
Enlighten
Inform
Prepare
Coach
Win
Accomplish
Achieve
Attain
Attract
Triumph
Integrity
Honesty
Truth

Once you go through the words and choose some, see how they feel. Try them on for size. Journal about them. Say them out loud. See how they resonate with you. Again, a number of these words may ring true to you. For instance, most people would value honesty, truth, or integrity. Yet, only certain people will have them as a core value because they are at the core of what their life purpose and plan is.

Values hold important clues about who we truly are. The more we can align our lives and our careers with them the more joyful and successful we’ll be. If you value freedom and independence yet work in a punch a clock manufacturing facility, you’re probably going to feel stifled every day. Trust me, as someone who knows the purgatory of the cubicle yet values independence, being unrestricted, and free, I know how incongruent and painful the misaligned choices can be.

How Much Do You Need and Want to Earn?

You might read this question and think — of course I want to earn lots of money. For some that is true and for others money is the last thing on their mind. Regardless of what camp you fall into, there are certain money realities to be considered as you choose what kind of career you want to support the lifestyle you desire. Remember back to Part 2 where we did some life planning. Money is just one aspect of the overall plan, so whatever career you choose needs to be compatible with what you want your life to look like. For instance, if you value tons of freedom, time off, and working from home, you probably don’t want to pursue a career as a corporate executive. It’s not that living an authentic and balanced life isn’t desired and possible for a corporate exec, but that balance looks a lot different than say a freelancer who works remotely and wants to live simply in a low cost area.

There’s a difference between what you need to earn and what you want to earn. What you need to earn I’d define as the amount of money you need to earn in order to pay your basic living expenses without struggle. I stress the basic living expenses portion here and that doesn’t include a ton of toys or a million dollar mortgage. Of course if you already own all these things, it is in your “need to earn” category unless you choose to simplify and downsize your life.

Your basic financial needs can ebb and flow throughout your life and the goal of a truly fulfilling career is to earn beyond what you need to get by. Surviving is not thriving. How much you want to earn beyond the basics is a function of what lifestyle you want to lead.

I’ve talked about the difference between building a life or a lifestyle before and I’m sure I’ll do it again. For the sake of authenticity here, I’ll assume that you have chosen to build a life and within that life you desire a certain lifestyle.

How do you answer the question – what do I want to earn? A little self-discovery and exploration. Here are a few things you can do to uncover what you really want.

Write a description of your ideal life. In it consider questions such as:

  • Where do I want to live? What is the cost of living there?
  • Do I want to own a house or rent?
  • What type of house do I want to live in?
  • Do I want to own multiple properties?
  • What do I enjoy doing that requires money — dining out, hobbies, travel, recreation, volunteer activities, etc.
  • Do I want children and if so how many?
  • Am I single? Do I want to find a partner?
  • Am I in a relationship? What is his/her needs and desires?
  • At what age do I want to retire?
  • What types of things do I want to own (ex: type of cars I want to drive, boats I want to own, etc.)

These are just a few questions to get you thinking about the things you currently enjoy and those you want to incorporate into your life. Again, this could look different at different times in your life but it will give you a sense of whether your dreams lie in a small cottage in the remote mountains, a fabulous penthouse in a major city, an everyday house in the suburbs, or an awesome mansion on the cliffs of the ocean. The income requirements for these different lifestyles are radically different. And, since we regularly write about the perils of building your dreams on a flabby financial foundation, the secret to doing this right is actually having the income to match your desires, not living on the brittle ground of credit and creative financing.

Once you get an idea of what you need and want to earn, then you can start exploring the income potential of careers that appeal to you. In Part 4 I’ll talk more about what kind of careers are out there and how you can get an idea if something is the right fit for you.

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Paula Gregorowicz is the Comfortable in Your Own Skin(tm) Coach and you can learn more at her website www.thepaulagcompany.com and blog www.coaching4lesbians.com .

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