But I've done this before.
You know... when I was working, I told myself that I'd be fairly contented at a certain position, good enough pay just cruising along, what for chiong so much??
Right?
Anyone experienced this?
Then suddenly during appraisal, the boss tells me... ERSG, well done, now we want you to get promoted and take on this additional stuff.
And what do I say, "YES SIR, ANYTHING YOU WANT SIR!!!"
That's the standard response right?
I mean, who in the right mind would reject a promotion and more pay?
Not to mention, how would it sound to your boss if you say, "No thanks. I like my role."
Especially when the role isn't very high to begin with.
And yet, what's wrong with just saying what you want and accepting a slower paced role without more stress?
Everyone knows everyone wants different things right?
But yet, within the work environment, it's hard to accept that someone else will want a lower position.
Especially if you're a boss and your subordinates request for it.
Like if you are within your group of friends and you all talk about it, it may sound ok to each other.
And you may even be jealous of someone who is so daring to tell their boss that.
But yet, when it comes down to myself/ourselves, it's really hard to do that isn't it?
I know of 2 people who did this.
There was this guy who has been in his position for over 10 years. And his position is typically reached after 2 years, then after another 3-4 years, most people get promoted and move on.
But he's remained in this role for quite a long time and he has the experience and skills to move on, and yet he doesn't.
And I admire someone like him, cos, he knows what he wants, is willing to say it to his boss and his boss doesn't mind.
Maybe the boss likes having him around. Why not right? Having an experienced person hanging around without the need to train another, one less person fighting for a future position at a higher level, less competition...
So maybe bosses actually like staff who don't want to be promoted, and yet most of us just follow the current when bosses offer a promotion and accept the deal.
I know of another person, very high up in position, second in command in the department. The company offered her the top position cos the top guy was moving elsewhere. And she rejected it.
She knew what she wanted, the top role has a different set of responsibilities, different politics, different workload, she is high enough, she gets a lot of pay already...
This scenario... maybe would be easier to explain to bosses, cos she's already at a sufficiently high enough level so probably people won't judge her too much...
But think about someone who is relatively new, maybe 2 years into the job and doesn't want to be promoted. What would the boss think? This person is so unambitious... useless...
Or maybe that's what WE think that bosses would think? Maybe they really don't care... Or maybe only some bosses would care...
Remember, bosses are/were once like us as well. Young folks in the industry, then their bosses just loaded them with stuff and they naturally got promoted and took on more duties. Maybe they themselves wanted to have a relaxing life and just cruise along, just that they never dared to say it, just that everyone else.
So it ends up being a vicious cycle generation after generation.
Who knows right?
The thing is... there's really nothing wrong with cruising. Although so many people frown upon it.
Like... what's wrong right? Making an honest living, just doing the same thing over and over again for years, with similar workload, stress levels, etc.
Some people find their equilibrium early in life, *Congratulations*, others find it later in life...
Some people think it's necessary to chiong in the younger years and cool down only after the kids grow up, even though they themselves don't really like the process, but cos everyone else does it this way so they just go along with it.
Somehow, it's so important to sound busy, so important to sound important, so important to sound ambitious.
Why isn't it cool to have nothing better to do?
Why isn't it cool to just bum around?
The powers that be want people to work and keep working to keep the economy churning...
But yet, we don't really help ourselves.
How many people would be willing to accept 80% pay for 70% working hours?
Assuming that the working hours really decreased as the boss promised?
I'm pretty sure that most people won't be happy with the arrangement and won't take up the deal.
Most people just want more pay, and most people also won't know what do to do with the extra free time.
MOST people. I didn't say ALL people.
Auditors are famous for working crazy hours. Their true per hour rate is ridiculously low.
Try offering them lower pay, but higher true per hour rate, but regular working hours and see how many are willing to take up the deal.
So I think the problem with cruising along is two fold.
1) Society and the boss... somehow, it's just uncool to be cruising so we want to show the world that we are ambitious and want to strive for more.
2) Ourselves. Even when given the opportunity to cruise we also don't take it cos of point 1...
It's really strange how judgmental society is especially when it's non of their business what individuals do with their own lives. And yet again... what we do with our own lives might be taken as an "attack" on their own decisions that they have made for themselves. And if it doesn't conform with them then people may feel threatened that they have made an incorrect decision, so they try ways and means to discredit the other forms of living...
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