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Antiwork

Career motivation fell off a cliff after 20s

Has anyone else been through this? I was a career nut from after I got my degree until about 31. I worked like a dog. I found my pay steadily increased but I was still not getting ahead much due to rising COL. From the outside the job looked very glamorous but I just spent almost every hour grinding and taking sh*t from bosses. And then something shifted just before covid hit. Part of it was being denied a small pay rise – the first I had ever asked for – when I was struggling financially and going above and beyond at work. Part of it was feeling burned out. Maybe. Regardless of the reason, I didn’t want any of it anymore. But now that’s the high stress line of work I’m in and I’ve realised it doesn’t make me happy, hasn’t made me wealthy and doesn’t align with me…


Has anyone else been through this? I was a career nut from after I got my degree until about 31. I worked like a dog. I found my pay steadily increased but I was still not getting ahead much due to rising COL. From the outside the job looked very glamorous but I just spent almost every hour grinding and taking sh*t from bosses.

And then something shifted just before covid hit. Part of it was being denied a small pay rise – the first I had ever asked for – when I was struggling financially and going above and beyond at work. Part of it was feeling burned out. Maybe. Regardless of the reason, I didn’t want any of it anymore. But now that’s the high stress line of work I’m in and I’ve realised it doesn’t make me happy, hasn’t made me wealthy and doesn’t align with me at all.

Now I’m trying to readjust my whole life but a bratty part of myself is angry and feels lied to. I did everything I was supposed to do – straight As all through school, top of class, further education, kept doing extra postgraduate studies while working, remained loyal to companies and jumped as high or higher than my bosses asked even at great expense to personal relationships and happiness. I won awards and spent hours listening to colleagues’ feelings and being patient and friendly. My wardrobe is almost entirely work clothes.

Stuck here thinking “now what”…

Anyone relate to this?

Sorry for the rant :/

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