What should we choose: life or career?

      As children, we always wanted to grow up and become doctors, astronauts, pilots, engineers, actors, and sportsmen. None of us really had the ambition of being happy and leading a blissful life. The society that we live in functions in a way where we are  nurtured and trained to acquire the necessary skills for exchange in the society so that we fulfill its needs, and in return earn wages to satisfy our own needs. Right from the kindergarten, parents start pondering on school that is best for their child, college that he/she should go, and career to pursue.

     
When work becomes life

Everyone is driven by ambition and wants to be successful. Pursuing a career that garners success, status, and opulence in the society is what everyone yearns today. In the wake of that desire, they are always ready to walk the extra mile. Author Karen Dillon says, “Most early-career professionals are obsessed with achieving milestone after milestone in their careers. They are ready to work on the weekend which they should be spending with their family, skip social events of their children in school, and cancel the vacation that they had planned.” Instead of being a part of  life, work has actually become their entire life. However, the end result of it is not always favorable.

 People working round the clock are devoid of a social life and prefer staying alone. Living a desolate life can hamper your  emotional well-being. The instances of a rise in stress and depression can be inferred from the rise in the number of suicides. We often come across cases where the reason for suicide are work-related issues. Therefore, choosing a career over life takes a toll on their lives, but it is only at the end of their career they realize that they probably should have made better choices.


Consequences of sacrificing career 

Given the hardships and misery that people face on giving a preferential status to their careers over their lives, choosing a happy and healthy life appears to be a better option out of the two. But then the question here is - are the people who sacrifice their careers for living a happy life really happy? Just as choosing a career instead of a life has its consequences, sacrificing your career for a happening life also has its effects. Sacrificing a career could mean missing out on all the opportunities and benefits that come along with it. Not choosing a career or deciding to quit is not an option, which is financially unsound.

 Having a successful career and a job can guarantee regular paychecks that can pay all your bills, mortgage for your house, and the tuition fee of your children. Whereas not having one, can make you dependent on someone else, or lead you to earn a living carrying out mediocre jobs. There are cases where women face the predicament of being dependent on their spouse, suffering exploitation, and consequently adding misery to the lives which they chose by sacrificing their career.
     

We live in a world where having a successful career and a quality life are equally important. The result of choosing one out of the two may not yield results that we want, and is a difficult task altogether. Given the importance of life as well as a career, choosing one such that the other doesn't suffer, can be an option worth considering. Pursuing a career with a proper assessment of the pros and cons associated with it can help you mitigate the risk of choosing a career that takes a toll on your life. While at the same time being pragmatic about sacrificing a career in order to live an ideal life, can save you and your career from being misled on the path of regression.