Why do we struggle so much to have standards?

Like everyone on social media, my feed has been flooded with articles and posts about “quiet quitting”. After checking, I came to the understanding that it’s nothing more than employees doing what they are paid for. While they were used to accept calls after business hours, doing overtime on weekends or checking their emails during holidays, they are now sticking to the term of their work contracts: X hours, from Y to Z, Monday to Friday, with X amount of days off per year. They set boundaries and communicated their standards.

While I can’t help to smile that this concept deserved a specific expression, I am not surprised at the backlash and pushback that go with it. The work scene is slowly moving from a hussling culture where money is the centerpiece, to places considering personal growth, a sense of purpose and inclusion as key elements to their business. But employees are sick of waiting and, by showing that it’s not ok for them anymore, they hope for a faster and deeper change.

The result? Those who didn’t make the move take it as an offence to who they are: “Why are you not doing it anymore? You are not a good team player, I will have to work more because of you!”- while secretly hoping they had done it first. The management of companies who don’t benefit from it anymore play the “shame” card: “At my time, everybody was working 24/7 without any complain, proud that they could put food on the table at the end of the day! Nowadays, people are just interested in having fun and enjoying their life”. Sounds familiar? 😅

It works every.single.time someone tries to change something in their life. I can see it over and over again with my clients: they start behaving differently and, soon after, the environment is barking “How dare you? Come back to your place!”. And the temptation is big for them to be back to their old habit rather than fighting for what is best for them: they let themselves being outgrown by the number of people who think they are wrong. Sure, if they all think the same, they must be right, right…? 🙃

It takes guts and resilience to define, set and stick to your standards. You might end up being labelled as “selfish” more than once. But, at the end of the day, it’s the only way for you to protect yourself from toxic relationships-before you are able to build some supporting ones. And the result on your life balance will be worth all your efforts ❤️