make a life for oneself

make a life for (oneself)

To establish or develop a career and lifestyle in which one is or feels happy, content, or successful. I've been trying to make a life for myself as an artist for the past two years, but there just aren't enough opportunities that pay well enough to make it work. It's tough making a life for yourself in such a big city, but I think it's worth it in the end.See also: life, make

make a (kind of) life for oneself

to develop and live a particular kind of lifestyle for oneself. She made a good life for herself in New York City, working as a freelancer.See also: life, make