I think this is about jobs and work specifically, because being nice, working hard and taking a lot on is the best strategy in general life for sure. Out side of work for sure.
At work being nice is still important, but it’s also very important to be honest. Working smart is important and working for the long run. It’s important not to burn yourself at work, but working hard enough that you can be proud of your work and not be bored, because that can be a killer too.
Lastly, being automatically rewarded for anything is a disappointment in both general life and work. You have to always ask for what you want. I had a lot of difficulty with that for my whole life and being in my forties ive gotten only marginally better at this. But at least I get the fact that people aren’t mind readers and it’s not fair to expect them to notice everything you do and want.
I think it’s the “automatically rewarded” part that’s the key flaw in the OP.
I recently retired after working for 40 years at the same company. My general approach (to life, not just work) is similar to the post, but with some tweaks. I would phrase it more like:
Be empathetic, and treat everyone with respect.
Work hard and be willing to volunteer for the tasks that nobody wants, but don’t give so much of yourself away that you’ll resent it.
Strive for fairness in your handling of situations, but never expect life to be fair because it isn’t.
I had a very satisfying career. I went as high up in a leadership chain as I wanted to go, and had really enjoyable relationships with folks at all levels. But that last bit is very important: life just isn’t fair. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive for fairness though.
I think this is about jobs and work specifically, because being nice, working hard and taking a lot on is the best strategy in general life for sure. Out side of work for sure.
At work being nice is still important, but it’s also very important to be honest. Working smart is important and working for the long run. It’s important not to burn yourself at work, but working hard enough that you can be proud of your work and not be bored, because that can be a killer too.
Lastly, being automatically rewarded for anything is a disappointment in both general life and work. You have to always ask for what you want. I had a lot of difficulty with that for my whole life and being in my forties ive gotten only marginally better at this. But at least I get the fact that people aren’t mind readers and it’s not fair to expect them to notice everything you do and want.
I think it’s the “automatically rewarded” part that’s the key flaw in the OP.
I recently retired after working for 40 years at the same company. My general approach (to life, not just work) is similar to the post, but with some tweaks. I would phrase it more like:
I had a very satisfying career. I went as high up in a leadership chain as I wanted to go, and had really enjoyable relationships with folks at all levels. But that last bit is very important: life just isn’t fair. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive for fairness though.