Remembering Why to FIRE

[dex]

http://www.thedashmovie.com/

 

[Leonidas]

That was nice. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[kaudrey]

Yes, thanks dex. So true.

 

[SteveR]

Thanks Dex. So many people forget that our time is indeed limited. How we spend it is much more important than how much money we gather or what jobs we held. It is much less about who we are but rather whos lives we have touched.

 

[Eagle43]

Great video. To which I add: Carpe diem.

 

[Dreamer]

Very nice and important to remember.

 

[Jay_Gatsby]

Thanks Dex. So many people forget that our time is indeed limited. How we spend it is much more important than how much money we gather or what jobs we held. It is much less about who we are but rather whos lives we have touched.

I haven't posted in a while, but this point resonated with me at the current stage in my career. Apologies in advance for the long post, but I need to get some advice.

I'm still climbing the corporate ladder, as is DW. Over the years, we both have had a strong desire to find out how far we can go in our careers, and how much money we can make. Over the past couple of years, I've volunteered (voluntold?) at work to wear multiple hats, with the implied promise that I would be duly-compensated for my efforts. Well, you can probably tell where this is going - I wasn't compensated (in money or a promotion) - and now my boss has moved on to another position, leaving me with a new boss who has no idea how hard I worked. It's difficult not to be bitter and take steps to get out. Who would stay in a job where they are over-worked and underpaid?

DW and I have a very nice net worth these days, but also two young children. We've sacrificed taking more than a few days at a time for vacations, held off on new cars, etc... all because we've been career-focused and frugal. In the end, I've concluded that we've been "living to work," rather than "working to live." Unfortunately, I can't get DW to take step back to see that time is ticking by faster and faster.

Likewise, I feel that stepping off the management track at my company would be tantamount to quitting, and thus short-changing myself (very hard to get back on). The answer may be to build my case for increased compensation and/or a promotion, present it to my new manager, and see what s/he says. If the answer is "we'll see" or "I need time to evaluate," then it may be wise to set a date for re-evaluation 6 months or so down the line. Assuming nothing is forthcoming at that time, the decision will have been made - new job or step back from managerial responsibilities for which I'm not being fairly compensated.

I'm at a point in my life (mid-40s) that the passage of time is readily-apparent and I have things I want to do with my time that don't involve work. With two very healthy incomes, I know that DW and I can put our careers on automatic and enjoy life. We just need to get on the same page.

 

[dex]

I'm at a point in my life (mid-40s) that the passage of time is readily-apparent and I have things I want to do with my time that don't involve work. With two very healthy incomes, I know that DW and I can put our careers on automatic and enjoy life. We just need to get on the same page.

I reached a high corporate level. I rubbed shoulders with the heads and those that became heads of large corporations.

Having said that; the things you are told to get to the top are not what will get you to the top. The things you are told are there to get work out of you and keep you in line.

The people who get to the top:
changes jobs a lot
say very little
do not take chances
There are many things I could say but in many ways you need to be selfish.

Also, you should be thinking that, unless you become senior management, you will be out of the compay by 58.

 

[street]

Thanks

 

[Spanky]

I reached a high corporate level. I rubbed shoulders with the heads and those that became heads of large corporations.

Having said that; the things you are told to get to the top are not what will get you to the top. The things you are told are there to get work out of you and keep you in line.

The people who get to the top:
changes jobs a lot
say very little
do not take chances
There are many things I could say but in many ways you need to be selfish.

Also, you should be thinking that, unless you become senior management, you will be out of the compay by 58.

Thanks for sharing your insight on what it takes to get to the top. Life is a journey. Yours is highly sought by the masses as society, in general, defines success as wealth, status, and power. My journey of life, by design, is pretty low key but enjoyable.

 

[Jay_Gatsby]

I reached a high corporate level. I rubbed shoulders with the heads and those that became heads of large corporations.

Having said that; the things you are told to get to the top are not what will get you to the top. The things you are told are there to get work out of you and keep you in line.

The people who get to the top:
changes jobs a lot
say very little
do not take chances
There are many things I could say but in many ways you need to be selfish.

Also, you should be thinking that, unless you become senior management, you will be out of the compay by 58.

Thanks Dex. It's interesting that you need to do the exact opposite from a company's mission statement, values, etc... in order to get ahead at the company. As I've progressed through the ranks, this truth has slowly become apparent as I noticed, as you succinctly pointed out, that it's the selfish people who seem to advance the fastest. They avoid work, but take credit for their team's efforts; they brown-nose with those who can help them (aka "managing up" or "socializing"); hoard information and leverage it to their own advantage; return calls/emails on their own schedules, rather than when people need it (unless you're management, then they respond right away); etc....

In tech, you have until your late-40s to make the leap from middle management to the C-suite. You have until then to build (pad?) your resume, leverage your contacts, and navigate the maze. After that, you'll be relegated to a SME (subject matter expert) and passed over in favor of someone younger who did all of the foregoing things....