Finding the job that's right for you is no easy task, but it's extremely rewarding, and a HUGE step on the road to sustainability.

"What does my job have to do with living sustainably? Doesn't sustainability have something to do with NOT making a lot of money?"

I used to think that, too. When I was in high school, I pretty much accepted the idea that in order to spend my life helping the environment, I'd have to be poor. I'd have to work like a dog at some kind of non-profit in addition to narrowing my diet to organically grown fruits and vegetables. In fact, I embraced the idea. I felt noble, like it was the right thing to do, even though I didn't look forward to it all that much.

Boy was I wrong!

Let's face the facts: Most all of us have to make a living somehow, and we can't all work at Greenpeace and Habitat for Humanity and the Red Cross. So we recycle. We sign petitions. We get the tuna with the meaningless little dolphin logo on it. We turn off the water while brushing our teeth. We do all kinds of things that make us feel like we're TRYING to save the world. And is it working?

ReadIshmael.com

Nope. But WE are. We're working 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. We're commuting to and from our jobs. We're spending a quarter, and some of us a third of our waking lives doing something we don't particularly like doing. And sometimes we spend the rest of our time (and our money) trying to forget that.

How about if instead of doing all kinds of little things to help the environment, you focused your time and energy on doing ONE thing that would not only make the world a better place, but make you a better person?

Instead of saving a whale, reducing pollution, or planting a tree, FIND A JOB YOU LOVE. The first step to living sustainably is to find a sustainable way to make a living, and that's *NOT* limited to jobs directly related to the environment. As Daniel Quinn put it on his website, Ishmael.org:

'Saving the world' is not a profession--you can't make your living by doing it...You must ultimately find the place where you can be most effective, and this will inevitably be what you're best at. In other words, no one is 'good at' saving the world; one is good at music or painting or writing or politics or science--and any of these can put one in a position to make a contribution toward saving the world.

And think about this: The more money you make, the more power you have to help make things better. Money is not the root of all evil...maybe greed, but not money.

It IS possible to find an enjoyable, satisfying way to make a living that ALSO allows you to change the world *AND* pays you well to do it. Doesn't sound too bad now, does it?

"Not bad at all. But how in the world do I get a job like that???"

Thomas Stanley, who studies the lives and minds of millionaires, once compared finding the right job to building a home:

If the foundation is of poor quality, then no matter how much money and effort you put into the rest of your home, it will never be anything but a heartache. Even worse, you will begin to hate your home. Select the wrong vocation and you may also grow to dislike it. (The Millionaire Mind, p193)

What is YOUR passion?

I have many things I'm passionate about, but the one thing that has always inspired and motivated me is my desire to help the environment. I now know that this means creating a sustainable world. When I watch Lord of the Rings and see the beautiful homes of the elves, and how they live in harmony with their environment, I feel filled with wonder, excitement and motivation.

The first thing you have to do is find out what makes YOU feel the same way. What's your "mission?"

For me it's helping the environment by creating places in which people can't HELP but live sustainably. For others it may be teaching, healing, or creating in their own unique way.

Once you're in touch with that, ask yourself "What am I good at?"

One of the things I've realized I'm good at is research. I can become an expert in anything. I love the thrill of finding information, putting it together like pieces of a puzzle, and presenting it to others in a creative, memorable, and educational way.

What can you do easily that others struggle with? What seems to come naturally to you? In what do you excel? What do you lose track of time doing?

These are the skills you need to develop. They're the ones you'll get paid for. The key is to apply them towards your mission.

If I had to do research on finding the cure for cancer, I'd be bored out of my mind. It's an honorable cause, but it's not *MY* mission. If I'm not passionate about what I'm researching, I'm also not at my best.

"Okay, so what if I find a job like that...do I just stick with it for the rest of my life?"

You can, and once you find it, you may want to stick with it forever. But, as always, there's something *EVEN BETTER* to work towards: Not needing to work at all.

You may be wondering, "Why would I want to not have to work if I have a job I love?"

There's a big difference between doing something because you NEED to, and doing it because you WANT to. You may WANT to do what you do for a living, but you also NEED to, and that might compromise your mission.

Look at it this way: If I was super rich, and if I didn't need to work another day in my life, I'd probably still be doing something related to helping the environment. But, if I work for someone else, and I need the money, I have to do what he or she tells me to do, whether I like it or not.

Even if I had my own business and if I was my own boss, I *still* wouldn't get to do my own thing because I'd have to give clients or consumers what they want.

But if you're financially independent, you can live life ON YOUR OWN TERMS. It's the complete opposite of being a wage slave (someone who is completely financially dependent on their job, often living paycheck to paycheck in an effort to keep their lives from falling apart).

Someone who is financially independent is simply someone who has enough money saved up to quit their jobs and live for their rest of their lives at their current standard without ever working for money again.

There are lots of people who SEEM financially independent but are, in fact, far from it because of a magic thing called debt. These days you can own a beautiful house and three luxury cars and still be a wage slave.

Only a small, tiny fraction of the millionaires studied by Thomas Stanley are celebrities, business tycoons, and even doctors or lawyers. Most of them are small business owners living in the 3-bedroom house next door. These are people who love their jobs, but also love the freedom to stop working for money whenever they want.

"Even if I don't have to be Bill Gates or Oprah, how am I supposed to become financially independent???"

The road to financial independence is not necessarily easy, but it IS simple: Build capital.

Capital, as described in Your Money or Your Life (which I reviewed), is "money that keeps working for you, that produces an income as surely as your job produces income" (p262). Money in a bank account earning interest is capital. Money invested in a profitable stock is capital. Money put towards a house that will increase in value is capital.

How much capital you need before you hit financial independence depends on three things: Your chosen standard of living, how much time you've got left to live it, and the rate of inflation (you know, the way things like movie tickets just keep going on up in price).

If you insist on spending the rest of your life in a mansion eating caviar, then you'll need a whole lot of capital before you can tell your boss to eat your shorts. But if you choose to live in a small, energy efficient house in a plain neighborhood with wholesome food in the refrigerator, it's a whole different story.

The next step is to figure out how much it'll cost per year to maintain that standard.

The key is to build enough capital to earn you that amount, year after year, for the rest of your life (don't forget inflation!). I know that sounds like a lot, but think of it this way: You have a job you love, and you make money. You could spend that money in many different ways. Just try to put as much of it as possible towards capital.

Robert Kiyosaki, best-selling author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad, sees it this way:

It's like planting a tree. You water it for years and then one day it doesn't need you anymore. Its roots have gone down deep enough. Then, the tree provides shade for your enjoyment. (p55)

Ultimately, remember that the goal is to live life on your own terms. That's the point at which you can really say you're successful. Financial independence is undoubtedly the best position from which to make a difference in the world, and that's not a shabby thing to work towards.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic, and to learn about your experiences with work and sustainability. Please drop me an e-mail, along with any suggestions, comments, or constructive criticism, to Krystle@SustainableWays.com.

To learn more about the shackles of wage slavery (and how to stay away from them), check out this progressive website: WhyWork.org

Books to help you on your way:
-Your Money or Your Life - by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin (see my review)
-The Millionaire Mind and The Millionaire Next Door - by Thomas J. Stanley
-Rich Dad, Poor Dad - by Robert Kiyosaki
-Beyond Civilization - by Daniel Quinn (see my review)

Last updated: 3/16/2004