[moret1979]

I hope it doesn’t come too hard, but you’re part of the problem by what you describe. You took the bait of more money to trade off focused hours with busy hours productivity. This sets expectations to employers and others around you, and wall off a lot of people who can’t - and shouldn’t - take the same deal. Plus, this mode of heavy workload in hours is usually a signal of low return of value for what is produced in this time, meaning deep work to deliver more value is crowded out.

[wonderwonder]

I don't take it hard at all, but in all fairness its not like they advertised the required hours on the job application. You start a job, its more money than you ever made, you have finally made it and then the hours start to just pour on. I have a family its not like I can just quit so I work and then finally land another job making more money but then somehow the cycle repeats. Sounds like I just have terrible luck to land 2 of these in a row.

[aaronchall]

Some managers will push you to do more until you push back.

Perhaps you have to learn to say "No" to things you don't have time for in a regular workday.

As Stephen Covey put it in 7 Habits, when asked to do more, pull out your prioritized, filled-out calendar and ask which item they'd like you to deprioritize to take on the new task. Then you'll discover their real priorities.