blogger profile

Carol Setters

Writer, consultant, trainer (www.CarolSetters.com).

I have a very strange career, but I think it's very relevant to life. I consult to high achievers and the people they're in relationship with (www.CarolSetters.com.) What that means is I help women deal with all the dynamics around ambition, money, influence and fame, whether they're pushing for i...

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Bigger Paycheck = More Happiness?

A recent article on CareerBuilder.com shows the confusion most people have about what a bigger paycheck can mean to their quality of life.  Five Ways a Big Paycheck can Backfire is focused around what it is that people risk when they go for the bigger paycheck .  It sounds a little like what your grandmother might warn you about being so uppity, but the quote below is an interesting one:

“Studies have shown most people feel happier in a five-figure job where they are earning more than the majority of other people in the company than they do in a six-figure job where they are making significantly less than others, says Stan Smith, founder and CEO of Smith Economics Group Ltd., in Zwell's book. Ultimately, he says, people can't rely on short-lived salaries, promotions and raises to keep them happy but rather the contributions they make in the long run.”

In Richard Layard’s book “Happiness:  Lessons from a New Science” it appears that the comparison of what a person has to what his neighbor has is the bottom line for a lot of us on how happy we should be.  So Sex and the City’s Carrie or Samantha look fabulous and seem to have an unending supply of new clothes, never worrying about money or the mere details of life and – guess what? – you’re unconsciously comparing yourself to them!  Says Richard.  He could be wrong.  But he is Lord Richard Layard.

But it just goes to show that knowing what you want out of life, unencumbered by marketing hype or your best friend’s idea of happiness, is a mighty good thing to be aware of.  What makes you happy?  When was the last time you gave some serious attention to that question?  That’s the start – then comes the plan...