In partnership with
Choosing between a career, income, and life does not have to be complicated.
In my professional journey, I have definitely faced situations where I had issues with a job based on ethics and values, issues where having one job was not enough to sustain me, and I felt like I was making sacrifices against my family.
After talking with my friend, I have come up with my own personal “Good Life Equation”.
🧭 Ryder’s Helpful Links
Don’t get SaaD. Get Rippling.
Remember when software made business simpler?
Today, the average company runs 100+ apps—each with its own logins, data, and headaches. HR can’t find employee info. IT fights security blind spots. Finance reconciles numbers instead of planning growth.
Our State of Software Sprawl report reveals the true cost of “Software as a Disservice” (SaaD)—and how much time, money, and sanity it’s draining from your teams.
The future of work is unified. Don’t get SaaD. Get Rippling.
📔 Is This Equation For You?
Perhaps you are working at a company where you’re growing fast and learning every day, but suddenly you get a new boss, or the company gets bought out, and now you feel like your values are being challenged.
Perhaps you have a high-paying job (extra points it’s at a very reputable company within your industry), but you have to commute hours on the weekends to see your family.
Perhaps you left your industry for a better opportunity, but that opportunity has run dry and now you begin to question if you can jump back into that industry.
If any of this feels too familiar, my “Good Life Equation” is for you.
💬 The Good Life Equation
Definitions
Good Life: Imagine your ideal life—where you can have any job, make the income you want, and live where you want, with who you want, when you want. Picture it clearly.
Job: Do not think about this as an actual job you apply for, but your purpose. Think back to your “ideal job” and look at what you do there. What is your passion? What do you love to consume, and what do you believe in and have opinions on? Those answers point to your work.
Income: Evaluate this with three questions: How much do I need to survive? How much do I need to live comfortably? How much do I need to live abundantly?
Life: Evaluate who is currently in your life. Who needs your time? Where do you live? What time commitments do you have in life?
Sacrifice: With your current situation, or a future one, identify all the cons that affect your job, income, and life.
Relationship Assumptions
High Love × Low Money — feeling burnt out & stressed
Low Love × High Money — feeling numb & resentful
Case Study
This week on the podcast, I talked with my friend Josh Molina. His work is to report the truth as a journalist. He needs enough income to live in Santa Barbara and support his family, including his growing son.
Outcome
For Josh, the job at the local digital news outlet, Noozhawk, lets him report truth more than a PR job, but it requires a second job to earn enough. He negotiated flexible hours so he could work two jobs and still be home with his family.
👋 Let’s Keep Building Your Next Chapter
📊 Quick Questions Before You Go
Which Part Was Most Helpful to You