Every decade has its memorable alliterations. The 90s had __Best Buy__. __Jamba Juice__ came up in the 2000s. __Barry’s Bootcamp__ (and RadReads) were products of the 2010s. And the 2020s gave us __Quiet Quitting.__ Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it was impossible to make it through this week without a mainstream publication offering a “Hot Take” on _Quiet Quitting._ (Heck, my dad even forwarded me a [CNN article]() about it.) But alas. Not only were Boomers late to the discourse, Gen X and Millennials got caught flat-footed. _Quiet Quitting_ emerged as [a viral trend on TikTok]() weeks ago. With a head scratching proposal: > We’re just going to do the bare minimum of what our job requires. Nothing more. Nothing less. ## A rejection of hustle culture The irony of _Quiet Quitting_ is that people have been checked out of their jobs since the beginning of time. Heck, I was once a _Quiet Quitter_. And if we’re being honest, there are a lot of factors at play in this “movement.” First, the pandemic showed many knowledge workers that there was [a different way of working](). You were free to exercise in between meetings. Or to have lunch with your spouse. Or (god forbid) attend your child’s soccer game – guilt-free. _Quiet Quitters shed that guilt._ Then, there’s the anti-burnout movement. It’s one thing to constantly think about work. It’s another when your entire job can be handled from a piece of glass in your pocket. _Quiet Quitters found a way to end burnout._ And there’s the vexing question of [tying your identity to your achievement](). (Said more cheekily, _does your self-worth = your net worth?)_ _Quiet Quitters know that they are not their work._ Or do they? ## Quiet Quitting is a cheap tactic Every time a cultural phenomenon hits meme-like status, we’re presented with a wonderful opportunity for deeper inquiry. We can ask the powerful question, _What’s__really__ happening here?_ And if you’re disenchanted with your job or burnt-out to a post-pandemic crisp, _Quiet Quitting is missing the point_. “Should I go through the motions?” is a lazy, low-value, $10 Question. It might make you feel better in the moment. But it’s like taking sleeping pills to cure insomnia. It addresses the symptoms, but not the root cause. Instead, the _Quiet Quitting_ movement raises three much juicier questions. We call these needle-moving questions, [$10K Questions](). Here they are: 1. What are you expecting work to provide you? 2. Do you know how to set boundaries? 3. Where does your self-worth come from? ## 1\. What do you expect work to provide for you? _Quiet Quitting_ assumes that work’s sole purpose is to provide a paycheck. It’s like having _a one night stand_ with Financial Security. And there’s NOTHING wrong with that. But a lot of professionals expect work to provide a lot more. In my post, [does the perfect job exist](), I argued that a job acts as a “container” for the following human needs: * Identity and status * Flexibility * Craftsmanship * Impact and meaning * Learning * Socialization So the first $10K Question is, ___“Which of these matter to me?”___ _Quiet Quitters_ – by definition – know that that they can get the ones that matter __outside of work.__ But is that really so? ## 2\. Do you know how to set boundaries? I’m a people-pleaser. I have [a hard time saying no](). This leads me to take on too many commitments and meetings. This people-pleasing tendency [leads to resentment ]()and [then burnout](). One thing’s for damn sure, _Quiet Quitters_ have figured out how to set boundaries. In fact, it’s crystal clear for them: __If it involves going the extra mile – I’m out!__ (And as a people-pleaser, _kudos to you!)_ If you hate your boss, job and company, then you shouldn’t go the extra mile. But here’s another $10K Question: > What IS WORTH going the extra mile for? Because everyone – even _Quiet Quitters_ – know that there are plenty of things in life worth __going extra__ on. It could be relationships. Creativity. Impact. Truth. _Quiet Quitters_ set the boundary. But that doesn’t guarantee that they’ll find what’s worth throwing themselves wholeheartedly into. ## 3\. Who am I, without achievement? This $10K Question is a gut-punch. As someone who grew up as an _insecure-teen-dying-to-be-seen_ , I’ve used achievement (or “success” and “status”) to make me feel good about myself. (I’ve also used achievement to stave off my [existential angst]() and [fear of death](). But we’ll put a pin int that one for a later date.) My rational brain knows that I am much more than my achievements. Yet my heart, even at age 43, remains unsure. A gracious interpretation of _Quiet Quitting_ is that the TikTokers have figured this one out. If so, then I’m next on line to (quietly) tender my resignation. ## You may enjoy * [How to set goals (you’ll actually hit)]() * [You’re not rich, if you’re constantly doing this]() * [Do your friends’ wins make you jealous?]()