We are taught to always want more, strive for bigger things, and keep climbing the rungs of our professional latter. But, if we step back for a moment and consider how our career affects the other arenas of our lives, we may learn that getting that promotion or higher status isn’t always entirely a good thing.
When you get promoted at work, that instantly comes with more hours. You don’t get to leave right at five, because you made dinner plans with a friend. There was an understanding, when you took this promotion, that you’d do the work until the work was done not until the rest of the office leaves. You stay after that.
When someone gets a promotion, we may immediately envy her, but perhaps we shouldn’t. By all means, career success is a good thing but what success is means different things to different people. For some, a good work life balance means a successful life.
For some, getting to operate in a way that perpetuates their own politics and beliefs is critical. For some, it’s all about the money though it probably shouldn’t be). A promotion may not trigger these improvements. It all depends on your situation but if you are just going for a promotion because you think you’re supposed to, step back.
