What are the signs you might be career sprinting?

Signs include feeling pressure to keep climbing (manager to partner to VP) even when it doesn't feel aligned, fearing you'll become irrelevant if you step back to care for yourself or others, and letting your job become the primary way you define your identity.

What's the difference between healthy ambition and being addicted to advancement?

According to Ramani, healthy ambition is about continually developing your skills and values, like communication, leadership, and clarity of goals. Being addicted to advancement looks like fixating on your next title, comparing your compensation to others instead of your own needs, and taking roles you don't believe in just to move up faster.

What is "productive stillness," and how can it help your career?

Productive stillness is intentionally stepping away from the traditional career climb to nurture another part of yourself. Ramani shares an example in her book of a leader who took a year-long sabbatical for wildlife conservation work and returned with a fresh perspective that ultimately led to a major promotion.

Should career planning be strategic or driven by curiosity?

Ramani argues that in the age of AI, curiosity matters more than ever, since traditional career ladders are becoming less predictable. Following genuine interests, paired with a willingness to build new skills, can be a more sustainable long-term strategy than rigid climbing.

What Is Career Sprinting? Signs and How to Stop

Q: What is career sprinting?

Career sprinting is a term coined by author and career expert Kamini Ramani to describe the habit of constantly chasing the next promotion, title, or opportunity without pausing to consider whether it's actually the right direction for you. It treats a decades-long career like a series of short sprints rather than a long-term journey.

Girlboss Wellness Wednesday in collaboration with ResortPass.

Lara here, Girlboss’ contributing writer. 👋

You know that age-old adage “slow and steady wins the race”? 🐢 Turns out it applies to our careers too, and there’s a pesky name for that constant pressure we feel to keep moving up the ladder: career sprinting. 🏃‍♀️

Even though it feels like we’re getting ahead in the moment, we’re actually doing ourselves a disservice by chasing short-term wins instead of long-term gains.

That’s why today, we’re chatting with career expert and author Kamini Ramani to get the DL on how to slow the F down. 🧘‍♀️

Other stuff the Girlboss team is yapping about on Slack:

Ouhh, these are the top 100 companies for hybrid jobs this year.
The official Girlboss fall bucket list is here! 🍂
A massage on your lunch break? Yes, please! ResortPass unlocks spa, sauna, and pool access at 3,000+ hotels for as little as $25—no overnight stay required. Plus, Girlboss readers get $30 off their first order of $150+.*

💼 Job of the day: Are you the ultimate Snoopy lover who just so happens to have legal experience? Boy, do we have the job for you! Sony is hiring a Legal Coordinator to join the Peanuts Worldwide team to work on the licensing agreements and contracts for all things Peanuts (we’re talking Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy, the whole gang!). 🦴

Are You Guilty of “Career Sprinting?”

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