Are You In The Money Stage Or The Meaning Stage?

"Purpose is the glue that holds the good life together. It gives you a reason to get up in the morning. It enables continual travel in the direction of the Good Life.

"It helps you keep focusing on where you want to go and discovering new roads to get there." - Richard Leider, Life Coach, from MetLife Mature Market Institute Study

Actually, the title of this article is a bit misleading. It implies that money vs. meaning is an either/or matter, and it's not. It's both/and.

The same MetLife study that looked at the relative values of money, meaning and medicine for adults, age 45-74, acknowledged that those who felt most strongly that they were living "The Good Life", were those who not only expressed finding meaning in their life activities, but who also had about $500,000 in investable assets.

It's really a matter of focus.

When we're younger and even into our 40's and 50's, we tend to focus on money: how to make and keep more of it; how to invest it wisely and how to spend it so that our place in the social structure is recognized and honored.

At the same time, no one wants to spend time in a career that no longer satisfies. What started out as an exciting and rewarding career choice can seem dull and boring after a number of years. We grow, reprioritize our lives and sometimes we want to stretch into new avenues we had not been aware of years earlier.

If our soul demands that we grow, we have to go!

This is why people sometimes leave a lucrative career for one that is less lucrative, but that has more satisfaction. Conversely, someone may choose altruistic but low-paying jobs, but then suddenly decide to shift careers in order to make a much more comfortable income.

As a broad generality, we tend to focus more on money in our younger years and more on meaning in later years.

No matter where we put our focus, both areas are important to our overall life satisfaction. It's wonderful to have the financial freedom to choose to dedicate one's 'retirement' years to a cause or project that demands all our passion and focus. But we can't always do that if the financial support is lacking.

It can be deeply satisfying to live a life of meaning and purpose. But if living that life is accompanied by financial struggle, some of the joy is diminished in the lack of freedom and worry financial scarcity can bring.

That is why I keep saying, "You can have both - a dream career that gives meaning and purpose, as well as a dream income that will provide you with enough financial freedom to freely choose your dreams."

If you are under age 45, by all means, take wise steps to better your financial position. Investigate online income streams to add to your income as an employee; spend less; invest more. But make sure you are not ignoring your need to experience purpose and meaning in your career.

I just spoke with a woman who sells assistive devices for Diabetes patients. She said, "I just love my job!"

She knows she is making a real difference in people's lives. At the same time she is providing a solid financial base for her and her daughter.

If you are over 60, you are approaching the wisdom years. It is time you thought about the significance and meaning of your life.

What legacy do you want to leave? Is there some cause or problem you've always wanted to help address, but never had the time to devote to it? You may still need to improve your financial position, but remember that meaning trumps money every time.

If we begin our work lives attending to both needs, chances are good we'll end up having both. So if you are in the "Money Stage", pay attention to your need for meaning. If you are in the "Meaning Stage", make sure you can support your version of the good life with enough money.

A Dream Career can help you do both, no matter what stage you are in.