How I Finally Stopped Choosing Between Meaning and Money

Having a career plan that you can refer to, and work towards can frame your daily challenges, help evaluate new opportunities, and give you a greater sense of purpose in your work life.

Background

This framework was designed when I was on a long plane ride sitting next to two other passengers who were loudly debating the meaning of life.

One was a Buddhist and the other was a Christian, and they were comparing and contrasting their views on many topics.

After many hours of their conversation, I needed a break.

As I willed my noise-canceling headphones to do a better job of dampening their voices, I began to think through how I would structure an approach for balancing solving for the overall WHY in your life, with more practical considerations of how to literally keep the lights on.

I was on the cusp of a major decision of my own, namely, should I start a coaching + consulting business or jump into another startup or get a traditional job.

During that flight, I developed the framework and used it to guide my decision.

Reflecting on the process I went through, I thought it would be generally useful to my coaching clients.

I iterated over several versions of the framework, getting input from clients, friends, and colleagues who are at various stages and decision points in their careers.

So, without further ado, introducing the career planning framework.

Balancing the 3 P’s

Balance is not a one size fits all proposition. Different people have different goals and different definitions of what success in their career looks like. By looking through the lens of Purpose, Person, and Pay independently, a holistic approach to a career plan can be achieved.

1. Purpose

At the heart of doing meaningful, impactful work is doing work that matters to you. Namely, finding your WHY. This is not necessarily a concept that many people consider when thinking about their careers.

2. Person

The Person section is all about you. How do you like to work? What factors are important to you as far as work/life balance?

3. Pay

Let’s face it. Compensation is a necessary part of working. Being both practical and pragmatic about your true needs with compensation, so you can look at that in balance with both your Purpose and Person is an important part of finding a path that works for you.

Putting It Together

By considering the 3P’s of Purpose, Person, and Pay, you can build a balanced approach to your career.

Get the 3P Framework

If you would like to explore the 3P’s I have developed a set of guided questions to walk you through each of these areas to help you build a career plan.

Download the 3P Framework

Download the 3P Framework