I put in years of nights and weekends because Nike always came first. Then one day I realized I was missing my life. When did it become harder to scale back than it was to keep going? I'm still trying to figure that out, but make sure not to repeat my mistake.
5 replies (most recent on top)
Not depending on a company for self worth is good advice, regardless of the company
I too used to drink the KoolAid that this company feeds me. After working here a while, you finally see through all the BS behind the veil. Now, I only see it as a transaction. I come in, do what I was paid to do, and leave. Don't attach your identity to a company/brand that never cared about you and will get rid of you as soon as your name appears in that spreadsheet
I've been around long enough to see 2 sabbaticals and also used live, breath and dream the brand. I got rewarded with more work, toxic directors and not even allowed to compete fairly for career advancement opportunities. Once I divorced my identity from the brand, life got so much easier and less stressful. Just like the other poster, I would only put in extra effort if it serves me to make my life easier in the future. Promises for career growth are all fake. I've heard them from more than a dozen leaders over the years and not a single one of them kept their word. I no longer operate on promises.
I used to be like that for years and was rewarded from my hard work with being let go in April with the layoffs due to stupid leader(s) half a$$ plan.
Family, and your mental health, should always come first. Your career is a number on a spreadsheet, and will always be that way, until a major leadership change happens.
I use to be like that but now I pick and choose when or if it warrants working the weekends, long nights. Having a family has changed that perspective. I use to think working long hours would “ensure me being valuable” but really it just made me a su---r. People knew I’d get the task done and finish it ahead of time, I wore myself out so hard during Covid that my wife asked me if I as married to her or Nike. Made me realize Nike could easily throw me away tomorrow. So I choose the angle, “does this work change tomorrow?”, “if I put in the extra effort now will it make my life easier for the future?” Or “will I get some massive career advancement from putting this time in.”
I only prioritize the middle now, I realize the 1st and 3rd choose are typically false and I’m working on someone’s timeline in the project plan.