Worker Decides To Get Rejected As Much As Possible This Year And Starts By Asking Her Boss For A Raise
Use this as a sign to advocate for yourself at work.
Lala Lali, JMBee Studio, Studioroman / CanvaPro From Tinder dates to job interviews to college rejection letters, we’ve all suffered the wrath of rejection. Whether it’s a wave of embarrassment or a self-imposed 24 hours of isolation and recuperation, the feelings many feel in association with rejection are consequences we strive to avoid.
Despite all of this, rejection has been proven to be instrumental in personal, professional, and spiritual growth; giving us the tools to propel forward at unprecedented rates. So, why is rejection so burdened by fear? Can changing our mindset to accept rejection and discomfort, or even strive for them, be the key to radically changing our lives?
This employee revealed her New Year’s resolution was to ‘chase rejection,’ starting at work.
Helen May, a 26-year-old creator on TikTok, said she’s done battling with her fear of rejection and following in the footsteps of another TikToker by making it her year’s mission to “chase it.”
Instead of “counting herself out of situations,” she’s letting other people reject her — putting her in rooms, situations and encounters that she would’ve otherwise avoided from fear. Whether it’s finally talking to the stranger in the coffee shop, applying to a dream job, or dancing in the rain, she’s on a mission to do the things that scare her.
The best case scenario is you achieve your wildest dreams and the worst is that someone tells you “no.”
Following her New Year’s resolution to ‘get rejected’ often, this woman asked her boss for a raise and was surprised at the outcome.
Starting her year off strong with this unique resolution, May decided to plan a “set-up” for rejection at work. Thinking that there was no way she’d be successful, she planned an impromptu meeting with her boss to ask for a raise.
In an economy where so many are struggling, even a 10% raise could change someone’s life, allowing them to pay their bills without stress, and provide for their families.
To her surprise, May failed to get a rejection from her boss and instead was awarded a 25% raise over her current salary.
“Guys,” she said at the end of the video, “literally just ask for stuff!”
Her video was a rallying cry for everyone to adopt this resolution, especially for people who find themselves using discomfort “as a crutch.” Especially for women and other minorities in the workplace, this tactic can ensure you’re advocating for yourself.
“Growing up, we’re socialized to be accommodating, not disrupt, be the ‘good girl’, and always be grateful,” Claire Wasserman, founder and CBO of Ladies Get Paid told Forbes about women in the workplace. “In other words, to stay small. Self-promoting feels like it’s bragging, and that’s how we’ve been raised to be.”
So, put yourself in that room! Advocate for yourself, despite the discomfort! Your goals, dreams, and aspirations will never become true opportunities until you put yourself in the position to achieve them.
May's ideas were inspired by another creator’s ‘life-changing’ resolution where ‘striving for rejection’ landed her job offers, money, and new-found confidence.
May isn’t the first person to adopt this interesting goal. Maureen Evelyn revolutionized the idea of “chasing rejection” as a New Year’s resolution at the beginning of the year. Her success — in various avenues of life — drew in four million viewers on TikTok, inspiring people to get comfortable being uncomfortable.
She said initially, she applied to Harvard as a joke, but that joke turned out to be a blessing when she got her “waitlist” letter in the mail. From there, her “delusional” joke spiraled into a second opportunity, a job at a marketing agency with zero college degree, experience, or connections.
“I had this idea,” she honestly admitted, “that maybe if you just apply to the things you really want in life you’ll finally have a chance at being accepted.”
We’re all human and experiencing life for the first time. The reality is that anxiety often gets in the way of authenticity. Give everyone, including yourself, the grace to mess up, to be rejected, and to aspire for greatness without guilt.
If you want something, nobody is going to hand it to you. Find a way to bring a sense of comfort to discomfort, excitement to fear, and passion to your self-confidence.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a news and entertainment writer at YourTango focusing on pop culture analysis and human interest stories.