I remember when they asked Jerry Seinfeld why he would turn down $5m an episode and leave one of the top-rated shows in TV history. He said he wanted to go out on top, but he also said he wanted to have a life and that work had become too consuming. I couldn’t understand his decision at the time, but now I have come to respect it.
Too many individuals continue to work in the same job past their prime years. There comes a point for each of us when the value we are adding begins to diminish, and the time comes to reinvent ourselves, move on to something different, or focus on other priorities.
Life is meant to have many chapters. When you find yourself holding on for the mere fact of holding on, it is time to rethink why you are staying. Successful people must be passionate about their work and want to excel. This is why going through the motions (because you do not know what else to do, or don’t want to give up the money and security) will eventually catch up with you. People will notice you no longer bringing your “A Game” to the table. As a result, your transition ends up being worse than it needs to be. And, possibly not of your own choosing.
Change can be scary even for self-confident, accomplished people. It is much easier to cling to what you know than to risk uncertainty. However, when we resist change, we stop growing personally and professionally. We relinquish our capacity to actively shape the course of our lives, and instead, we become more susceptible to the whims of external circumstances. The world is constantly changing, whether we like it or not. You can’t move forward with any degree of success if you are always looking in your rearview mirror or unwilling to change direction.
I am not advocating change for the sake of change, as such an approach can be equally problematic. However, I encourage you to pay close attention to how you feel about your work and life. If you are not careful, good can become the enemy of greatness, and comfort can lead to complacency. Instead of always doing what is easy, convenient, or expected, push yourself to redefine what’s possible. If you feel yourself slipping or losing your edge, ask yourself why. Go back, reassess your definition of success, and see how you measure up against it.
In everyone’s life, there comes a time to walk away from “what is” to recreate and embrace “what’s next.” The most successful people I know are always much more focused on “why” they are doing something rather than just “what” they are doing. Once you scale the mountaintop, find another mountain to climb. Go out on top and move forward!
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