What are you sacrificing in the rat race?
5 ways to escape the trap
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I struggled with work/life balance throughout my career because the world has a clever, two-part trap for us.
Part One – Our own goals and ambitions.
I wanted to be successful, get more pay, and be a part of bigger decisions.
If you follow me, I bet you are the same.
You want to “be the best” and have a great career.
Part Two – Corporate pressure.
Companies have a simple goal of making profits for shareholders.
This is most easily done by getting more work from the same people.
The Trap:
The two parts destroy work/life balance because our desire to do good work, earn a living, and find meaning is manipulated by corporate systems designed to maximize profits.
I am considering teaching a live online course on Work / Life Balance and would appreciate your feedback on what would make it worthwhile for you. If you have 5 minutes, here is a short survey:
How corporations do it:
Most companies give bigger raises to “better” performers. What is better? Usually, more work. Sometimes you can be “better” by being smarter or more efficient, but over time even the best of us usually work harder.
Competition. Since raises and promotions are limited, someone is always willing to put in long hours to come out ahead. This is “the prisoner’s dilemma” – if only one person works harder, they will get a lot of advantages for only a little extra work. But, when we all strive to be first it becomes a maximum-effort race with no winners.
"Doer vs Relationship Builder"
Do not fall into the trap of “just doing more work.”
1 more hour of doing out of 60 hours will not make a difference compared to how much relationship you can build in 1 hour a week.
"You've made yourself a doer, someone reliable I can give work to...but not someone I have a relationship with. Therefore, you are a tool."
Realize the law of diminishing returns and know that there is always more to do.
Watch this highlight clip of Ethan live executive coaching a client (Director of PM in FAANG) from a Level Up paid member-only event.
5 Ways to Escape the Trap:
Set limits. Recognize the trap and decide what you will and will not give to your work. This may mean accepting career tradeoffs, unless you set limits, your body will do it over time. It is better to make the choices yourself.