Quality of Life Versus Lifestyle

Why it’s Better to Improve Quality of Life Versus Having a Lifestyle

What’s up everybody! Welcome Back! I hope all is well! I know that we’ve experienced some crazy times these past couple of weeks and I know for some its not getting any easier. Rest easy, take it one day at a time, and if needed seek support. I know that quality of life has not been too great with the quarantines and closed economies.

And it sure doesn’t help that you have people around every corner telling you what you should and should not be doing. You know what I mean? You see them all over social media these days, “coaches”, “gurus” and “lifestyle” mentors. These are the people telling you that being a millionaire is easy and you can do it too. The ones who flex for the camera, but have shed very little authenticity when times need it most. Instead, in times of need and trying to help one another, they see opportunity, you know, the unethical type.

So instead of getting into the dichotomous nature of social media and its many fallacies, as a previous counselor, health practitioner, coach and mentor, I’d like to shed light on a term we used everyday in hospitals, shelters, and at school. This is a persons quality of life.

A lot of people around the world are openly concerned with having a lifestyle. It is a priority for them. The truth is, quality of life matters more and it should always be a priority for everyone. If you lack money, you strive to have more. If you have lots of income, you may at some point think it’s not enough for you. If you dream, you want realities. There are a lot of ifs in this world. These are basically conditions for people as they want to have a certain lifestyle. But does having a lifestyle make one happier? Do you think that it will give you the life you have always dreamed of? To find the answer, it is recommended that you first learn the difference between having a lifestyle and quality of life.

What Does Having a Lifestyle and Quality of Life Really Mean?

Quality of life and having a lifestyle may seem like similar concepts and they are even sometimes used interchangeably. But, the fact is that they are quite different from one another as they are defined by distinct factors. While having a lifestyle has more to deal with an artificial, predetermined status that has become widely accepted as a way to measure better living, the quality of life is focused on more intangible objects that don’t necessary rely on wealth.

We Are Taught to Reach for a Better Lifestyle

All our lives, we are taught to believe that a better lifestyle leads to a higher quality of life. The advertisements, the marketing, and even our family and friends who have more and better things than we do make us feel like we need to have a better lifestyle in order to have a better life.

But that’s not true.

A better lifestyle with a better school, a better house, a better job, etc. does not mean a better and happier life. More clothes, more success, more money, more stuff doesn’t necessarily mean a better life.

Then Why Do We Strive for it?

We strive to have a lifestyle because we want our life to stay in sync with our income. No matter how much we earn, we always think we need to earn a bit more. We don’t think about making room for financial margin in our budget. By living like this, you live in a world of “cannot”. You cannot vacation there, you cannot eat there, you cannot go there, and so on. Your credit card debt, your mortgage, your car payments – they are all running your life and you cannot do what you want to do.

You cannot chase your dreams because you are constantly worried about your finances.

It can be very stressful. And generally having a better lifestyle is not the answer. In fact, it makes the situation worse.

The key is not that you shouldn’t want to build wealth or earn more money to have a lifestyle. The key is to not focus on your income solely so you can improve that lifestyle. Because by doing that, you will probably find that you don’t have a higher quality of life.

How to Have a Better Quality of Life

If you want to have a better quality of life, don’t make your goal to have a lifestyle. Instead, focus on what really improves quality of life for you. This may be connecting in your community, better health, stronger relationships, or something else. Having a better quality of life is going to be difficult if you are financially strapped and stressed. The point of this article is to help you shift your focus away from wanting a better lifestyle as the end goal. Instead, a better quality of life, and all the happiness and peace that comes with it, should be the goal.

To do this, there needs to be space in between how much you make and how much you spend. You can determine the amount of margin according to your preferences. Whether it’s 1% or 30% doesn’t matter much. What matters is that some room for margin is there between what you earn and what you spend. Start by budgeting. It is also recommended that you read personal financial books so that you can learn the basics of personal money management.

So, in Quality of Life Versus Lifestyle, why is it important that you create financial margin and budget in your life?

The reason is simple: you will feel less stressed and have a better life when you have breathing room in your financial life, you will have more peace. The lesson here is don’t let your income drive your financial spending. Instead, prioritize financial margining. Then, you can focus on enjoying your life rather than having a lifestyle. Ultimately, you will be happier and have a better quality of life. Till next time!–The Black Sheep