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The decision to work for a promotion can affect our lives both positively and negatively. What dilemmas do you face on your way to career heights? And what if you have to choose between work and family?
1. Moving for a promotion
We are often tied to the place where we grew up. Parents live there, we spent our childhood there, learned a lot, became who we are. Sometimes this connection is so strong that it is difficult to break it.
And that is why it is so difficult to make a choice: a career in another part of the country or a cozy father’s house in your hometown or village. But in some companies, you can develop only if you decide to move to a specific region. And sometimes the position you dream of is only in another city.
Sometimes the question is even more fundamental: we have to choose the country of residence.
At such moments, it is not easy to decide: to stay where you are comfortable, or to change your place of residence for the sake of a career? After all, the refusal to withdraw from their homes can cost success in the company. But not everyone wants to give up everything that they are used to.
2. Choice between marriage and work
Some men demand that their partners always meet them at home with dinner ready. And if your spouse is like that, you will have to choose – a family hearth or a career.
Unfortunately, women still often have to fight for their right to work and succeed, and in doing so, sacrifice marriage or long-term relationships. In addition, it is important for some men to occupy a higher position than their partner, and then the struggle between spouses can destroy the family.
Today, it is still more difficult for women than for men to climb the career ladder and be happy in marriage. And therefore, many have to decide what is more important: a career or a man who does not understand and does not accept their aspirations. If love takes over, then career victories have to be abandoned. But at what cost?
Weigh the pros and cons of your relationship. Often women who prefer a man to work later regret that they missed their chance. In addition, life is unpredictable: each of us can be left without a partner at any time. And if we do not have experience and our own opportunities to earn money, you will not envy our position …
If your spouse doesn’t want you to work, it’s worth finding out why. Calmly explain why promotion is important and valuable to you. And then decide how to be. The choice is always yours.
3. Go on maternity leave or build a career
Figure out why you are making a career. Are you ready to return to work after the birth of a child, or do you want to reach some heights first, and then go on maternity leave. Consider what your employer is asking you to do now. Do you need to make a breakthrough, invest all your strength, or can you work calmly, perhaps even remotely?
In the era of modern technology, a sound approach to planning children and families is quite possible and even more desirable than unexpected pregnancies and the resulting disappointments.
Ask yourself what you will do after the baby is born. Are you ready to give him all your time, or will you try to cope with both work and education at the same time?
This is not an easy choice, but now women have much more opportunities to combine these processes.
4. Maintain health or work with full dedication
Torn between career and family, we forget about ourselves, our body and health. At such moments, the body can give “distress signals”, but due to workload and problems in the family, we simply do not notice them.
In order to succeed in our careers, we must listen to ourselves. Therefore, always make health care a priority if you have to choose between your own well-being and a career. Especially if you understand that something is clearly going wrong.
You cannot build a career without good health, and if you have already achieved some success, then you can lose everything in a short time. As Steve Jobs said in his legendary Stanford speech, “You can hire a chauffeur to drive you, a manager to make money for you, but no one can bear your illness for you.”
Many today dream of a career. But before you devote yourself to work, think about it – do you want it yourself, or are your parents, partner, friends, stereotypes putting pressure on you? Are you ready to sacrifice the time that you now give to your family and children? Will you be able to hear the signals of your body in time?
And remember – a career cannot be an end in itself. You must “burn” with the cause to which you give yourself. And if this is not the case, think about what you really lack.
About the Developer
Alevtina Kaipova — business psychologist, executive coach, member of the Association for Psychoanalytic Coaching and Business Consulting (APBC). Read more in her .