How careers affect lifestyle?

Careers are in some ways connected to a person’s identity or lack thereof. From a young age if someone was determined to be a police officer, attorney, doctor, or entrepreneur they may have led a life that increased their odds of accomplishing the intention of obtaining those roles. They may have forgone social gatherings, abstained from drugs/alcohol, or even volunteered in the very field they wanted to pursue. This meant that their desired career affected what kind of life they lead. Now fast forward to when an individual is fully immersed in their desired career were fulfilling the role day in and day out becomes a need rather than a want. Their career may affect their spending habits, social presence, materialism, mood, and many other aspects of life.

On the opposite side from “knowing” and living in a way that further attracts the outcomes a career can bring in a positive sense are those where their career negatively affects them. In these situations, dissatisfaction with one’s career can lead to its outward expression via social isolation and withdrawal, poor financial habits, lowered sense of self and mood. When one does not identify with their career it is reflected in some way in their lifestyle. However, there are situations where identity regarding a career is not an important factor for the individual and just the simple fact of having a career allows them the comfort of the lifestyle they lead. With that said careers are said to offer “progression” and via this progression and increase in lifestyle, however, “increase” is defined.

There are also examples of individuals who “elevate” in some form of their career and choose to not alter their lifestyle in a variety of ways. There is a good example of this in a journalist interviewing Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon while they were in Mr. Bezos's old model Honda Accord. The journalist asked Mr. Bezos “You are worth about 9-10 billion dollars why choose a Honda to drive and Mr. Bezos responded, “it’s a fully functioning car and it fulfills its purpose of driving me from A to B”. Careers have a multitude of ways in which they can influence our mental and emotional well-being. Some may express that to be a choice, while others will say it comes with the territory.