Redefining success: How have your career priorities shifted as you've grown older?

As I'm entering a new stage of life, I'm starting to reevaluate my career priorities. In my 20s, I was all about climbing the ladder and chasing prestige. Now, I'm more focused on finding work that aligns with my values and allows for a balanced lifestyle.

Have any of you gone through a similar shift? How did it change your career trajectory? And how do you define success for yourself now versus when you first started out?

6mo ago
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SnoozyQuokka
SnoozyQuokka

Man, this hits home. I used to be all about the fancy title and corner office. Pulled 80-hour weeks, missed family events, the whole rat race thing.

Then my dad got sick last year. Spent a lot of time in hospitals, thinking about what really matters. Realized I couldn't remember the last time I took a real vacation or had dinner with my kids without checking emails.

Ended up taking a step back at work. Less pay, but more flexibility. You know what? I don't miss the stress. Sure, the ego took a hit at first, but I'm actually enjoying work now. Plus, I'm finally learning my kids' friends' names!

Success for me now? It's about having time for the people I love and work that doesn't make me dread Mondays. Still figuring it out, but dekhte hain baaki :)

GigglyWalrus
GigglyWalrus

Beautiful

MagicalPenguin
MagicalPenguin
  • guess what, when you took the step back, the 80+ hr week office didnt miss you either. Unless it is your own startup, be at a place which pays decent and manages wlb.
ZippyPancake
ZippyPancake

totally get this. recently switched from a high-flying corporate job to teaching. the pay cut hurt, but bro the joy of actually making a difference? priceless. success now is measured in 'aha!' moments from my students, not zeros in my paycheck.

FuzzyMuffin
FuzzyMuffin

Ye toh bahut tagda paycut hoga, bhai

DancingJellybean
DancingJellybean

Not really man.. my friend use to draw 65lpa from aws cloud now shifted to teacher in physicwala drawing 2.5lakh per month so chlta hai

WigglyJellybean
WigglyJellybean

After working for almost a decade and losing my father to COVID, I've gained a profound perspective on life. I have no regrets because I spent a lot of time with my father. My only regret is that he was only 58 when he passed away. He dedicated his entire life to ensuring a better future for us and had just recently retired (in his company, the retirement age was 56-57). He was my hero, and that void will never be filled.

This experience has taught me the importance of being present and cherishing time with loved ones. Don’t compare yourself to others; live a modest life. Enjoy traveling because, at the end of your life, you won’t remember the hours spent at the office or the recognition received there. True recognition lies in the eyes of your family—the joy on your mother’s face when she sees you, the smile on your wife’s face when she hugs you, and the satisfaction in your heart as you watch your kids grow up and being there for them. You can earn anything but never the time spent with loved ones, creating cherished memories.

PeppySushi
PeppySushi

Very well said my friend

GigglyPotato
GigglyPotato

Abey yaar, pehle sochta tha success matlab Bandra mein flat aur business class flights. Ab? Success matlab office ke badhbu wale toilet mein 30 minute tak phone chala ke bhi kisi ko shak na ho.

Promotion ke sapne chhodo, lunch break mein beer peene ki ninja technique sikh li toh zindagi jeet li samjho!

DerpyQuokka
DerpyQuokka

Agree, we enter into this state of mind post working 13-14 hrs shift during our 20s and post 8-10 years we claim the need of retirement. But as we carry humongous responsibilities, we move towards a company where work-life balance can meet.

JazzyWalrus
JazzyWalrus

True. Retired by 35 to spend time with grand children.

PrancingNarwhal
PrancingNarwhal

@StraightFlush I'm a PM with 2 YOE and motivated about career growth along with FIRE. Really interested to know your trajectory if you're open sharing it

SquishyNoodle
SquishyNoodle

Wait what ...how do you have grandchildren by 35!! (Unless you mean 35 years of work experience and then retired)

FloatingPancake
FloatingPancake

Got into the unnecessary “salary kitna badega?” in my 20s. I wasn’t this out of college. I wanted to do some work to start somewhere. But very quickly realized I was underpaid and someone reporting to me was earning more than me.

Brought this up and then the rat race started. I used to love what I was doing, up until that point. I didn’t care about the time, the scope, the effort or the reward. All I cared about is the work itself and its impact.

This rewarded me - for a good 3 years. I got the hike, recognition, reward, promotion and what not. I was the “go to” guy who people approached for anything new. In parallel, I saw Tier 1 college folks who used to consult with me and few other folks get the same things.

This took me back a bit. At one point, I was building something small at 2AM to cut a redundant, manual operation that someone does twice a week and it just HIT. Why am I doing this and for what?

I had 4 unread Whatsapp messages from my very good friends, 6 notifs from Instagram where people sent me reels, multiple youtube videos on “watch later”, a fully loaded Netflix watchlist and here I am trying to automate something which nobody asked for because it will improve the “overall productivity”.

Nobody cares. I love coding & breaking down how products and business are built. But doing this overtime for a corporation for whom I am an employee ID was unnecessary. I cut down heavily.

I used to work 9-ish AM to 2-ish AM with multiple breaks in between. But I would always have at least 6-8 hours of productive work to show. I restricted this to a strict 10-7PM. Withdrawal is hard and the urge to do more kept kicking in.

I started talking to friends more. Started blocking Personal Time on my calendar and treated leisure as a routine. I started utilising my leaves. I had a LOT of leaves because I rarely took one. Took random weekdays off and just went out to chill.

At this point, I came down from working 2x to 1x. I lost most of the things I had in this journey. The Tier 1 folks were prioritised because management probably realized I would’ve been a single point of failure. Tier 1 folks still come to me, but I’m not available after 7PM 🙏

I might not earn enough, I might fall behind my peers. But I have good friends and I code because it’s fun!

I sit with my friends, talk about businesses and products and tech for hours on a wednesday and I’m healthy, have a shorter watch later list and I’m happy! 😃

SparklyBurrito
SparklyBurrito
EY6mo

I have a point to share. What is the position that you would like to see yourself as? Try to reach that position. Once you have reached your target position , serve and enjoy the position , take 2 steps back. I know someone who had served as director and a level below CEO and decided to go back as Senior Manager as his children were professionally settled. Hope I made sense 😃

SnoozyPenguin
SnoozyPenguin

That's the phase, when work from home is a must needed thing...😊🤗 Than hikes or promotions..🫣

SquishyQuokka
SquishyQuokka

I am facing a similar situation but. And I am willing to take a paycut for my future sake. But I am not getting the opportunity. And I really need to make a switch to be sustained for the future. Is it too late for me. I am scared for my future as the situation are not favourable

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