That One Time I Tried to Quiet Quit and Got Promoted Instead
The Lesson :
“Sometimes the best way to stand out is to simply do your job well—and leave the hustle culture behind.”
It all started with an “innocent” burnout and a deep craving for just… not being productive.
I was in the middle of yet another weekly meeting—you know, the kind where you turn your camera off, nod occasionally, and make mental grocery lists while pretending to care about the “synergy” we were creating with the new spreadsheet.
I had recently heard the term “quiet quitting” bandied about in the office. People were talking about doing the bare minimum, only what’s necessary to avoid getting fired, but still collecting that sweet paycheck. They were mentally checked out, but physically still present.
And honestly, I thought… why not?
I deserved it.
I had been going above and beyond for months. I was over-delivering—doing more work than my title required, answering emails at 10 PM, and attending meetings that could’ve been an email. My soul needed a break. I wasn’t lazy—I was just burned out and wanted to focus on anything but work.
So, I decided to quiet quit.
The Quiet Quit Plan
- Step 1: Pretend to care, but don’t really care.
- Step 2: Do the work that’s absolutely necessary, but don’t go beyond.
- Step 3: Set clear boundaries with clients: “No, I won’t answer that email at midnight.”
It seemed foolproof.
The Unintended Twist
Two weeks into my brilliant plan, something strange started happening:
- My manager, Mark, suddenly began sending me more projects.
- The team started asking me to lead new initiatives.
- The emails I ignored began piling up, and then… my inbox started to get flooded with “Can you please manage this?” and “You’re the only one who can help with this!”
I wanted to stay in my self-imposed “meh” bubble. But somehow, I became the go-to person for everything. The irony wasn’t lost on me.
The Accidental Promotion
Then it happened. The dreaded meeting invite landed in my calendar.
Subject: “Promotion Discussion – Urgent”
My mind went blank. How did they even know I was quietly quitting?
Did they have spies? Were they tracking my Zoom attendance? Was my coffee cup secretly a performance tracker?
I walked into the meeting with a knot in my stomach, mentally preparing myself for a HR interrogation. But then, the conversation took a turn:
“Alex, we’ve been really impressed with your initiative over the past few months. Your ability to handle multiple projects and deliver results has made a huge impact. We think you’re ready for more responsibility, and we’d like to offer you a promotion to Senior Project Lead.”
The Internal Struggle
I froze.
Wait, hold on. Was I getting promoted for doing the bare minimum?
In my head, I shouted: “I wasn’t even trying! I was supposed to be quiet quitting!”
But out loud, I managed to stutter out:
“Wait, you want to promote me? But… I haven’t been doing any extra work, really.”
Mark chuckled.
“You’ve been doing what needed to be done without burning out. You know when to say no, and you consistently meet deadlines. That’s leadership, Alex.”
The Realization
And just like that, I was promoted to Senior Project Lead.
All for the crime of setting healthy boundaries and doing what was expected of me. Go figure.
The kicker? I didn’t even have to push myself to exhaustion to get recognized. It was my quiet quitting that inadvertently proved I could lead without sacrificing my mental health.
The Lesson (Shareable Quote):
“Sometimes the best way to stand out is to simply do your job well—and leave the hustle culture behind.”
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