We work hard. Recover. And do it all again. Over and over. But where are the rewards?
Often in our work the rewards and few and far between. Even worse irregular and unpredictable. Hard work is constant but does not equal constant pay off.
And is that sustainable?
There’s more to doing rewarding work than a fat paycheck or benefits. And when the other rewards aren’t there the tenuous relationship between pay and tenure becomes even more so. There’s nothing to really keep you from leaving.
One reward I can think of that makes a big difference is working with an amazing team. Being surrounded by intelligent people with thoughtful ideas. By humor. And by people who are willing to go beyond just doing their job to lift up those around them.
When you’re going through a period where it feels like the rewards aren’t there try to focus on what is. Collaboration. Laughter. Alley-oops. You might not directly get the win but when you can help a teammate get one it’s a good buffer to the in betweens.
