The Ability to Slack Off at Work Actually Determines Your Ceiling

01/ Slacking Off Doesn't Mean Doing Nothing

When many people hear the word “slacking off”, they frown. It seems that once this word appears, it means being unmotivated, lazy, and just getting by.

But if you observe, those who are really doing well in the workplace are hardly “rat - racers”.

Here, slacking off doesn't mean being lazy and killing time. Instead, it means knowing what you need and what you should do, and having a sense of control over your own time.

Recently, when chatting with some friends, I found that in some companies, people are very busy but the work rhythm is chaotic. Some are just pretending to be busy, busy for the sake of being busy. It seems that if they don't work overtime, the boss will feel cheated.

There are also some companies where there isn't much work and the work arrangements are in a mess. Maybe for days or a week, there's hardly any work. Employees can just do a little and then take a break. They spend their work time browsing forums, chatting in groups, or checking stocks. There are quite a few such companies, and they are often called “retirement - style” companies.

Every time I encounter this situation, I can't help but suggest that they could start a side hustle. But my experiences in the past few years have taught me that it's better not to say it.

Those with ideas will approach you on their own, while for those without, your words won't make much difference.

A person's ability to “slack off” at work determines their ceiling, which is about what you do during these idle times.

For example:

• Research other professional skills.
• Study the details of the company's business.
• Optimize and improve previous tasks.
• Use AI or programs to improve efficiency.
• Broaden other soft skills related to the business.

Or, use this time for other learning.

02/ You Need to Take a Proper Break

Taking a break doesn't mean doing nothing. It means having the opportunity to stop and check if there are any problems with the overall layout.

You need to not only keep your head down and move forward but also look up at the road.

There's a good saying: If you want to ruin someone, keep them so busy that they never stop.

Being too busy isn't a good thing. Periodic or temporary sprints are necessary, but it shouldn't be a long - term state.

People who are too busy to think are usually just well - arranged by others.

Those who can “slack off” are exactly those who can control their own rhythm. They know what to do, what to wait for, and what to let go of.

Of course, this also depends on the workplace environment. If you're unlucky enough to work in a company where you have to engage in the rat - race, with a heavy workload and forced overtime, it's really a helpless situation.

03/ Value Accumulation and Value Creation

In a relatively fair market, in the long run, the amount of value you can provide is directly proportional to the rewards you'll get.

The value here is under specific conditions, affected by the era, the industry, and the user group you're facing.

Human growth has a compound effect. Its essence is the accumulation of abilities or the realization of self - value.

So in the workplace, you can pay more attention to this aspect. Don't focus too much on the immediate rewards. Instead, think more about how much these things can enhance your future value.

Maybe after 5 years, the value accumulated from these things will explode, and the rewards you get will be more than the total of the past 10 or 20 years.

Just like the third industrial revolution compared to the first and second ones, its growth isn't linear.

04/ Every Step Forward Is a Success

Now many people wonder: Is my job meaningful? Is it worth doing this thing?

Or they lose hope for the future and themselves, thinking that they can't change anything and just giving up.

Meaning is something we give. If you say it has meaning, it does; if you say it doesn't, it doesn't.

Work is both important and unimportant. Life can be meaningful or meaningless. It all depends on how you view it.

At least, if you stay in one place, the answers won't appear out of thin air.

The key isn't on the lock, and the answers aren't where you are.

Take one more step forward, then another, and then one more. See more scenery and pick up one more brick.

Maybe when you reach a certain place, you'll find that you've arrived, and the bricks you've picked up are enough to build a house.

In the end, I want to say that the so - called “slacking off” actually tests your control over your own life. It's about what you choose to do, what not to do, where to go, and where not to go, whether to move forward or stop.

Keep moving forward and looking around. The answers are always on the way.

Daily Reading & Writing by Xiaolu 10/08/2025 [Day 764]