Rachel Feintzeig’s Post

Call it the curse of the silver medalist. We're so close to nabbing that promotion or new job, big business deal or award. But in the end, the win goes to someone else. "I just almost made it," executive coach Brad Stulberg says we think. “You start to wonder, well, am I ever going to make it?” Coming in second doesn't feel great. It also doesn't have to be the end of the story. My column this week is about how to move forward, in your mindset and your career. After all, the next opportunity could be even better than the thing you failed to win first. Click through for loads of advice and tell me, how have you bounced back after just missing at work? https://lnkd.in/eRzmebWq

Are you being too cynical about work? I've been wanting to tackle the topic of cynicism at work for ages, and a new book from Jamil Zaki, a psychologist at Stanford, gave me occasion to finally dig in. If you find yourself rolling your eyes at company events, loathe to trust your colleagues, snarking on the sidelines - or if you've just noticed everyone else doing the same - this is a column for you. I trace how we got here, how to fix it and my biggest question: is fighting our cynical sides going to make us too soft? After all, much about our collective negativity makes sense. Many workers made work their church, only to end up laid off, burned out or underpaid. But Zaki says cynicism is a self-fulfilling prophecy that hurts our mental and physical health. Click through for more, and chime in with your own take on cynicism - what it looks like for you, how you've beaten or embraced it - below. I'd love to hear. https://lnkd.in/etKk7_ib

Do you dream of shrinking your job, to make more room for your life? The number of people opting to work part time has reached new highs. So many of us want more time for family, hobbies or side gigs. Some would take a pay cut for the privilege. First, we have to get up the courage to ask. My column this week is all about how to have the part-time conversation with your boss. My interviews for this one surprised me. Kathryn Valentine told me you might not have to slash your pay as much as your think. Other workers shared stories of asks that were trickier and more nuanced than I expected. I came away still believing in the power of asking. https://lnkd.in/e3zxurjz

Yes, everyone else is shopping while working from home too. As soon as I saw this data from Nick Bloom and colleagues, I knew I had to write about it. Turns out, we're spending billions online - toggling from the Zoom meeting to Target.com, keeping ourselves entertained during an All Hands call. "It's a little bit of fun during the day," one worker told me. I was most interested in what online shopping gives us, and how it makes us feel - especially when it's sandwiched between the stress and monotony of our workdays. Click through for more from economic researchers, psychologists and, of course, shoppers. And tell me, what do your breaks look like when you work from home? https://lnkd.in/e3T7Jq7Z

Enabled by tech, we can’t seem to let things go. Is that such a bad thing? We keep our Zillow alerts going long after buying a house, or refresh the Stubhub app despite having our concert tickets in hand. We get sucked into Facebook's curated photo memories. Some of it is a desire to savor our own good calls - delighting in the knowledge that we got the best deal or won some imaginary competition. Other times, we're driven by a tendency to revel in the past, reliving our best days. My column this week is all about looking backwards, via our phones, and the sometimes unhealthy tendencies that make us all human. Click through for tips on how to use technology for good and tell me: how do you avoid online comparisons, and keep your tech usage positive? https://lnkd.in/ewmCynwj

You're busy. But are you getting real work done? Cal Newport suspects not. In his new book, "Slow Productivity," the Georgetown professor and author makes the case for ditching all that frenetic busyness - the back-to-back meetings, the emails, the productivity theater. Instead, he says we should focus on doing fewer things better, and injecting a strategic dose of quiet quitting into our work lives. Is it possible? Cal and I talked through the potential risks, what to say to your boss and why doing real work matters more than ever these days. The conversation changed how I think about work, and I hope it will do the same for you. Click through to read, and tell me what you make of this new approach. https://lnkd.in/eRkUjxED

Ever have that "only as good as your last win" feeling? It's hard not to. We swipe and click, seeing everyone else’s wins at lightening speed. We face pressure at work. Our successes can feel great in the moment, but then the comedown hits. We wonder: am I going to be able to pull it off again? My column this week is all about how to ride the roller coaster of work, sustaining your creativity and sense of self no matter what praise or wins you're racking up in the moment -- or not. (I wish someone had explained to me earlier in my career that the lows are just part of the deal -- and also, not *that* big of a deal.) Click through for advice and stories and tell me: how do you block out the noise and enjoy the ride that is having a career? https://lnkd.in/eWNWp4bf

What would you do with four months off work? I had some ideas. I'd travel to an exotic destination, run a marathon. At the very least I'd finally learn how to poach an egg. As the weeks of my sabbatical ticked by, I was surprised to find the time wasn't what I imagined at all. Instead of bringing an escape from my old life, or the desire to carve out a brand new one, it was a chance to remember the person I was. I delighted in my children. I grew backwards, remembering old hobbies. My relationship with time, and what matters, changed. All of this is to say, hi! I'm back. And my first column is about my time away. The full story - words and pictures - is at the link below. Give it a read, and tell me: what would you do with four months off work? I'd love to hear. https://lnkd.in/ev9nZRnB

Some personal news from me: after years of writing about work-life balance, I'm finally taking my own advice:) Today's column is my send-off to a short sabbatical. I'm excited to recharge my creativity, enjoy some unhurried time with family and report back on everything I learn. I'll return in the early spring -- until then, wishing you and yours a wonderful end of the year and start to 2024. https://lnkd.in/efhDP8hD