Instead, the former super-achiever asked to head personnel at a smaller division of the firm, although it meant lower pay and no chance to advance. The two professionals aren't dropouts. Navarro is founder of Work Transitions, a career consulting firm that also trains career strategists. Figure out at what level the heavy work demands set in and strive to stay below it. You can do that by openly discussing it with your boss or by quietly avoiding standing out.
Some people even ask to be demoted or to return to a prior job.
But people who are unhappy enough to do something about reclaiming their lives, I believe, choose an equally legitimate path. It takes guts because you're going contrary to social expectations. I was well paid, they allowed me to teach part time at a law school, but I was tired of the politics, stress and long commute. What he really wanted to do, he realized, was to teach full time and pursue his interest in painting. Today, Rittenbaum is professor of business law at St. Louis University, not far from his home.