I spent much of my career as a manager and later worked in HR. Looking back, I realize Gen X was told some things about work that simply weren’t true.
And here’s the uncomfortable part:
Sometimes I was the one saying them.
I wasn’t intentionally misleading anyone. In fact, I believed most of these things myself.
Work hard and you’ll always have a job.
We’re a family.
People come before profits.
Climb the ladder and life gets better.
Work until 65, and then you can finally enjoy your life.
For a long time, those ideas were simply part of how I thought work was supposed to work.
The Year of the Leader
One experience changed my perspective.
I was a manager and the MC for a large company leadership conference. The theme was proudly displayed everywhere:
“The Year of the Leader.”
During the conference, several of us were quietly pulled into a private meeting. We were told that layoffs were coming and roughly 30% of our supervisors would lose their jobs.
I managed a team of 12 people who were conducting leadership training.
Eventually, 11 of the 12 were laid off.
Then I walked back onto the stage, smiled, and continued talking about the importance of leadership.
The Year of the Leader.
You can’t make this stuff up.
I Still Believe in Working Hard
That experience didn’t make me bitter about work.
I continued working hard. I continued trying to be a good leader. I continued pursuing opportunities and wanting the company I worked for to succeed.
What changed was my understanding of the relationship.
I still believe in WORK HARD.
What I stopped believing was:
AND YOU’LL ALWAYS HAVE A JOB HERE
Hard work matters. Loyalty matters. Being good at what you do matters.
But none of those things guarantees job security.
A company ultimately has a responsibility to make the decisions it believes are best for the business. And I eventually realized that I had a responsibility to make the decisions that were best for my life and my family.
The Success Trap
Gen X was also taught to climb the ladder.
Work hard. Get promoted. Become a manager. Make more money. That’s success.
And there’s nothing inherently wrong with any of that.
But the bigger paycheck can lead to the bigger house, nicer car, bigger lifestyle and bigger bills. Before long, you don’t just want the paycheck—you need it.
We used to call that the golden handcuffs.
I think of it as the Success Trap.
Career progression doesn’t automatically mean life progression.
Maybe There Is Another Way
The last assumption I eventually questioned was perhaps the biggest one:
Work until 65. Then enjoy your life.
I’m not suggesting everyone should retire early. And I’m certainly not suggesting that work is bad.
But why does enjoying life have to come last?
I eventually retired at 56, and one of the biggest lessons I took from my career was surprisingly simple:
Do your best at work. But take responsibility for your own future.
That’s what this video is about.
Are you ready? Let’s talk about it.
Hi, I’m David, and this is davidnprogress. I retired at 56, and we talk about three things here: achieving financial independence, retiring early, and choosing to live your best life now.
All from the perspective of a regular guy.
That’s me!