Quiet quitting. It’s one of the new buzz terms going viral on the internet.
Quiet quitting is when you show up to work, but do the bare minimum. It’s when you technically do the job. But, you’re not inspiring anyone. You’re not loving the work.
You’re just…kind of there, but not there.
I think quiet quitting could also be described as “lack of honesty.” Honesty with oneself. Because if you don’t like your job, then why not…well, quit?
Maybe because we’re afraid of admitting we hate the job. Or, maybe it’s fear of the unknown overriding fear of working a miserable job.
It occurred to me that this happens with piano students from time to time.
This is the student who really doesn’t want to play the piano.
Progress has come to a standstill. Practice doesn’t happen at home. The student shows up and goes through the motions in the lesson. Mom and dad are aware, but want to keep showing up in the hopes that maybe things will turn around.
That being said, not every student has to progress. If there’s something about lesson time that a student loves even though practice is non-existent, then that’s great.
But it’s the student who looks miserable that’s torture for teachers. Because the right thing to do is suggest the student stop lessons.
But the reality is, most piano teachers are afraid of their income dropping, so they’ll continue suffering through the lesson week after week. Even though it would be in the student’s best interest to use that time to find something they truly enjoy.
Quiet quitting doesn’t have to be something we deal with as employers, parents, and students. Rather, we can take it as a signal that maybe it’s time to move on.
Because, to continue the routine when someone is miserable? That’s stealing time away from a different job or activity that will enrich or even change their life.
