Do you feel pressured into moving up the ladder in your career? Or even if you have a typical day-to-day job, do you feel embarrassed for not moving up quickly? Do you even want to?
I was scrolling through Reddit today and saw a fascinating question. “Am I weird for not wanting to advance my career and being okay with where I’m at?“
This hit home for me. I’ve always felt pressured at work to “move up.” So much so that I have no qualms over quitting when it gets to that point. Why? Because I don’t want the stress associated with it. We are conditioned to want more. To never settle.
All I hear with that train of thought is, “Never be happy.” If you can find a job you don’t hate and pays your bills, why add stress to the mix just for a little more money?
I have worked 60+ hours a week at jobs and made good money. Would I do it again? Probably not. The extra money is only helpful if you have time to enjoy it. Sure, you can buy things with the money, but those “things” will quickly bore you and sit around collecting dust. Most people that do this are simply trying to keep up with the Jones’s. If you want to be happy, buy experiences with your money. Things will clutter your life.
My job
I currently work in a warehouse on weekends at night—the worse possible time to work for most people. I don’t like crowds, so I rarely go out on weekends and am also a night owl. So it works out great for me. And since it’s a less desirable shift, I make $2 more an hour than the other shifts. If I want to make extra money, I can come in during the week and make my same premium. It’s a win-win in my eyes.
I have felt some pressure to advance to management in the last year. But why take on the stress? I would work more hours and be forced to come in at different times. Be moved around from shift to shift all of the time. It just doesn’t sound appealing to me.
My job is labor intensive, and I enjoy it that way. I get all the exercise I need right there. I also am pretty good at what I do. Ergonomics are always forefront in my mind; I’m always trying to figure out the optimum way to perform a task with the fewest movements possible. This helps me outperform much younger people without killing myself. Other shift managers are constantly trying to recruit me to their shift. More hours, less money. Why would I do that? At the end of the day, I’m content with where I am.
Having a physically fast-paced job makes time fly by very quickly. That’s a big deal when you spend many hours doing whatever you do.
Although I would be OK with being a blogger full-time, I love doing this. Having a weekend job that pays the bills affords me the time to work on this website. Who would make your daily quotes if it weren’t for my schedule? lol
ChatGPT
I asked the AI ChatGPT this question. This was its response. AI is getting smarter every day.
Advancing in one’s career can bring many benefits such as increased income, professional development, and greater job satisfaction. However, whether it is necessary to advance in one’s career depends on the individual’s goals and aspirations. Some people may be content with their current position and do not feel the need to advance, while others may have career aspirations that require them to continuously seek out new opportunities.
For some people, career advancement may be necessary for financial stability, for others it may be more about personal and professional growth. It also depends on the company or organization you are working for, some have a flat structure, opportunities for growth may be limited, and for others, there may be more opportunities for growth and development.
In summary, it is not necessarily necessary for everyone to advance in their career, but for some people, it may be an important aspect of achieving their goals and aspirations.
ChatGPT
It’s okay to be content in your career
The AI is correct; if you find yourself in this situation, don’t give in. Your quality of life is more important than the company you work for. Stay put if you are happy, can pay your bills, and have a little left over each week. It’s okay to be satisfied; you don’t have to move up in your career to be successful constantly. Being happy IS success. Remember that.
