Why I Never Had the “Monday Blues” but Still Left My Job

For me,

a job has always been a place where I get paid to learn. That’s why I was generally happy going to work. In fact, throughout my 15+ years of corporate experience, I never suffered from “Monday blues.” Even when facing stressful projects, I never felt the urge to avoid going to work. However, because I placed such a high value on learning, a serious issue arose whenever I felt I had nothing left to learn at a company—I simply couldn’t stay any longer.

The Learning Curve in a Corporate Career

Most corporate jobs follow a similar pattern: after about 1.5 to 2 years, anyone can become proficient at their tasks. Fortunately, from my junior years to my managerial roles, my company always reassigned me to new challenges just before I got too comfortable. Whether it was launching a new department or tackling a major problem, I was always placed in situations where I had to quickly adapt and learn. This allowed me to gain diverse experience without frequently changing companies.

The Challenge of Learning as a Leader

However, as I moved into leadership roles, the opportunities for new learning experiences diminished. I reached a realization: at a certain level, companies don’t hire leaders to learn; they hire them to execute what they already know. This created a major disconnect for me.

If you had asked me earlier how long I planned to stay in the corporate world, I would have said, “as long as they keep paying me well.” But now, my answer has changed to, “as long as I have something to learn.” Of course, every job offers some form of learning, but if my rate of depletion exceeds my rate of learning, that signals an expiration date for my time in that role.

Avoiding the Career Burnout Trap

I’ve seen many professionals reach a high level in their organizations, only to find themselves in a situation where they are no longer growing. With no clear alternatives, they continue working while gradually exhausting their skills, sacrificing their time, energy, and personal lives—only to one day feel betrayed by the system and leave in frustration. This path often leads to an identity crisis because they were too absorbed in their corporate roles to explore other possibilities.

And let’s be honest—while salaries tend to peak in those final years, keeping professionals tied to their roles, it is often the ones who are already financially secure that can afford to go all-in on a corporate career without hesitation.

Why a Single Job Is No Longer Enough

In today’s world, can we truly secure our future by relying solely on a corporate job? The answer is increasingly leaning towards “no.” We live in a time where investment is a necessity, and side hustles are optional but highly recommended. If you don’t have a clear path to becoming a top executive with an eight-figure salary, putting all your eggs in one corporate basket is a risky move.

The harsh reality is that those who successfully climb the corporate ladder often already have their financial future secured, allowing them to take bigger career risks. If you’re not in that privileged position, building an investment portfolio or launching your own business—big or small—becomes a necessity, not a luxury.

Embracing AI and Entrepreneurship

Just as the digital revolution reshaped industries, the AI revolution is set to create an even greater divide between those who leverage it and those who don’t. That’s why I decided to take action before it’s too late. Last week, I officially launched my personal business project, aiming to test ideas in a real-world environment.

So far, I’ve taken the following steps:

• Identified key societal problems I want to solve

• Selected one idea and developed a business plan

• Created relevant digital channels

• Launched test advertisements to gather initial data

I’ll be diving into the details of my project in a future post. For now, I encourage anyone feeling stuck in their corporate career to start exploring alternative paths—whether it’s launching a side business, investing strategically, or leveraging AI to stay ahead of the curve. The future belongs to those who take action before change forces their hand.