The saga on my employment has finally seen the end of the tunnel (somewhat!). Back in 2017 (eons ago), Mr.C and I had decided that this coconut will retire and let the good man fight the not so long battle to our FIRE point. My wanting to retire is being met with a myriad of reactions and a corresponding set of challenges and add-on decisions!
So today we will explore, what motivates a person to work?
Money, for shizzles
Money makes the work go round! I don’t know anyone who is comfortable going all Into the Wild with life. I won’t say more as I don’t want to give away the plot. Side story – I was halfway into the movie (we watch movie over a few days at times, strange but true) and read ThriftyGal’s book review post and the first line gave the ending away. Those spoiler alert warnings are useful!
Anyway I digress. Money. Need I say more? The reason some people stay in jobs that they hate. Jobs that would qualify as soul crushing and happiness suckers. The promise of a promotion in the horizon. The potential for a 4% increment at year end. Money!!
But I spent so many years studying for this! All that money…..
ROI baby, ROI. These are things that I wish I had considered when I was starting out, rather than conventional wisdom. If I could travel back in time, then I would do myself a real solid and go into banking, make a ton of money before living on $10,000 a month without needing to work. I’d time-travel kick myself for going into the Big 4! I don’t even mean highest paying job, I mean the job that gives me the most with the least amount of investment by way of education put in. I couldn’t find an updated study on this to share, so am sticking with banking as my ‘the one that got away’.
Work is so interesting, hot damn!
When you have money somewhat figured out (which doesn’t necessarily mean FIRE, just means you got yourself sufficiently covered to be selective) then you move on to other soul feeding endeavours. Perhaps rearing chicken has always been your calling or perhaps that multi-year, multi-region transformation plan in your organisation is the battle you’ve been gearing up for all along. As long the the job tickles your fancy, then we’re a-go. In fact it may not even pay all that well but it gives you satisfaction and fulfillment on a different level.
FOMO!
Fear of Missing Out is a real bloody pain, I have a serious case of the heebie jeebies about that right about now actually, while I’m nearing my retirement point. What if I miss out on the big deal coming my way from the seeds I’ve sowed over the past few years? What if I miss out on the best project there is to work on? What is I miss out on the ginormous pay increase ever seen in our 20-year history of existence? What is I was to be promoted and I threw a spanner in the works by resigning? What if they added an extra 10 inches to my awesome but unnecessary office space? What if I don’t stop writing this list of what-ifs? Ah, that was just me checking if you’re still with me!
Societal pressure
Oh the struggle is real. Mr.C illustrated this point really well in the last post with his imaginary Kongs. I’d add on with Warren Buffet’s very famous quote, though used in the context of investment, is equally relevant for societal pressure. You don’t really know if the seemingly well to-do Kongs (in keeping to Mr.C’s buddies) are actually well to-do or well-in-debt?
I do think that none of the above motivators are mutually exclusive and it can be a combination of varying importance to a person. Where am I on this scale? I’ve half a mind to end my post here. Add a little suspense to an otherwise drama-free blog. Fear not, Ms.K won’t indulge her cheeky inclinations today!
After meeting numero tres, Mr. Managing Director strongly suggests that I work from home for an unspecified period of time. Here I am, conscientiously laying out the facts of what that would entail and general setting of expectations, in an attempt to thwart his agenda. Without going in to the details, let’s say I’m happy-ish (still on the fence some days) to forgo all of the above. So why have I still ended up falling into my MD’s scheme of arrangements? Do I lack the guts to say no? Nay, am no gentle dumpling. I’ve respectable gangsta in me.
Technically we are not FIRE yet however we’re as comfortable as a Tempurpedic mattress for me to put my legs up whilst I wait for Mr.C. Snap, that was wishful thinking, a distant dream. There’s no putting your legs up with kids in the picture! Any income that comes in whilst I care for Coco#2 is welcome! That’s not the driving reason though.
The corporate world that I get oversight in my role is interesting and that is an aspect I would like to stay plugged in however my scaled down role is sans the social interaction and that front is now looking rather drab! Therefore this clearly is not why I found myself in agreement with the boss-man. I’d like to think I’ve recouped enough from my education to call it quits, besides I’ve branched out of the norm for a bit now so that isn’t it as well.
I agreed to stay as my MD feels the office would benefit from my contribution for the current financial year. The heat is on for targets to be met and we need all hands on deck! My MD is a great guy and I didn’t want to let him down when this is the most he has asked from me, which isn’t that much actually. That and I didn’t want to appear to be saying no categorically to everything Mr.MD was saying to retain me. So some strategy in play here, since breaking up is so hard, let’s take a break 😉 Delay the inevitable or perhaps be pleasantly surprised on the traction I get under a different scope but work-from-home arrangement. If it is giving me fulfillment and the company results, then Huzzah!! If it isn’t working out, then at least we tried eh?
On the plus point, I get to delay a laptop purchase 😉
Author: Ms.K
Ms.K is everything that Mr.C is, without the natural interest in investing and company financials! The activity planner for the family, the driver of random ideas and soon to be ‘retiring’ in to full time motherhood – Ms.K has no idea what she’s in for but remains super excited!
Hi Ms K,
I actually think it’s a good move, especially if you can work from home.
Less time spent travelling and more time with the kids. And of course, who wouldn’t say no to extra money and security.
And really, no downside. If it doesn’t work out, continue with what you had originally set out to do.
It does sound like a great arrangement actually! The only drawback is that I assess there’s not much outcome that can come from working from home without the client face time, in the work I do. That and we don’t have a maid, so my hours are dictated by the child – i.e. I can’t commit to any minimum hours per day. The most important aspect to me is how the organisation values my work and how they can benefit from it when I work from home, I refuse to leave a bad legacy! I need to remain to be seen as awesome :p