At one point several years into my General Counsel role for an S&P 500 public company, I wrote three letters up on my whiteboard. They were to serve as my guideposts for the rest of my career.
The letters were these: F H W.
My boss came in one day and asked “What’re those?”
I told him they stood for Family, Health, and Work. I said that they represented my priorities in life, in that order.
He pondered my whiteboard and my statement for a few moments and said, “Those are nice goals … for your next job.”
Message clear. What got you here is what will keep you here. If you want an easy life, go get an easy job.\