[Notes] Is growth truly good and necessary?

For several years after changing jobs to the consulting industry, I was in an environment where I was strongly required to 'grow' every day. The hurdles required for each project rose, and I certainly felt that by tackling difficult cases, I was honing myself and broadening my perspective.

However, I sometimes wonder.

'Is there no path for a working adult other than to keep growing?'

Is there only one path, the path of growth?

Seven years have passed since I entered the workforce, and I have moved from a sales planning position at Toyota to a consultant, and have been promoted steadily from consultant to senior consultant, and then to manager.

In the consulting industry, there is a deep-rooted perception of 'UP or OUT,' meaning that if you do not keep growing, you will have no place to stay. Many people personally dislike staying in the same position for a long time. Therefore, there is something close to a compulsion that 'if you don't grow today more than yesterday, and tomorrow more than today, you won't survive.'

But recently, I have begun to think that a life based solely on 'growth' will eventually reach its limit. This is because growth does not continue to rise to the right forever.

The trigger for knowing the limits of 'growth'

This thought crossed my mind when my direct supervisor suffered a mental health breakdown and took a leave of absence. He had achieved outstanding results within the company and appeared to be on a clearly successful career path. But suddenly, he reached his limit.

Another senior colleague said he would 'quit the company' at the timing of moving from manager to senior manager. I remember him saying with a bitter smile, 'I don't know what to aim for anymore,' and 'I can't find meaning in what I'm doing.'

Both cases are people who have proceeded smoothly along the 'growth route' presented by society. Even so, 'growth' alone was likely insufficient to obtain a sense of happiness.

Why is there only a 'growth' route for working adults?

Since leaving school and getting a job, the goals that companies and society present to us have been consistent.

• Get promoted

• Increase salary

• Develop skills

These goals are simple and easy to understand. Therefore, before I knew it, I was afraid of getting off the track of 'growth.' Especially since I started working in corporate planning, I have come to feel a sense of discomfort as I realized that by being involved in the design of systems such as 'performance evaluation' and 'promotion criteria,' I am actually the one reinforcing that 'pressure for growth.'

Where is the 'other path' to replace growth?

When I pursue this question, I cannot find an answer immediately. While I myself feel doubts about aiming only for the improvement of salary and status, in reality, I tended to blur that doubt with the salary deposited every month. There is also the realistic problem that 'it is scary to lower my standard of living.'

On the other hand, I am also afraid that my own limit might be coming soon. Even if I continue to pursue growth and build my career, eventually a ceiling will come somewhere. At that time, if I cannot find value other than 'the next promotion' or 'the next pay raise,' I may be struck by a sudden sense of emptiness.

I want to look for "other kinds of happiness"

The other day, when I read several novels unrelated to work for the first time in a while, I realized, "Ah, I haven't taken time like this at all lately." I had read books on my days off, but that was "reading to increase knowledge" or "reading for growth." The habit of "reading just for the sake of enjoyment" had faded away before I knew it.

Once you become a working adult, you tend to view your hobbies from the perspective of "does this lead to growth?" For example, I like strength training, but I realized that I have turned it into a goal-oriented activity, like "maintaining health" or "improving concentration," and have moved away from "doing it just because it's fun."

Recently, I have been consciously trying to have "hobbies that do not lead to growth."

• Just going for a walk

• Listening to music aimlessly

• Just reading manga I used to like

At first glance, these seem unproductive and useless. However, I feel that it is within that time that there is a "joy different from growth."

To those who are struggling with the same thing

If you are currently struggling because you feel that "growth" is the only path, I want to tell you that I am standing at the same crossroads.

I don't have a clear answer to this question myself. But I feel that there is meaning in stopping here and wondering, "Is this really okay?" I think that taking the time to let go of the axis of growth and look for other values might become a major turning point in the future.

Afterword

Thank you for reading until the end.

This was a slightly sentimental theme, but I would be happy if those who have similar worries could feel, even a little, that "I'm not the only one." If you have found different values, please let me know.

Next time, I hope to write about work-related topics again!
See you next time!