Never Bring Your Whole Self to Work

Grift Guru

May 17, 2024 — 1 min read

Be a ghost--just enough of yourself to do that tasks for a job done "good enough"

tldr; Keep your work life and personal life separate. What you give at the office shouldn't be everything you've got—save the best for where it truly counts.

Intro

Imagine every day as a pie chart. You've got a limited amount of energy and personal bandwidth. How much of that do you really want to hand over to your job?

Some Examples

The 41-Hour Trap: Say you clock in 41 hours for what should be a 40-hour week. That extra hour? It's a chunk of your life you're never getting back. It's not just time—it's a piece of your spirit. Work to live, don't live to work.
Office "Family": It's easy to confuse camaraderie at work with genuine friendships. Sure, be friendly, but remember these aren't your family or your ride-or-dies. The bonds you make over spreadsheets aren't the same as those made from shared personal histories. Keep a healthy boundary, so you don't find yourself oversharing or leaning too hard on relationships that are, at their core, transactional.
Compensation Calibration: Your job pays you for your time, not for your soul. Give them their money's worth in labor, nothing less but definitely nothing more. This isn't about slacking—it's about preserving your value for things that really matter: your passions, your family, and your personal growth.
The Illusion of Benevolence: Free snacks, a game room, the occasional retreat—companies sprinkle these perks to make the workplace feel like a "home." Don't buy into it. These are comfort traps, lures to keep you content without questioning the real cost: your time and energy. Enjoy them, but remember, this isn't your sanctuary.

By keeping your professional and personal selves distinct, you protect what's truly important and ensure you're not emotionally or physically bankrupt at the end of your career. After all, the best parts of you deserve the best parts of your life.

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