Poll:After becoming FI, did it get easier or harder to deal with office BS?

[RISP]

In a recent thread, member Grigori posted the following statement:

I have found that the longer I am FI, which is two or three years now, the lower my tolerance is to jobs and tasks I don’t really want to do, and the more I have this unbearable urge to go in there and tell them to “Take this job and shove it! I ain’t working here no more”.

I'm wondering how other members who are already FI see this. I would expect that once the pressure of needing a paycheck is off, one would not be stressed by ANYTHING. If you don't need the money, what do you have to lose? Let's say you have a job that you do not care about, and don't like your boss or colleagues. You can just show up, do enough not to get fired, and collect a paycheck. When given an assignment you don't feel like doing, call in sick. And if you are really lucky, you'll be let go with severance and can subsequently collect unemployment payments.

So, my question to those of you who are already FI is:

How, if at all, did this realization change your attitude towards your job?

 

[eta2020]

I find having much higher tollerance for office BS. I don't feel like I have to compete with anybody for raises or RSUs. I don't give a f**k.

This is especially in light of knowing lot of coworkers at my age who are not LBYM and are far away from FI

Besides for most part I had always enjoyed my work.

 

[RunningBum]

Easier. If one is FI and has an unbearable urge to quit, one should listen to that urge. I never had that urge. I came close once but my boss, a good guy, came up with a solution to remove the somewhat unbearable part of my job so I stayed until my job went away.

 

[kcowan]

I loved all my jobs and generally ignored the politics. But when I was FI, I could ignore them with impunity! Made up phoney excuses for why that **** did not get done.

 

[Samething]

I find that I have just as high a stress level as I always have. I try to tell myself it doesn't matter anymore, your leaving soon so why care. If anything having enough resources to leave anytime I want has decreased my ability to just do what is necessary to perform at a high level. I know in my mind that I only have to be true to myself but it's messing with my mind after striving to be "the best" all these years.

 

[Senator]

It becomes much less fun at work. And I find I no longer have the time to go in. But I still do...

 

[nuke_diver]

My attitude has always been bad being FI didn't change it. Even prior I was always confident that I could find another job so I never worried about speaking my mind. It seems to have had the opposite effect...I have never been laid off and have always been on the do not touch list (even when I have volunteered I was told no ).

What is different right now is that I have a plan to retire in ~6months...so being in meetings where there are long term plans is VERY difficult...I so want to say I don't care cause I won't be here but right now keeping things quiet just in case there is a layoff (seems unlikely but you never know)

 

[Live And Learn]

I am finding it harder. Knowing that I am w*rking "just" to add cushion to my numbers before ER makes me more intolerant of the BS and stupid things I see being done. Instead of "HA HA - I don't need this job and can leave anytime I want to" my attitude is "OMG ! I do NOT want to deal with this BS anymore ! Why am I here !!!". I won't change my date as I am waiting for a final bonus and a final 401k match, but I struggle every day. In the long term the few months of stuggle are worth it. I just need to stop caring - and unfortunately I can't stop that ! After 30 years of being at the top in performance I can't turn it off.

 

[aim-high]

...Let's say you have a job that you do not care about, and don't like your boss or colleagues. You can just show up, do enough not to get fired, and collect a paycheck. When given an assignment you don't feel like doing, call in sick. And if you are really lucky, you'll be let go with severance and can subsequently collect unemployment payments.
...

My experience is that it's not harder, but is more conflicted. I think most of us didn't become FI by having the ethic described above. ymmv

 

[photoguy]

I'm wondering how other members who are already FI see this. I would expect that once the pressure of needing a paycheck is off, one would not be stressed by ANYTHING. If you don't need the money, what do you have to lose?

I still had colleagues, bosses, and underlings that depended on me. Even though I might want to blow off work, I couldn't do that.

Let's say you have a job that you do not care about, and don't like your boss or colleagues. You can just show up, do enough not to get fired, and collect a paycheck. When given an assignment you don't feel like doing, call in sick.

I liked many of my coworkers just not the overall environment.

My experience is that it's not harder, but is more conflicted. I think most of us didn't become FI by having the ethic described above. ymmv

+1

Even in ER I feel like I have to set goals and constantly make progress towards those. I'm trying to reform myself but a lifetime of habits doesn't change easily.

 

[HFWR]

Likely calling it quits 8/31/2015, as close to FI as I'll get. Getting harder every day.

 

[EastWest Gal]

There are many of us here who work/orked in jobs that are/were high stress but with more potential for job satistfaction--not the money, but a sense of accomplishment. As a physician, I really have little choice to not do a good job, and I would never want to. However, this summer, thinking I was going to retire in September, I found it harder to get going in the morning. However, the BS bothered me less, as I began to say what I really thought a little bit more, yet I stopped battling to change things, since it soon wasn't going to matter.

In my current temporary position as a hospitalist, I have a great deal of autonomy on how I structure my day, as I'm not nearly as busy. I can take time with the patients and the families. This particular hospital seems mostly devoid of BS, or I just haven't been there long enough to see it.

So overall I have found it easier to deal with the BS, because I can sidestep more of it.

 

[EastWest Gal]

In a recent thread, member Grigori posted the following statement:



I'm wondering how other members who are already FI see this. I would expect that once the pressure of needing a paycheck is off, one would not be stressed by ANYTHING. If you don't need the money, what do you have to lose? Let's say you have a job that you do not care about, and don't like your boss or colleagues. You can just show up, do enough not to get fired, and collect a paycheck. When given an assignment you don't feel like doing, call in sick. And if you are really lucky, you'll be let go with severance and can subsequently collect unemployment payments.

People keep posting about unemployment payments. You have to prove to the state that you are actually looking for a job every week in order to get unemployment. To do otherwise is to defraud the unemployment insurance system. I collected unemployment for a few weeks in 2004. It is for people who really lose their job and are really looking for work.

 

[athena53]

In the beginning, it was easier. In 2006 my company was acquired and it was the first time I could look at the finances and realize I could hang in there and see what happened because we could survive 6 to 12 months of unemployment if I lost my job. (I was in a field with strong demand, had a good network and could relocate if necessary so I doubt it would have been that long.) Others jumped ship (some ended up coming back a few years later). The merger worked well for me; I stayed there another 6 years.

When the politics at the job I took in 2012 turned toxic earlier this year, though, I decided I'd had enough. I met more people I couldn't trust in that job than I had in my entire career before that. Too bad because I loved the work. I was already tired of waking to an alarm at 6:30 every morning. What a relief to turn that sucker off.

 

[W2R]

I'm wondering how other members who are already FI see this. I would expect that once the pressure of needing a paycheck is off, one would not be stressed by ANYTHING. If you don't need the money, what do you have to lose? Let's say you have a job that you do not care about, and don't like your boss or colleagues. You can just show up, do enough not to get fired, and collect a paycheck. When given an assignment you don't feel like doing, call in sick. And if you are really lucky, you'll be let go with severance and can subsequently collect unemployment payments.

So, my question to those of you who are already FI is:

How, if at all, did this realization change your attitude towards your job?

For me, it was harder because I was SO tempted to just walk out and never return. Seriously, my thoughts were, "Why would anyone sane put up with this voluntarily?"

However, I needed to stay for 2 years beyond FI because I wanted federal retiree health insurance. So, I kept my mouth shut and forged ahead. I put that anger and energy into my financial planning efforts. Then two days after I qualified for federal retiree health insurance, I retired.

 

[CRLLS]

When I became FI, I found it a lot easier to go into work in the morning and I enjoyed it more. So much, that I thought I'd even continue to work until..... well, well past my full retirement date. I still hated the corporate BS. I was always outspoken and never held back on offering my input, even if that was not a popular position. That served me well over my career until a change in management and the day for downsizing came. Being FI made that day easy to accept. Now I am self employed and contract-work part time for a real good guy. I don't see anything changing there. He seeks out my "non-traditional" perspective.

 

[RISP]

Thanks for all the replies so far.

You have to prove to the state that you are actually looking for a job every week in order to get unemployment.

I'm not American, so I do not know the specific requirements, but how hard could that possibly be?

 

[eta2020]

People keep posting about unemployment payments. You have to prove to the state that you are actually looking for a job every week in order to get unemployment. To do otherwise is to defraud the unemployment insurance system. I collected unemployment for a few weeks in 2004. It is for people who really lose their job and are really looking for work.

There is more money in Severance Pay then Unemployment benefits. If you really don't give a damn they may fire you instead of giving you Severance Pay.

But good employee may sucesfully negotiate to be laid off and get Severance

If you have 20 years with a same company you are looking at some real money here.

 

[robnplunder]

I care less but put up a good front.

 

[Beldar]

So, my question to those of you who are already FI is:

How, if at all, did this realization change your attitude towards your job?

When I realized I was FI (and truly FI, not just a notion) quite frankly it didn't affect my attitude at work that much. I suppose I picked up a certain "attitude" but thats about all.

Now, that I've moved along to the next step, ER in 2015, I most definately have progressed to a "la de da" mindset. I don't slack off or get sloppy in my work (it's safety related), but I no longer have the desire to "excel" or go the extra mile. I DO have to work hard not to be jocular about work-related "crisis" or office politics lest I tip my hand.

 

[David1961]

For me, it became harder. It took me many years to achieve FI and one of my motivations that kept me going was the desire to be free of all that crap earlier than most people. For me, becoming FI was not a moment where I woke up and said to myself "I'm FI" but more of a process. Plus, I felt I needed a safety factor in case the markets tanked.

 

[Andre1969]

Thanks for all the replies so far.



I'm not American, so I do not know the specific requirements, but how hard could that possibly be?

I applied for unemployment in 2013 when the government went on furlough. I'm in the state of Maryland. Normally, to get unemployment all you have to do is apply for at least two jobs per week. And you can do that on the internet. I think I made a Monster.com account, pulled up a list of jobs I might qualify for, and sent a resume to two of them.

As it turns out, I didn't even have to do that. Since I was guaranteed a job to return to (they just didn't know what date), they waived the requirement of applying for a job. I didn't find out about that part, however, until I was back at work.

 

[Calico]

I'll let you know in 37 months (but who's counting) when I reach FI!

Who knows - by then the main irritant (boss) may have moved on, in which case my attitude will improve by leaps and bounds.

 

[brett]

It became easier for me because I stopped caring as much.

For about 2 years or so prior to early retirement, my FI was going up and my job satisfaction/enjoyment was going down-at a faster rate.

Two years after reaching FI my attitude to megacorp was 'bring it on baby'. To the point where I asked colleagues in the industry for a good legal recommendation. So when downsizing impacted me six months later I was thrilled about it and mentally prepared. Based on my experience with associates who had been downsized I think being mentally prepared was a huge benefit. Instead of 'why me' it was ' I won the lottery'. Of course I had to keep this attitude to myself until the details were worked out.

And I lucked out. A very generous package plus 38 weeks of employment insurance after my severance period expired. After that I took my DB and gov't entitlements.

 

[scrabbler1]

I answered the 4th choice because that was the closest to what happened with me. One of the pieces of my ER plan, the FI part, had fallen into place in the middle of 2008 when the company stock I owned hit a certain value. I did work for 4 more months, giving my resignation notice after 3 months, once the last piece of my ER plan fell into place later in that summer. (See my signature line.)


I stuck around just long enough to finish the one main project I had been working on since early 2007. I really wanted to see it get done because it had been the only thing I was really working on and I didn't want to abandon it so close to its completion. It was a very challenging and often enjoyable project but also mentally draining, as I increasingly found myself struggling to concentrate on it in the afternoons.


I had my own way of dealing with the office BS - I not only was working part-time since 2001 but I also asked to further reduce my weekly hours worked from 20 hours to 12 hours. I made this request just after I was assigned that one last, big project, thereby eliminating nearly all of my other work including all of the BS administrative stuff. Being in the office even less often than I had been before exposed me to less of the general office BS than I had been before. It also probably tipped the bosses off that I would eventually resign, not that I cared a whole lot.


That being said, in my last few months of working, even before I hit the FI mark mid-summer, I asked myself many times a day, "Why am I still working here?" It was a great relief to not ask myself that question any more once I gave my notice.


And as others have posted, my desire to go the extra mile to get something done had long disappeared (beyond the one project I had been working on, not that I stayed late to keep working on it).