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Do You Have to Work For a Living?
World of Work Quiz
Seriously, do you need a job to survive or can you live without one? Take this quiz and find out if you need to work for a living and if so, if doing a job you love is right for you.
Start The Quiz
Do You Have to Work or Not?
Question 1: Do you know how much money you and your family will need for the rest of your life? If yes, write the number below. If no, we will help you figure that out later.
Question 2: Do you already have that amount saved up or guaranteed to come to you?
Question 3: So do you have to work for a living?
(Hint: Your answer is YES if you do not have the total amount you need. Your answer is NO if you have the total amount you will need.)
If You Have To Work, Should You Choose A Job You Love ?
Question 4: If the salary is higher at a job you love, would you choose to work at a job you are indifferent to or dislike?
Question 5: If the salary is the same, would you choose to work at a job you love or at a job you are indifferent to or dislike?
Question 6: If the salary is not the same, how much extra would you have to be paid to work at a job you dislike?
Question 7: Other than salary, is there any reason to work at a job you dislike? If so, list your reasons along with how much income you are willing to give up for each.
Reason Income Lost Long Term Costs
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Question 8: If you created a list above in Question 7, take a moment and think about the long term costs of working at a job you dislike. Write down what these are in the space above, including the effects of job stress on your body, relationships, family, job performance, paychecks, confidence, and long term opportunities.
Question 9: Do you have a way to neutralize the negative effects of this type of stress? Is this a permanent or temporary situation? Do you have a long term exit strategy?
Question 10: If you have to work but are not doing work you love, is it time to start thinking about finding your dream job or starting your dream business?
Interpret Your Answers
Question 1 - 3: Although there are many reasons to work, the primary one is to pay for the things you need and want. In modern life, we buy from others rather than make most of the things we use. So, these first questions clarify if you have a lifetime of money already accumulated for yourself and your loved ones.
If you do decide that you have to work, you might want to read about what you really get paid for so you can grow and stretch your paycheck.
Question 4 - 5: These questions help you evaluate the importance and tradeoff between what you earn (tangible money) and how you feel about your job (intangible feelings). Many people focus more on salary and forget to think about whether they love their work.
These questions also challenge the assumption that work you love pays less. We think that assumption comes from the higher salary paid for unpleasant, risky or dangerous work. These higher salaries compensate people for bad work environments and higher rates of injury and death. However, these are not the only way to earn a high wage. Our experience shows that high levels of expertise, passion and excellence also earn a premium.
The "work you love doesn't pay" assumption may also come from people who are ill prepared or willing to earn a pittance to do what they love. But doing what you love does not mean you have to be low skilled or lack the necessary preparation, planning, financing and business knowledge. In fact, we think you will get fired or leave a job you dislike a lot faster than one you love.
Question 6 - 7: These questions help you clarify what other work factors are important to you. There are many viable reasons for doing a job you do not like, including benefits, preferred lifestyle, flexible hours, short commute times, and accommodating special family needs. But often it takes putting things down on paper to clearly see the impact of the tradeoffs you are making. Having to put a monetary amount next to each can help you can get a real feel for the impact of your choices.
Question 8 & 9: If you are doing work you do not love, there are also hidden, long term costs which you should consider. So by taking a look at the long term effects on your entire life - you can make more informed decisions and help minimize any adverse effects.
Question 10: Many of us are so busy with our lives, we have little time to give our dream work much thought. But by taking this quiz, you have already started the ball rolling. Even if you only start to mull over ideas while you take a shower, commute to work or take a lunch break -- you have started the process of thinking about your future.
The Next Step
If you are ready to learn how to discover the work you love, try these links ...
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