TLDR

• Recognition is not always bad, but there is recognition that comes at a cost.
• Focus on doing the right thing without sacrificing your mental health.
• Choose your mental health over the wrong recognition and burnout.
• Think about the long-term for the project not just the short-term.

Introduction

I’m sure at some point in your career you’ve chased the much sought-after recognition from your manager or someone higher up in leadership. It makes you feel valued and gives you a sense that you’ve made a real mark in your career and company. There’s nothing wrong with wanting that; recognition feels good and validates the hard work we put in. Sometimes recognition is a net positive, that comes from doing all the right things without sacrificing our mental health. But often, that recognition comes at a hefty cost. It tends to follow long hours, stress, frustration, messy deliveries, and heroic efforts. So the question is, is it really worth it?

Attaining Recognition the Wrong Way

I'm going to lay out a scenario that I have seen and read about many times when it comes to recognition. You get put on a project that has a tight deadline, is a high priority, is urgent, or needs rescuing from it's current state. At first this is exciting, you get to work on something that a lot of people in leadership will be paying attention to. This is your chance to showcase your skills, and let people know what you are capable of! The problem is you want so badly to deliver on the tight deadlines, or unrealistic expectations, you decide you are going to do whatever it takes; after all it's just until this project is complete right? Well this has a couple of problems, so let's break them down.

The Right Way takes a Backseat

Almost everyone I’ve seen in this position knows how to complete a project the right way; without cutting corners or creating chaos. But when you mix long hours with pressure and stress, the right way quickly takes a backseat. This is one of the biggest problems with chasing recognition that comes at the expense of doing things properly.

I understand why it happens. It’s much easier to avoid telling your manager or leadership that a deadline won’t be met and instead push through the extra hours, absorbing the stress yourself. Leadership often focuses on what gets delivered, not how it’s delivered, and rarely on whether it might cause problems later.

That’s the recognition dilemma. If you finish the work on time but sacrifice your mental health and the quality of the project, is it really worth it? I’d argue it’s not.

Burnout

We’ve all heard about burnout, and many of us have experienced it firsthand. It’s one of the worst feelings you can have at work. Work becomes life and life becomes work, and no matter what you do, you just can’t break the cycle.

Often, people tell themselves they’ll stretch “just this one time” to deliver on a high-visibility project. It’s easy to think it’s a temporary push, until it happens again. That’s the real issue: the one-off situation quietly becomes the new norm, and soon you find yourself trapped in a pattern that’s hard to escape.

Maybe you get a few weeks or months of calm after the big project wraps up, and maybe you even get the recognition you were hoping for. But if a few weeks later another high-priority project lands on your plate, will it still feel worth it? In my experience, the pattern keeps repeating until burnout inevitably hits. And no amount of recognition makes that worth it.

A Healthy Relationship with Recognition

Now that we’ve talked about the downsides, let’s focus on the good side of recognition. It might sound like I’m completely against it, but that’s not the case. Recognition can be positive and powerful when it comes for the right reasons.

The key is to focus on doing things the right way, consistently. Will you get recognition for every project? Probably not. But will you be proud of the work you deliver each time? I’d bet you will.

When we do things the right way and protect our mental health, we build a foundation for long-term success. If it ever feels hard to resist chasing recognition at any cost, consider this: if you inherited a project that someone else rushed and made a mess of just to get noticed, how would you feel? Probably frustrated.

Projects rarely stay with one person forever. Think about the people who will come after you. Will they appreciate inheriting a clean, organized project that was built thoughtfully, or one that was held together just to meet a deadline? Put yourself in their shoes, and I’m almost certain you’d choose the first option.

Conclusion

Recognition is a powerful thing that we should all want in our careers. It’s a sign that we’re doing good work and making an impact. But not all recognition is equal. The positive kind comes from doing things the right way, consistently. It might mean you get recognized less often, but that’s a worthwhile tradeoff.

Some projects are done the right way and don’t get much attention because everyone quickly moves on, and that’s okay. On the other hand, some projects are messy, full of last-minute heroics and constant issues. Those might get a lot of recognition in the moment, but is it really worth it?

It can be hard to push back and stay disciplined when shortcuts seem easier, but if you hold yourself to a high standard and keep doing the right things, the right kind of recognition will follow. Maybe it comes less often, but it will always mean more. That kind of recognition lasts. It doesn’t require sacrificing your mental health or burning yourself out to earn it.

So don’t run from recognition, but don’t chase it either. Focus on doing the right things every day, and let recognition find you naturally.