Decisions

Today I'm faced with a choice about my future. I've thought for a while that I would like to pursue advancement in one of my careers. Essentially the choice is whether I take a sizable bonus for a position that I don't particularly want, or do I pursue the option that I believe will be more interesting that doesn't carry a bonus? Either choice requires a 6 year commitment. However, once I've made the choice, I can't reasonably go the other direction, even after the 6 years are up.

When I pare it down to those terms it seems like a pretty easy choice - the money will run out long before my commitment to the job ends.

However, the bonus could go a long way in the meantime. I could pay off all my debt (with the exception of my student loan). That would be quite a relief. Or I could use it as a down-payment on a condo, which would also be really nice (as nice as incurring additional debt can be).

I guess the more important issue is determining which option will serve me better in the long run?

Really, I think I've made my decision. Money has never really had much value for me, beyond what it can do to provide the freedom to do things that really matter to me. Money comes and goes. Not to be flippant about it, but I am far from letting it make my decisions for me. For me, the concern with finding a job is not so much finding one that pays well, but finding one that's fulfilling - where I feel like I'm making a contribution, doing something that matters. The only reason I'm still at the law firm is because I believe the attorney I work for really values me. While I may not feel like the work I'm doing is very significant - to him, it is.

I also know, however, that having enough money to support my lifestyle (which is by no means extravagant) brings a certain amount of peace and security. I'm much more relaxed when I'm not trying to make a dollar out of two nickles.

I'm not in a hurry to make the decision today. I'll probably wait until I get the final word from the State Dept in April before I actually take any real action.