Money and happiness: Are you a bottom-line slave?

Ball and chain When it comes to “success”, overt
wealth is sadly the prevailing measure. The money-is-God dogma prevails: Financial decisions drive government and business actions. Does money equal happiness?

Unimaginative bean counters “lead” many businesses. Showponypreneurs are “heroes” because of their extravagant lifestyles. Money-centric business plans are mindlessly proffered by consultants, coaches and business schools. It is little wonder money-myopia rules!

We have forgotten the truly important things about life and work. Think about it: on your deathbed, will you recall your wide-screen plasma home theatre system with 6.1-surround? Will your epitaph say: Here lies John, he made squillions?

Consider these more immediate dangers of putting money before happiness:

Acute bean counting has resulted in a plethora of self-serving, "me-too", and inanely boring businesses.

Money-based business decisions also writes off all the inherit potential in attributes like daring, love, imagination and dreams. And the more time we spend at work, the more critical it becomes to imbue businesses with these qualities.

Your happiness is at stake. Do you want your life to be SUMmed up in a single Excel field?

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With increasing globalisation, short-term business thinking can screw up even more people’s lives even faster! The very survival of our world is at stake.

Soloists are the future of human-centric and honourable business practice. Here’s how you can start to free yourself of this madness:

Owning a thousand hammers will not make you a better carpenter. Money is only a tool you can leverage to build your life. Get real about money.

Define your own measure of success that includes strictly non-financial factors. Review this quarterly to balance out the money-centric BAS.

Question conventional business wisdom. Your cat can probably tell you more about living a fulfilling life than an MBA graduate.

Seek balanced advice, feedback and affirmation from kindred spirits. Take time off to reflect and stay true to what is truly meaningful for you.

Flatly refuse to play the I-have-more-money-than-you game. The value of your contributions to the world is not dependant on yacht ownership.

As a soloist, both your business and your life are yours to shape. Seize this power!

Article authored in conjunction with Zern Liew.

Paul J. Morris is an information systems strategist. This incredible title means that he helps businesses become more efficient at what they do while keeping them on track with their goals.

5 comments | Add your own

Yum. We have some fabulous contributors on this site. Love your work! Robert Gerrish from Sydney
Thanks for making these great points. Breaking even and making enough money to comfortably pursue a fulfilling life is important but one of the main reasons for launching my business was to achieve what I wanted in a way that was compatible with my view of life - being compassionate, caring and regarding the human-ness of relating to each other. Good to have these ideas published to counter-balance the "money is everything" attitude. Jenny Goodwin from Queanbeyan, Australia
Love the way you guys think ! It isn't the dollars you make, its the people whose faces light up when they see you or hear your voice, that is the true measure of success. Grant Hyman from Sydney | Read my articles
I have just left a job where the MD turned the central heating off as he went out for his two hour lunch (winter in freezing London). He frequently told me my work was 'too good for the punters', but didn't seem to mind me winning design awards for the company. He is a lonely, mean and friendless man with no mortgage and lots of money in the bank but noone to leave it to. I may never make a lot of money but I do have passion and integrity and a desire to do the best I can. I also have a lovely family and friends and in returning to freelance work I feel I am emerging from a dark, oppressive tunnel! Jane Davies from London
Love your work = love your life.
Love your life means daring to live it. (Go Jane!)
Love your work means doing things to light up faces. (Good one Grant!)
Contrary to some perceptions (from non-flyingsolo readers), we are not anti-money or anti-profit. We want to make money - to facilitate a good life for ourselves.
You can absolutely make a living (think about that phrase) without being mercenary . (Good on you Jenny for seeking the win-win!) Zern Liew from Vermillion

5 comments | Add your own

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