Work

My Wife Asked Me if It’s Worth Going Above and Beyond at Work

It’s not a yes or no answer.

As with almost every question of this type, the only correct answer is “It depends.” However, it is usually worth giving more than what is expected of us.

Why?

Because you actually work for yourself, not “for them.” If your workplace is the only one you won’t want to leave for the rest of your life, because it is everything you can only dream about at work, then why not give more of yourself?

“Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.” -Jim Rohn

If that’s not the case, you have to give more of yourself. Guess what you’ll take to your next job?

Not office supplies, not the team (although that sometimes happens), not the contacts within the organization that allowed you to get more than your colleagues. The only thing you will take with you is yourself: your skills, knowledge, and experience. And giving more than they expect is simply investing in yourself.

When I finally decided to do something with myself in 2012, one of the goals I set was to become a better database administrator, since it was the only job I was getting paid for.

In about two years, I passed three exams and obtained two certificates. I found time to study myself and paid for the exams myself. My employer didn’t expect this from me at all. And yes, he appreciated it (the president’s handshake), but he didn’t expect it. And yes, it was somewhat useful to me in my current job because until now, I had done most things “on my own,” and now I understood a little more.

But the certificates were most useful to me when I changed jobs. I got a new job and a 30% raise mainly because I had an Oracle certificate, and the new employer needed a person with such a certificate to participate in the tender. Even if only in terms of money, the investment in myself has paid off immensely. In the first two years of my new job, I earned over $17k.

It’s not about money

However, it’s not about money at all. It’s about who you become. This is the only true currency in life. Jim Rohn meant this when he told you to work harder on yourself. The more duties and responsibilities you have, the more problems you solve, and the better person you become. And by the way, your value in the market increases.

“Your income rarely exceeds your personal growth.” -Jim Rohn

When using this quote, Jim usually talked about accidents, when someone suddenly got rich, or when he was given a position he didn’t deserve and quickly found himself back at square one. People cannot cope with situations that are beyond them. Lottery winners often quickly squander their newfound fortune.

But it works the other way around. If your personal growth exceeds your income, your income will start chasing you. During the first four years of my transformation, I did incredibly hard work on myself. However, my income barely budged.

When I got this new job, I didn’t immediately start earning 30% more because I lost shifts and overtime from my previous job. However, I gained more time because my commute to work was shortened by an hour a day, and I didn’t have so much overtime. I could devote more time and attention to my books.

Since November 2016, my income has been making crazy jumps. Currently, I earn more than directors in corporations where I still work part-time (an international corporation employing over 200,000 people, if you are wondering).

Moreover, I work half their hours, and my level of responsibility and stress is significantly lower than those of the directors.

When is it not worth giving more?

When they expect too much from you, there are also employers who use employees like slaves, and as with slaves, in the end they ‘get rid of the carcass’. If your job is already negatively impacting your health or personal relationships, it’s a sign that it’s not worth giving more of yourself. They probably already expect too much from you.

Sometimes, it’s just a matter of meeting those expectations with the right compensation. I remember that at my first job, I worked like an ox. I even liked it for a while. It was a big world that I had never experienced before.

But eventually, the stress started eating away at me. I was practically constantly on the phone. And the money wasn’t that good at all. We lived from first to first.

When I changed jobs, the guy I replaced earned twice as much as I did. With such a salary, I could probably cope with the stress because I wouldn’t be stressed about whether it would be enough to cover any unexpected expenses, and we wouldn’t have to live as a family of four in 36 square meters.

To sum up.

It’s always worth giving more. For myself. Well, unless it’s not worth it, because the expectations are already inhumane.