"I struggled to juggle jobs and college classes, but I thought I had to if I wanted a great career. My boyfriend's mother saw how stressed I was and told me I should work to live, not live to work. Her simple advice empowered me to change jobs over the years and reflect on how I was living."
"She smiled gently and told me, "You need to work to live, not live to work." The simple piece of advice may not have been revolutionary or unique to her, but it struck me to my core. From that moment on, my perspective on work was different. I began to view work as something you did to finance your life, and it has affected my choices ever since."
"Instead of focusing on the work I'd been doing, I was now even more aware of everything else I hadn't been doing enough of. I missed the slow Sundays I adored, when I would do nothing but sit and drink too much coffee. I missed going on long runs, reading next to my dog, and spending time with friends. Those things were what I really needed and wanted more of. A career didn't mean much if I wasn't enjoying my life in between shifts."
During college, heavy part-time work and full-time classes created exhaustion, poor eating and sleeping, and a sense of missing family and friends. My boyfriend's mother advised, "You need to work to live, not live to work." That advice shifted my perspective, making work a means to finance life rather than life's focus. I changed jobs to protect personal time. I became more aware of neglected activities: slow Sundays, long runs, reading with my dog, and social time. I prioritized enjoyment between shifts and recognized a desire to spend more time at home.
Read at Business Insider
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