I want you to answer a question for me, and please give it your honest answer, not for my benefit but for yours. Ok? Here we go. When it comes to picking your career, the profession that will carry you through your life until retirement, have you thought about what will make you the most money, or what will make you the happiest?

If picking a career that makes you loads of money makes you happy, then you’re already sorted. But if you are worried that there is something you want to do but are worried that it won’t pay much or will be hard to get into, my advice for you is to go with what makes you happy. Here are a few reasons why you should follow your heart.

Time is precious.

Our time on this great big rock we call Earth is short and before you know it we’re underneath pushing up daisies. So, we should be spending every moment we have doing what makes us happy, even when it comes to working.

Statistics show that the average person will work 90,000 hours in their lifetime. That’s the equivalent of working over 10 years non-stop! Isn’t that incentive enough to think seriously about what your career will be?

No matter how humble it may be, if it makes you happy then you should do it, and don’t worry what people think or tell you. I was told from a young age that it was important to have a good job that pays well, and that is true to some extent, but the enjoyment for the job should come first.

I know people who work their fingers to the bone in a job they hate, leaving the house at the crack of dawn and not returning until late evening, missing time with the family just to bring home a large paycheque. Even though all those hours worked in that one month make the money high, the happiness and general wellbeing is at an all-time low.

Money isn’t everything.

In our society, there are a few things that we are told are taboo subjects that we shouldn’t talk about, I don’t believe in this, so I am going to talk about one of the ‘forbidden’ topics, Money.

As I said before, when I was younger I was told that I should get myself a good job that will pay well, and I  think it’s safe to say that everyone has been told that at some point in their life. We do need money to survive, but why get a high paying job that you hate? We don’t take the money with us when we go, we may leave some to our loved ones which will help them, but I believe showing them that we lived a life fulfilled and happy is more important than money.

A far better outlook on money is to be sensible with it. If you start young and are sensible with your money by saving it in an ISA, or similar savings account- this will help a lot. Or each time you are about to spend your money, take a moment to think “Do I really need to spend that much money on something I’ll probably forget about in a few weeks time?” It will also help the environment too if you cut down on what material possessions you buy.

I’m going to sound old fashioned now but money really doesn’t buy you happiness, doing what you love will.

How do I know this? Because I am currently doing a job I love. I have my own copywriting business that allows me to work from home and help support my family. If someone had told me this was a possibility a few years ago, I would have said they were crazy. But with support from my family and friends, that dream became a reality.

I hope this helps you decide your future career, let me know what your dreams and ideas are.