It's just a job

Puts food on your plate, yes, but is it everything about you? No!

Getting a job is necessary, it gives you a good life, helps you support your own and your family’s needs. But does it define you? No. You are much more than that.

The recent industry has taught us that no matter how much effort you put in or deliver, you are an employee, and it is the market and profitabilities that matter more.

The hustle never stops, you strive towards one goal and once that is achieved you aim to achieve something else. While it can help you checklist all the items on your bucket list, it can also severely burn you out.

While starting a career we all have a “dream job”. In an ideal world it is something that is supposed to give us a sense of fulfilment in all aspects, once you are in it, you realise that it does not come with the full platter of your expectations. Here’s an article by a friend who has beautifully put up how “dream companies” are overrated.

Moreover, we often forget that our personal lives, hobbies, and passions outside of work are what truly enrich us. The liberation comes when we realise that work, while a significant part of our lives, doesn't have to be the centre of our universe. This realisation allows us to reclaim our time and identity, focusing on what truly brings us joy and fulfilment outside of our job titles.

In this pursuit of balance, it's essential to redefine what success means to us. It's not always the next promotion, the bigger pay-check, or the recognition by our peers. Success can also mean having the time to enjoy a hobby, being present with our loved ones, or simply allowing ourselves the space to breathe and be.

Here are some tips that helped me in setting boundaries that protects my personal time, while being efficient at work:

• Make a list of tasks that you need to finish at work and form a timetable by when you want to finish those. Try to follow it as much as you can ( I understand that you always cannot do it, but try to set realistic deadlines for yourself and consider backlog)

• Spend the 5-9 spending time with your friends & family, working out, playing a sport, basically doing what you love.

• On the weekends take the much needed break , use it to reflect on the past week, and prepare for the coming.

Remember, the goal is not to demonise ambition or discourage striving for excellence in our careers. Instead, we are aiming to have an approach to life, where work is a part of who we are but not the entirety of our identity.

Let me know what you think about it in the comments below or shoot a DM @Haimantika