I think I'm headed in the same direction as you only 5 years in. In 2022 I pursued a Tech Lead role heavily and was rewarded with it. Then I got burned out from

I think I'm headed in the same direction as you only 5 years in. In 2022 I pursued a Tech Lead role heavily and was rewarded with it. Then I got burned out from the immense effort to get there and the subsequent new onslaught of pressures and responsibilities. I quit the company about 6 months into the TL role after being forced to deliver a botched project to meet an arbitrary deadline. I still don't think I've recovered from the experience - my team was pretty great and the tech was healthy, but the management surrounding all this really put me off redoing this for a long time, if ever. I phrase it in this way: I can no longer deliver 100% of my "personal excellence" to my employer. I "selfishly" want a good chunk, ideally most of it, to myself for my own pursuit and life enjoyment.