Lately I see so many fresh grads and young adults in Singapore chionging like no tomorrow, thinking if they OT until 9 PM every night, boss will notice and promote them to high heaven. Let me drop some truth bomb on you all before you burn out for nothing.
Work so hard for what? Anytime also can get fired or replaced by some cheap talent from abroad. You think you are indispensable? The moment the company wants to cut costs or “restructure”, your name will be on the retrenchment list, thank you for your service, bye-bye.
And the worst part? Nobody remembers when you do a good job. You hit target, deliver projects on time, work through weekends—people take it for granted. The “glory” in work is all a facade to keep you running on the hamster wheel. But the moment you make ONE tiny mistake? Swee, congrats. You will be remembered for life. Suddenly during appraisal, that one mistake becomes the main highlighted topic.
That’s exact reason why I started doing the bare minimum at work. I do my job, finish what’s required during 9 to 6, and immediately close my laptop. No free OT, no taking on “extra visibility” projects for free.
Some people still got this naive dream that if you work hard, one day you will become CEO and earn big bucks. Let’s look at the math, guys. One company got 10,000 workers, CEO position only got ONE. And you’re not just competing with the 10,000 internal staff; you’re competing with the entire open job market filled with external hotshots applying for that same role. What makes you think it’s going to be you?
Let’s be realistic: your day job is just to help you survive and pay bills. It will NEVER make you rich. If you want true financial freedom or extra security, you need to build a side hustle, start a small side business, or learn how to invest properly. Put your extra energy into something that actually belongs to you, not a corporate machine that will replace you tomorrow without batting an eye.
Stop sacrificing your health and youth for a company that views you as just a line item on an Excel sheet. Work smart, cover your standard scope, and save your real effort for your own life and side income. Who else here already reached this stage of quiet quitting?