It’s now been nearly 3 months since my last day at my last full-time job.
I’m back to the land of freelancing, of working whenever I want and wherever I want.
I know most good coffee shops in the Northern part of the city. And people working there know me by name. I’ve always wanted this to happen to me but never had the time to go out so much and build a real, productive habit out of working from local coffee places.
Now I’m doing it, and it’s wonderful!
My current reality revolves around freelance work, a new business I’m putting together, as well as going to jobs interviews (albeit mostly online) for a more rounded income.
Yet there is this one thing keeps popping in my head time and again.
I saw it first in this LinkedIn post and it was something in the lines of:
“Work is a subset of life, not a superset.”
I remember it being like a diagram, with work enveloping life on one side and vice-versa on the other… whatever.
After reading “Do Nothing” by the genius author Celeste Headlee, this quote deeply resonated with me, especially after seeing people, like former colleagues, bosses, friends and even family, working themselves closer and closer to an early grave.
Work Is NOT Your Life
Work is work.
It’s supposed to be fulfilling, enjoyable, and even magical at times.
It gives meaning to a slow day or week.
But not to your life.
It makes you feel productive, useful and excited for more.
When work feels like a burden, when it makes you clench your teeth at the mere thought of going into the office the next day, that’s a good enough of a sign to stop.
I’m writing this post in the prospect of people who’re into recruiting coming onto my LinkedIn page these days to, you know, sniff the goods.
I know you’re reading this, and I’m here to tell you something.
I can write, people, cut to the chase.
But also, my main message is, that regardless of how much I love your company’s culture and values, as well as salary, I’m not making the same mistakes again.
I’m not going to put in more effort than I’m supposed to.
I am not following my team leader, manager, or boss into going crazy over a meaningless task, for weeks on end.
I will never force my ideas onto a place that can’t deal with real creativity.
I’m not staying at the office, be it at your place or mine, a minute more than 5:00 PM.
And surely, I’m not going to extend my stay one day, no, one hour more than I’m welcomed.
You might think I’m trying to go against the flow, as most companies want people who’d go above and beyond for them.
But no.
Think about it.
Gain More By Doing Less
By imposing these simple, direct “rules”, I’m doing you and your company a favour.
Instead of draining myself day after day and burning my creativity and passion out in a month, I’m taking clear steps to ensure our collaboration not only lasts longer but is also as productive and fruitful as it can be.
For both me as you new marketing or content person, as well as for you, who gets to enjoy my calm, peaceful and extremely productive mind, if and when given the chance.
By not turning myself into a workaholic, by not drawing a W onto my chest and posing as Workman around the office, only to have the villain win in the end, I’m choosing to be 100% there for the brand without damaging it as a burned-out, passionless, always angry and unmotivated employee.
Companies need to be more realistic.
You may ask and impose long hours, demanding tasks, endless meetings and whatnot.
All while cutting pay because, well, the economy. And your many vacations last year.
In the end, as your best of the best leave, you are the only one suffering from the loss.
Those people? They’ve been through much worse when they could barely make ends meet one slow freelancing month.
If I had a dollar for every time that happened…
You, on the other hand?
One good employee out the door can make the difference between you still being around or going bankrupt in 12 months.
What are the main qualities of a great employee?
Realism, interest, boundaries, and respect.
Stop telling people working oneself to death is a superpower.
It is a sick way of looking at work.
One that can’t end but badly.
