Take a cue from dogs; they know how to disconnect. Photo by Laura Stanley from Pexels.

Success. What does it mean?

I grew up in a blue collar home. Dad worked as a laborer at Bethlehem Steel, following in his father’s foot steps. Mom was a waitress, working in the executive dining room in an industrial building in south Buffalo.

Here’s what success meant to me as a child:

1. Working fewer hours. As few as possible. Dad perfected meeting his work quota before the end of his shift, enabling him to get an early quit. A decent boss made this possible.
2. Having job security, preferably in a nice office and with a pension at retirement. Typically, for my parents, the ideal was a government job, local or Federal.
3. Not losing a body part to a piece of poorly designed machinery, or being unknowingly exposed to radiation or toxic chemicals. (My Dad was likely among hundreds who handled ore contaminated with uranium during the ‘60s.)

Here’s what success is most definitely NOT to me now, unlike my younger coworkers raised in white collar homes:

4. Having my personal smartphone linked to my work Slack account.

5. Checking in to work while I’m on vacation.

6. Getting notifications about work after work hours.

7. Being an influencer and gaining 10,000 followers anywhere.