Why Embracing a "So What" Attitude is Great For Your Career

We associate phrases like “so what” with a lack of passion and commitment. This type of attitude will get you nowhere, we’re told, because you have to care if you want to succeed in life.

But is that actually true?

In many situations, passion and commitment go hand-in-hand with high achievement. You can't become the best in your field without working tirelessly towards a goal and caring deeply about it.

But in some circumstances, our passion can work against us. This happens when we become so  determined to secure a particular outcome that we lose sight of everything else. We end up less healthy and happy than we should be, because we’ve allowed our perspective to become too narrow.

This type of passion is more of an obsession than anything else. You often see it in people who define themselves by what is happening (or what is not happening) in their careers. They started out by caring about their work, but now it owns them—and they’re not going to let go without a fight.

Knowing the risks, we should all probably ask ourselves from time to time, “do I care too much about my job?” And if the answer is ‘yes,’ the next question we should probably ask is, “if I adopted more of a “so what” attitude, would I be better off in the long run?”

The thesis of this article is that many people—maybe including you—would be better off being less engaged in their jobs. As strange as it may sound, being able to say “so what” when things don’t go according to plan can actually be a huge asset in your career, as long as you don’t take it to an extreme. Here's why.

You’ll Have More Realistic Expectations

When you over-identify with your job, it raises expectations and sets you up for a let down when those expectations prove unrealistic. Losing a client or failing to complete a project on time seem catastrophic when your self-worth is tied to your work. The "so what" approach is your reality check. It helps you see that nothing ever goes completely according to plan and bumps in the road are exactly that—bumps—and not a sign of your inadequacy.

Caring a Little Less is an Antidote to Anxiety

Caring too much about your job will generate anxiety, and lots of it. You’ll be sweating over every new project or assignment, afraid that anything less than outstanding results could put you out of running for a promotion, or worse, your job. Learning to detach and care a bit less is the obvious antidote to this kind of anxiety. The only person putting pressure on you is likely you—a “so what” attitude allows you to take a step back and realize that perfection isn’t necessary for success.

You'll Be Free to Love Your Job Again

When your passion for your career gets replaced by obsession, it can be hard to find the joy in your work. Where once you thought "I'd love to try this project," or "what would be a better way to do this?", now you find yourself saying things like "I have to finish this project" or "I need to find a better way." The joy of exploration and creativity gets lost in the need for success. A “so what” attitude gives you space to love your job again, just like you did when you first started out and the world seemed filled with possibility.

Your Self-esteem Will Get a Boost

When your job takes center stage in your search for purpose and meaning, any failure, disappointment or criticism, no matter how small, can be emotionally devastating. But when you stop worrying and learn to roll with the punches, you won’t be affected as much when bad news comes your way. Your self-esteem will improve as a result, and it will improve even more when you notice how often you follow up your losses with victories.

You'll Accept Criticism as Feedback for Growth

People who care too much about their careers tend to get defensive when exposed to less-than-glowing feedback. They view criticism as a personal attack and go into protection mode. In contrast, a person with a “so what” attitude can better separate criticism about their work performance from their self-worth as a person. They are much more likely to accept the good advice and use it to become better at what they do. The result? You keep moving forward, gaining new skills and getting noticed in all the right ways.

You'll Have the Confidence to Say ‘No’

Toxic bosses and co-workers have absolutely no qualms about taking advantage of people who are too invested in their jobs. If you don’t want to be worked into the ground, you need to establish your boundaries and say “no” when you’re expected to go beyond them. A “so what” attitude helps give you the strength to do just that—because if saying no means losing out on a chance to be treated badly, it’s not really much of a loss.

The Quality Of Your Work Will Go Up

It sounds like a contradiction, but it's true: when you’re less absorbed by your job, your performance will actually get better. That's because you'll be more likely to focus on what's actually important, rather than getting bogged down in the small details and obsessing over insignificant issues. You'll be less stressed, more in control of your reactions, and able to make better decisions as a result.

You'll Create a Healthier Work-life Balance

Caring a little bit less about work finally gives you the freedom to address your skewed priorities. You may decide to take up a new hobby, volunteer at an organization dear to your heart, or spend more time with friends and family. These activities will help you stay balanced and emerge from the process as a more well-rounded person, and a more joyful one as well.

Who knows? Saying "so what" every once in a while might just lead you to decide that you're not where you want to be, and that a different career might be a better fit. Or you might see that your future is with this company, and you're fully committed to see it through. Either way, you'll have the confidence and clarity of mind to make the best decision for yourself—not handed to you by your own obsession.