Quiet Quitting… An Oxymoron?
The term quiet quitting has been being bantered around a lot lately. Apparently, it is a derivative of the Great Resignation, and is defined as an employee who puts no more effort into their job than absolutely necessary, basically it is about doing the bare minimum.
As an executive coach, I know I am supposed to attempt to understand and ask, “But why don’t you want to work and earn a living? Why wouldn’t you want to bring the best version of yourself to your work? Why do you believe it is okay to do the bare minimum?”
Honestly, I am not known for mincing words…that said, I am appalled by the idea that some folks believe this is acceptable. And by the way, this concept is impacting just a few folks…some surveys suggest it is 1 out of every 2 workers!
According to Gallup, a 2022 survey suggested that at least half of the U.S. workforce consists of Quiet Quitters, yes that is right…50%.
But if you choose to quit quietly, it is not going to give you the results you’re seeking, in fact…
The Outcome Will Not Be What You Think
There are laws that guide and govern our universe. I am not talking about the laws Congress or the government implement, I am talking about the immutable natural laws that govern this universe. Laws like, The Law of Gravity, The Law of Attraction, Relativity, Reciprocity, and specifically, the Law of Compensation.
It is the Law of Compensation that I wish to focus on here which basically can best be described as, “You reap what you sow!”
This is nothing new, it has been discussed ad nauseum for thousands of years in a variety of venues and even touching on religion.
Minimum In…Minimum Out
When you choose to put out the minimum anything; effort, money, time, energy, etc., what you will back in return is…
Wait for it… wait for it…yes, the absolute minimum.
It will not just be at work where you choose to quietly quit, it will impact every area of your life. The Universe, God, Greater Consciousness, Source, Universal Mind, what ever you choose to call it, does not differentiate the areas of your life, one area effects the whole.
Think of it in the context of being sick. If you are sick at work, you will be sick at home, or church or the movie theatre. The dis-ease permeates through every area of your life.
Eventually…Not Immediately
The paradox of Quiet Quitting, is that you think you will benefit by being sneaky, dishonest, or attempting to make something appear to be different than what it is, is that you will be manifesting the exact opposite results in your life.
Quiet quitting is analogous to driving a car and letting go of the steering wheel. You don’t crash immediately…you crash eventually. The problem is that your choice will impact so many more areas of your life than just work.
And… and that is a BIG AND… is that while you might be enticed to blame your boss, the company, your second grade teacher, or your parents for your unhappiness… the sole responsibility is 100% on you.
So What’s The Solution
The goal is not to beat yourself up, run away or hide under the covers The goal is to face your challenge head on!
Below are 5 ideas than can help you reverse the downward spiral that can sweep you into this destructive mindset of Quiet Quitting:
- Start by taking 100% responsibility for the results you’re getting in your life. It is no one else’s responsibility, problem, or dilemma, but yours. Just like in every 12-Step Program in the world, the first step is the only one you have to get right!
- Ask yourself, what is it that I really want. There are a lot of folks who don’t know what they want and so they go from job to job projecting their unhappiness on other. The reality of the situation is more likely that they are just not happy with themselves. One cause might be that they lack a sense of purpose or direction in their life. The Pandemic certainly exacerbated this issue as folks were driven into isolation and confusion.
- Remember that there is no such thing as a free lunch, regardless of what the media, reality TV, or the government tries to tell you. Every decision that you make comes with a cost. For example, more time at home or with your family, will probably cost you in some other area of your life. Just know that every decision or action has a cost or consequence.
- If you are unhappy with your job, it is might be a matter of fit. Most folks default to this this premise. However, more often it is a matter of shifting your paradigm or reframing the situation. A great place to start is to make a list of all of the things you are grateful for because you have a job. Especially when it is human nature to look at what is wrong or missing instead of what you have and what is right.
- Seek help from an outside source, a coach, a therapist, someone who can hold up a mirror for you to see the reality of your situation. Sometimes we get so stuck in our thinking because we live in our heads 24-7, we might not see the obvious solution in front of us.
Your Purpose: The True Path Out
Remember that deceiving, manipulating, giving a false impression about the facts, will eventually catch up to you. So, I highly recommend that you not do it. Not because it will eventually catch up to you, but because it isn’t who you truly are at the core of your being.
You were put on this earth for a purpose. You might not have figured it out quite yet, and that’s okay!
In order to start looking for it, start by looking inside of yourself! It is probably buried beneath a few layer of misguided or self-limiting beliefs.
I can promise you that you will never your purpose, outside of yourself! It cannot be found in a shopping mall or online, Amazon, or in binge watching the Kardashians. You won’t find it in a bar, a partner, or anywhere else other than within your being.
If you are looking for a guidebook, I highly suggest reading, Extra Results for Life: Discover Your Path to be UN-Ordinary. You can find it here!
Till Next Time… Be Well!
