I understand “quiet quitting.” I really do. Having been a law firm associate – literally in the last century 🙂 – I fully know the feeling of that real life is outside of work and that work is necessary to pay the bills but going above and beyond serves the employer and not you.
I remember a law firm partner – Sandy W. – not a bad guy when I reflect on it – who noted that I should bill as many hours as possible because that’s how I would get better at practicing law. He was right. But, of course, given that I was working 10 hour days (and add about 1.5 hours of commuting) plus working a bit on the weekends, I understood immediately that all I would be doing is making the firm more money at the expense of my personal life.
But…. I also was coming to the conclusion that I was leaving the practice of law and moving away from Washington, DC. If I were to stay at the large law firm, his logic made some sense – at least as career advice – because I would be getting better or at least looking better in the eyes of the partners.
It made no sense if I planned on moving to Connecticut and head into a different field. So…. while I didn’t quiet quit, I also did not go above and beyond.
More importantly, I made moves to head into a new field.
Here’s an article on Quiet Quitting