I work in an IT field for a F500 company. I've bounced around companies every 5-10 years my whole career, and always doing something a bit different. I first learned to code in 6800 assembly language, and now I know how to hire programmers.
Anyway two years ago I took a chance. We were coming up on that great fantasy called annual goal setting. The corporate mantra was certification. I wrote a lengthy email to my boss and their boss explaining that instead of getting another cert that I had no interest in, and would probably never use, that I would rather spend my time trying to share/mentor our gen z cohort in some of the skills like systems/critical thinking, and work on process improvement issues. Oh and I mentioned that is be retiring next year.
I've also made it pretty clear that I'm not interested in working 50-60 hour weeks any more, and unless something is actually broken, that's held. The funny part to me it's that I'm still one of the most productive members of the team.
So what have I learned?
Stay relevant and don't get complacent.
Work smarter, and go home.
Find a mentor.
Be a mentor.
Stay current and pay attention to trends.
Live below your means.
Take time to do something you are passionate about.
Your mileage may vary.
AMA.