퇴사 후 알게 되는 것들 그리고 달리기

사람들 대부분 달리기를 멋진 이유로 시작하지는 않는 것 같습니다. 저도 그랬습니다. 체력이 좋아지고 싶어서도 아니었고, 마라톤을 뛰고 싶어서도 아니었습니다. ‘운동을 해야겠다’는 생각보다 이대로는 버티기 힘들겠다는 느낌 이 먼저였습니다. 하루 이틀이면 떨어지던 감기가 한 달이 지나도 낫지 않았고, 뭐라도 하지 않으면 안 될 것 같았습니다. 그래서 운동을 시작했습니다. 1. 잦은 해외 출장 30대 초반, 회사 일로 1년에 150일이 넘게 해외 출장을 다녔습니다. 소기업이었고 연차라는 개념도 희미했습니다. 출장에서 돌아오면 다음 날 바로 출근이었습니다. 그렇게 2년 반이 지났을 무렵, 출장 복귀만 하면 몸살 기운이 돌기 시작했습니다. “부장님, 저 병원 가서 링거 맞고 올게요.” 출장 → 링거 → 출근. 그게 루틴이 되었습니다. 2. 이상해진 몸 해외로 보낼 물건을 포장하느라 종이박스를 정신없이 테이핑하다 보면, 박스에 스쳤던 팔 주변이 금세 붉게 올라오곤 했습니다. 그때 문득 이런 생각이 들었습니다. 아, 몸이 갈 데까지 갔구나. 3. 헬스 등록해도 될까? 결혼 후 돈 주고 무언가를 꾸준히 해본 적은 거의 없습니다. 딱 두 번이었습니다. 하나는 영어 회화 학원. 아침 수업이었고, 세 번쯤 나갔습니다. 다른 하나는 권투 도장. 저녁 수업이었고, 여섯 번 정도 갔습니다. 그마저도 ...

Most people don’t start running for a cool, inspiring reason. I didn’t either. It wasn’t because I wanted to get fitter, and it wasn’t because I dreamed of running a marathon. Before I ever thought, “I should exercise,” I felt something stronger first: I can’t keep going like this. A cold that used to disappear in a day or two wouldn’t go away even after a month. It felt like I had to do something—anything. So I started moving. 1. Constant overseas business trips In my early 30s, I spent more than 150 days a year on overseas business trips. It was a small company. Paid leave was more of a rumor than a policy. When I came back from a trip, I went straight to work the next day. After about two and a half years, something changed. Every time I returned from a trip, I’d feel like I was coming down with the flu. “Sir, I’m...

It always ends in a fried chicken shop—an unfunny reality. It has been two months since my former overseas sales team lead left the company and opened one. I. Office workers usually live with only two options Most office workers follow the same pattern. We get hired, we adapt, we endure, and then we consider switching jobs. And then we repeat the same 고민 all over again. The paycheck that arrives every month is always tight. There is rarely any spare money to invest. So our choices narrow naturally into one question: Do I stay at this company, or do I move to a better one? Starting a business always feels like a distant story. Until a colleague sitting right next to us says, “I think I’m going to try running my own business.” Even then, most of us see it as reckless. But looking back, that judgment wasn’t a calm analysis. It was fear—quiet, vague, and d...

Right after I finished basic training, there was a time when someone could tap my shoulder and my rank and name would come out automatically. Back then, I thought relationships in the military were the hardest thing in the world. Then I joined a company, and I realized the military was easier—at least in some ways. Even now, after leaving my job, I still catch myself thinking, “Why were they like that?” Here are eight types of people I really struggled with at work. 1. The person who is always judging others “That manager… it looks like he works, but I never get reports.” “How’s he doing these days? If you ask me…” When you hear things like that right next to you, one thought comes first. “What do they say about me when I’m not around?” ...

📊 The Age People Leave Their Jobs, and the Age They Start a Business Age Group Job Exit Reality Self-Employment Entry Under 30s Rarely leave; long-term employment expected Approx. 15% 40s Anxiety begins; restructuring and promotion stagnation Approx. 22% 50s Exits accelerate; early retirement and buyouts common Approx. 27% 60 and over Only a few remain (executives or exceptional cases) Approx. 36% The official retirement age is 60. But most employees realize long before that they won’t actually make it that far. “Even if the paycheck is small, you should have something you can do on your own.” My mother-in-law, who ran her own hair salon, used to say this to my wife from time to time. Every time I heard it, I found myse...

On the way home after working late, there are moments when a thought slips in. “I did this much… and this is all I get?” Did I do something wrong? Or is the company the one that’s wrong? If you’ve worked long enough, you’ve probably asked yourself this at least once. I. How you become “the dependable one” People often say this about interviews: “The company evaluates me, but I evaluate the company too.” In reality, that’s rarely how it feels. There are dozens—sometimes hundreds—of applicants, and the company gets to choose. Meanwhile, we’re just hoping to be chosen by at least one place. Once you finally get in, you do everything you can to be recognized. You stay late when the workload explodes. If you have evening plans, you come in early to finish what you can. If it still won’t work, you show up on the weekend “just for a bit.” And when things don’t go well, you keep thinking about work even ...

Have you ever had a thought like this? You worked late again today, but it doesn’t feel like your life is getting any better. You believed that if you kept working hard, things would eventually change. And yet—strangely— no matter how much you try, your life can still feel stuck in the same place. This is a story about why life doesn’t change even when you’ve worked hard at a company. I started thinking this way only after I left— after time had passed and the dust had settled. I. If I Ever Got Hired Again I started a small business based on what I’d been doing for years— not too long ago. After spending twenty years in a company, I was surprised to find that even now— paying my own office rent— I still find myself waiting for the weekend. In some ways, it doesn’t feel that different from my old life. I have a friend w...

I. Losing the Steering Wheel Until my 30s, when work was exhausting, or when the company’s direction didn’t match what I believed, “Should I just go somewhere else?” I had options. I could keep control over my life—at least to some extent. But once I stepped into my 40s, I had to decide— do I stay at this job, or do I attempt one last move? And no matter what I chose, “Should I just go somewhere else?” was no longer an option. I became sensitive to promotions, and to where I stood inside the company. My relationship with the people above me, how they looked at me, how they evaluated me— I couldn’t help but care. By the time I turned 45, I knew it. And the people above me knew it too. “At your age, where else could you possibly go?” There are kind people, of course. But there ...

When Paychecks Start Coming Late, Companies Collapse in Stages When a paycheck is delayed by a day or two, you don’t feel anxious right away. “It’s probably just this month.” “Everyone’s struggling these days.” That’s what you tell yourself. But at some point, you stop counting pay dates and start watching people’s faces. This is a story about the order in which a company collapses once paychecks start coming late. I. Stage One — Senior Employees First In companies of a certain size, restructuring usually begins before pay is delayed. Small businesses are different. Late paychecks happen more often than you might expect. Every company handles it differently, but pay delays often begin with people who hold titles, or those the owner feels are easier to pressure. People still ne...

In any organization, when someone new joins, people tend to watch a little more closely. How nervous they look. How hard they try. How carefully they read the room. Even if we don’t work directly with them, seeing someone tense and cautious can make us think: “They’ll probably do well.” And if we happen to meet someone from the new hire’s team, we often ask, “How are they?” Whether they realize it or not, new employees can’t really avoid being evaluated. This is a story a friend told me—about handing over work to a newly hired employee. I. “Wait… where did she go?” After an acquisition, my friend had to hand over a set of responsibilities that one person had been doing alone— accounting, cash management, HR, and general administration— to different owners in the merged company. What was supposed to be “one mo...

This isn’t a “viral” story. But it’s the kind of thing that can happen in any workplace—quietly, casually, and then it stays with you. I. Second-year Assistant Manager at a 20-person company There’s one clear advantage to working at a small company: you get hands-on experience fast, and you grow fast. By my second year as an assistant manager, I was already negotiating with overseas distributors— handling consultations, discussing contract terms, and making real decisions at the front line. When a deal closed, I felt a strange pride—like I’d become the kind of “business person” you only see on TV. And because I could feel myself improving, my satisfaction with work was high. Right around the time I was gaining momentum, I got scolded by the director who had always taken care of me—someone known as a genuinely good person. II. “Why did you do it like this?” ...