How much would you want to earn?
$500,000 a year
– or -
$250,000 a year
No brainer, right? Who wouldn’t want to earn $500,000 a year instead of $250,000 a year?
But wait. Let’s add the following qualifiers to the amounts:
$500,000 a year, traveling the road warrior rate (usually over 75% time away from home), long work hours that run into weekends and evenings, and rarely free from emails and calls even on vacation.
– or -
$250,000 a year, traveling 35%-50%, work hours that occasionally run into weekends and evenings, and generally free from emails and calls even on vacation.
Personally, the choice is tougher with these qualifiers.
Many people go after numbers, and that’s where they can get into trouble. They don’t realize there is actually a prize of earning a certain amount of money, at least, this is the case in regular working world.
It’s really tough to consciously choose a paycut, even if you run your own business. Maybe I can say, “especially” when you run your own business.
It’s so tempting to let loose your ambitious drive at the expense of everything else, and rationalizing it with, “Once I make a certain amount and have a certain financial pad, I’ll slow down. I’ll pay attention to my family. I’ll figure something out with my health. I’ll then finally enjoy life.” This is not how ambitious, driving minds work. Ambitious, driving minds want even more of what is more. Ambitious, driving minds are never satisfied.
The question to ask, then, is what is the quality of money you’re earning, and if this is at the expense of other important things like:
Health
Family
Enjoyment of life
Because at the end, you may not want to spend most of that half a million dollars of earnings treating disease, patching family relationships (or fighting in divorce court), or going to the therapist (or your favorite approach to preserving your sanity).
You may end up with a lower return on investment than keeping most of a quarter of a million dollars enjoying your health, personal relationships, and life.
I want to have my health, family, and life to enjoy a quarter of a million dollars than to be alone, in pain, and numb about life with $500,000 or even $5,000,000.
That said, we can always aim for a life of love, health, and joy PLUS $5,000,000 
