Name: The Good Enough Job
Rating: 4 (234 reviews)
Author: Simone Stolzoff

What’s in it for me? Find out why fulfillment beyond work matters.

In the 1930s, economist John Maynard Keynes thought that by 2030, we'd all be working 15 hours a week. That would leave heaps of time for leisure – the ultimate status symbol.

But where we once traded wealth for leisure, we now trade leisure for work. We’re punching in more hours than ever – Americans most of all. On average, Americans work three hours more per week than the notoriously overworked Japanese, six hours more than the French, and eight hours more than the Germans.

In short, we've switched from viewing work as a chore that supports our lives during our free time to a life-defining, must-find-meaning-in-it mission. Let’s call it by its real name: workism. But the thing is, work pays the bills. So how do we balance seeking meaningful work and not letting it swallow us whole?

Enter the “good enough job.” Inspired by the theory of “good enough parenting,” which counters the pressure to see small, inevitable hiccups in child-rearing as personal failures, it says that a job doesn't have to – and shouldn’t – be your entire world. All that leads to is burnout and mental health issues.

This Blink to Simone Stolzoff’s The Good Enough Job lays out four real-life epiphanies, from the Michelin-starred culinary scene to the big tech arena, that’ll help you reclaim your life from work and focus on what truly matters.

The recipe for burnout calls for misplaced self-worth

Indian-American chef Dhivya Singh knows a thing or two about burnout traps and self-worth.

As a culinary intern at The Restaurant, Dhivya saw potential in her responsibility to create innovative dairy-free dishes. Her talent led to tear-filled customer appreciation and a successful business proposal to the establishment’s head chef, Stephen Fischer. From here, Prameer was born: a line of dairy-free products co-owned by Divya and Fischer.

Under Fischer's mentorship, Divya quickly rose to recognition – even landing on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. But as the business scaled, things got tense. Investor debates, hiring squabbles, and a final dispute over a new product line led to Dhivya leaving Prameer’s operations.

But instead of buckling under Fischer’s negative response to her decision, Dhivya chose to take time off. She traveled to Thailand for six weeks, reconnected with her hobbies, and engaged in outdoor and cooking activities. This detour allowed her to manage her mental health.

When she returned to the culinary scene, Dhivya faced another shock: Fischer had diluted her 50 percent ownership in Prameer. A lengthy legal battle ensued – and when Dhivya got her shares back, she finally left Prameer behind for good.

Today, Dhivya happily lives in a cooperative household in Portland and runs a successful food company while also making time for other interests. Through her experience, she understands the value of setting boundaries, recognizing her worth, and maintaining a healthy balance between work and personal life.

So when the going gets tough, don’t be afraid to step back and reassess your priorities. If Dhivya hadn't decided to hit pause on her high-stress career, she might not be enjoying the fulfilling life she leads today.

Rise above workism with community

Work can be fulfilling but crushing – especially if you don’t have other community structures in place. Just ask social scientist Ryan Burge.

When Ryan got his hands on the General Social Survey's 2018 data, he knew he'd found something big. His area of interest? Trends in organized religion. Specifically, the “nones” – people with no religious affiliation – were increasing. Excited, he spent a day crunching the numbers and came up with an astonishing discovery: for the first time ever, the nones outnumbered Evangelicals and Catholics.

Workism starts young

In 1999, an ambitious high-school sophomore named Megan Greenwell took a bold step into journalism. Joining the student newspaper staff, she dove headfirst into an alarming investigation about modern-day slavery. This experience was her initiation into a successful career that would lead her to top-tier media outlets and make her the first female editor in chief of the popular sports blog Deadspin.

But as Megan’s career trajectory skyrocketed, so did her stress levels. Despite her impressive track record at major publications like GOOD, ESPN, and New York, the journalist found herself grappling with an escalating burnout. Less than a year after accepting the position of interim editor in chief at Wired, the burnout peaked, leading to her decision to step down.

Your company isn’t your family

Have you ever felt so at home with your colleagues that work feels like a second family? That's how it was for Taylor Moore at Kickstarter.

The startup thrived on its unique culture, prioritizing shared values over profit. Taylor and his colleagues bonded over the company’s mission to champion artists, which they cited as their shared purpose. The office was, above all, a cozy second home. Yet this coziness became a battleground when the company’s actions betrayed its ethos.

Key ideas in The Good Enough Job

About the Author

Simone Stolzoff is a seasoned writer and journalist with a passion for exploring the intersection of culture, work, and personal well-being. Her articles on topics ranging from work-life balance to organizational dynamics have been featured in prominent publications like the New York Times and Forbes.