I’ve always counseled pro pilot students—“There are 3 great motivators for a career—Money, Recognition, and Time.
You can get by for a while with one of them—you can make a lot of money, for example—without recognition or time. You could volunteer, and gain recognition—foregoing money and time.
The problem is—you can’t do it for very long. (Think flight instructor—little money, but you do have recognition and time).
You need at least two of the 3 for long term happiness, but strive for a balance of all 3.
The equation changes over time. You may have a job that makes lots of money and has recognition, but no time. Later in life, you may have already made your money, and go BACK to flight instructing—recognition and time, but not much money.
Strive for the balance.