Doing the bare minimum, what's the opposite of that? Maximum effort? Full commitment? Maybe.
I'm leaning more into thinking the real opposite is choosing, as in actively deciding that something matters enough to give it more than scraps.
More often than not, the temptation to do the bare minimum shares similar characteristics with the exhaustion that comes from not believing in what you're doing.
All tasks are like pushing a boulder uphill when you don't see the point. Your body's there, however mentally you've checked out three moments ago. Sound familiar?
I still think quiet quitting will evolve into something else entirely.
Right now, it's a symptom of people seemingly protecting their energy from work that doesn't reciprocate their investment.
But what happens when this same energy redirects? Say people move from this mentality of "How little can I do?" and start asking "What actually deserves my effort?"
That's when quiet quitting transforms from withdrawal into discernment as there's so many opportunities for people to try out their hand at giving their best work.
People aren't giving up on work itself but on pretending it matters when it doesn't, that has left a void where "purpose" used to be.
Self-Belief And Impostor Syndrome
Believing in something first comes through believing in yourself first. And that's where it gets a bit complicated presently.
You can't pour energy into your work when you're convinced you're faking your way through it. Impostor syndrome makes you doubt your right to have ambitions at all.
Is impostor syndrome more common than people realize?
It's practically universal, just wearing different disguises.
I've known of a creative who thinks their work isn't "real" art even after growing a loyal following on social media.
Impostor syndrome thrives in the gap between where you are and where you think you should be. And in that gap, doing the bare minimum feels way safer than trying and confirming your worst fears about yourself.
Work Isn't Working
There's a fundamental change of beliefs that has influenced how younger generations approach work and ambition.
We watched our parents sacrifice everything for companies that laid them off in a spreadsheet. We were told "follow your passion" and "work hard" in the same breath, but then graduated into economies where neither guaranteed stability.
As a small tangent, I think stability for the most part as we used to know it has left the chat, so to speak, but its presence still remains.
So we recalibrate or at least try to re-imagine what success looks like on our own terms.
Like all those common practices such as setting boundaries, prioritize well-being, seek work that aligns with our values etc.
But some of us overcorrected as we've built walls so high that nothing gets in, not even the things we'd actually want to fight for.
Realistic Belief
A moment of transition is usually present between changes, and it is where most of the doubt resides. Right now, we're in that uncomfortable middle between old promises that didn't pan out and new values we haven't fully figured out yet.
It's messy. You're supposed to set boundaries but also be passionate. Know your worth but also stay humble. Believe in yourself but also be realistic.
It isn't a new thing to mentioned belief is a deliberate act that's constructed step by step through intentional choices.
It begins with small, tangible commitments with each success reinforces that your effort has value, gradually shifting your perspective.
Over time, the bare minimum stops being a safe retreat and starts feeling like a compromise, because now it feels like settling for less than what you're capable of achieving.
You can start believing, first in your right to want something, then in your ability to pursue it, and finally in the thing itself.
The opposite of the bare minimum is simply waking up to a realization that your energy is worth investing in something that matters.
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