The issue with longing for independence after considering a 'life without career advancement'
Hello, this is Ponzu.
My semi-annual performance review is over. While discussing my goals for the next six months, I was thinking about something else in the back of my mind the whole time.
About my future. How I will work and live from here on out. For some reason, reviews always trigger that kind of mindset.
People often say, 'Management is a punishment game' or 'Career advancement doesn't offer rewards commensurate with the responsibilities.' I feel like that sentiment is growing stronger every year.
But is that really the case...?
To be clear, I was originally the type of person who wanted to advance. I want to increase my compensation, which is why I took the risk to change jobs even in my mid-40s.
So, honestly, I had some free time, and I decided to try thinking about the opposite way of living. What is a life without career advancement? It's not about which one is right.
My daughter will graduate from college in 18 years
First, regarding money, as a father, I cannot avoid this topic.
My youngest daughter will graduate from college in 18 years. By then, I will be in my mid-60s, having reached retirement age and working hard in a re-employment role.
When I really thought about it, I was horrified. The age I thought of as 'old age' was still part of the extension of raising children.
If I rely only on my company salary, even a decent standard of living becomes questionable. It is unreasonable to dump everything on my future self in 18 years under the current salary structure.
That is why I need to challenge myself with a side job and build a pillar of income that does not depend solely on the company. I am continuing this note thinking of it as sowing seeds for that future.
I want to live as a professional in my work stance
My mainstream has always been project management. From now on, I want to expand that to include Scrum Master roles and master them more deeply.
Connecting people and moving projects forward. This type of work probably won't disappear anytime soon. It is also an area that AI still struggles with. For now, at least.
They say that as you get older, taking on new challenges becomes a burden. That is why I am consciously going after them myself.
Rather than staying in a management chair, I want to be a professional who can work in the field. In short, I want to live as a professional. Right now, I have absolutely no intention of choosing 'quiet quitting'.
If you don't choose career advancement, you can have more free time
If you aim to be a professional, you need to secure a significant amount of time. Because skill improvement requires a corresponding amount of time.
I think this is one of the few advantages of choosing a life without climbing the corporate ladder. Since you aren't managing organizations or people, it seems like you'd have more flexibility.
When you're in a management position, much of your time disappears into 'helping others.' Consulting with subordinates, coordinating with superiors, and setting up meetings. These are all important tasks, but they are also hours where your own skills don't improve by even a millimeter.
If you live as a specialist, you can invest that time entirely in yourself. Learning new frameworks, getting certifications, or trying things out hands-on. Stepping down from the management chair might just be a way to reclaim lost man-hours.
Of course, just because you have that extra space doesn't mean you'll actually use it well. I'll touch on that later.
I know it's impossible even as I long for it
After lining them up one by one like this, I've reached something like a conclusion.
Financial independence
Establishing expertise
Freedom of time
When you connect all of these, a lifestyle like independence or freelancing comes into view.
I was supposed to be thinking about a life without climbing the corporate ladder, but before I knew it, I was longing for a different way to climb. In my head, I can even picture myself working at my own pace on a weekday afternoon.
But here, my calm self shakes its head.
I've tried working in a freelance-style way twice in the past. Both times, it ended because 'I couldn't make it on one income.' A man who once answered a client's call with a sleepy voice and made them flustered by getting the visit date wrong is now longing for independence. It's laughable.
When I wrote earlier that 'having extra space doesn't mean you'll use it well,' this is what I meant. Back when I had flexibility, I ruined my daily rhythm and overslept. Freedom was a privilege granted only to those who can discipline themselves.
Even though I know it in my head, I still long for it.
I thought I was considering my future during the interview, but the answer was outside of that, and what's more, my weaknesses were waiting for me out there too.Caught between longing and resignation, I'm going in circles again today.
Well, since I'm this kind of person, I guess I have no choice but to aim for a promotion. Myself, that is...
Well then, I'll be heading out first.
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