I Blew Up My Corporate Career So You Don’t Have To

I blew up my corporate career so you don't have to.

Not in one dramatic resignation email.

Not in a single bad decision.

But slowly...quietly...and then all at once.

From the outside, it probably looked fine.

Senior roles. Creditability. Experience. A seat at the table.

Inside?

I was exhausted. Disconnected. Drinking more than I wanted to admit.

Grinding for titles that no longer meant anything to me.

This is not a "corporate is bad" story.

This is a self-betrayal story.

The Lie We're Sold About Success

We're told to:

• Work harder

• Say yes more

• Be grateful

• Push through

• Don't rock the boat

So we do.

We stay in rooms that drain us.

We silence our instincts.

We confuse stability with fulfilment.

And slowly, you stop recognising yourself.

I didn't listen when my body was tired.

I didn't listen when my creativity dried up.

I didn't listen when Sunday nights felt heavy.

I told myself it was just "a phase".

It wasn't.

How It Actually Blew Up

Burnout doesn't always look like collapse.

Sometimes it looks like:

• Losing motivation

• Becoming cynical

• Making uncharacteristic decisions

• Numbing out

• Checking out emotionally before you ever resign physically

I crossed lines I swore I wouldn't.

I stayed too long.

I ignored the cost.

Eventually, the system I built my identity on rejected me. Or maybe I rejected it.

Either way, the lesson was brutal and necessary.

What I wish I'd Known Earlier

Here's what I would tell my younger self and maybe you.

1. Your job is not your worth

   Titles change. Companies move on. You are still you.

   
   

2. Burnout is not a badge of honour

   If you're proud of being exhausted, something is off.

   
   

3. Drinking to cope is a signal, not a solution.

   If you need something to switch your brain off every night, your life needs adjusting. Not numbing.

   
   

4. Staying silent is still a decision

   And it has consequences.

5. You don't need to burn your life down to change direction

   You can pivot before implosion.

Why I'm Telling This Story Now

Because I see too many good people:

• Stuck in roles they've outgrown

• Afraid to start again

• Terrified of being seen as "ungrateful"

• Grinding themselves into the ground for a version of success they didn't choose

The Grind Lyfe isn't about hustling harder. It's about owning your choices, before they own you.

I didn't blow up my career to be reckless. I blew it up because pretending was costing me more than leaving ever could.

If You're Reading This and Feeling Uncomfortable

Good.

That discomfort is data.

You don't need to quit tomorrow.

You don't need to have it all figured out.

But you do need to listen.

Ask yourself:

• Am I building something, or just surviving it?

• Who am I becoming in this environment?

• What am I avoiding by staying busy?

Final Thought

This isn't a warning.

It's an invitation.

To pause.

To reassess.

To choose consciously.

Because blowing up your life isn't brave.

Changing course before it explodes is.

Own the grind. Don't let it own you.