So Monday was Labor Day, and I labored, cleaning a house that has not had a thorough one in some time.
But while I was cleaning, I was also doing some thinking. About how my career has progressed, but mostly about a conversation I had with a friend last week. His current position, with a soul crushing commute, is really getting him down. He is considering going part time, or worse yet, quitting without another job lined up. His comment to me was, ”Money isn’t everything!”
No money isn’t everything. Until you don’t have it. A roof over your head, a car, food, air conditioning. Where do these things come from? Wait for it…….MONEY!
Now you know I am all about being happy. But there is a difference between temporary euphoria and real, long term happiness. Temporary happy can sometimes mean long term-didn’t-watch-the- video-all –the- way-through –life- long- miserable. Remember, I am an expert at this. I was crowned the Queen of Living Beyond Her Means, after trading long term financial security for the latest sale at Macy’s!
So before you decide to “retire early”, go part time instead of working full time, quit a job without another position lined up or bail on something that might lead to something else, look at why sometimes being temporarily miserable in your working life can lead to the promised land in the future!
SOCIAL SECURITY:
Yes, it is easy to say, Social security won’t be there when I retire!” The reality is, chances are, it might be. The amount you get is based on the 30 years of your top earnings. Working part time during the years you could be making a lot more money, means you are cutting what you can collect in retirement. Not working at all? Retiring early, without a lot of money in the bank? Really not in your best interest. What does that mean? The expression “make hay while the sun is shining” is not just about farming.
TEMPORARY CUT FOR MORE MONEY IN THE LONG RUN
I never advise being miserable, but sometimes, to get to something better, you do have to have a little misery time. I decided I was totally sick of managing people. I wanted to work in a more consultant capacity, on the vendor side of life. To get there, I took a sizeable pay cut. Not only that, I signed up for the aforementioned soul crushing commute.
Where am I two and a half years later? Working from home and making more a year than I ever had. Easy? Not at all. The road to get to where I wanted to be meant I had to navigate some rocky terrain, but I saw the prize at the end. A year of misery in exchange for getting what I was looking for was worth it.
PART TIME OR NEW JOB?
So the job is making you crazy and the commute is horrible. Is part time really going to solve that? Making less money and setting yourself up for financial decline, while still being in something that makes you want to jump out your office window isn’t logical when you say it out loud.
It is rare to see an increase over five percent at a current job, but find a new position at ten or even a fifteen percent increase? Closer to home? Kiss the stress, the gas bills and the nightmares goodbye and keep yourself on track financially.
Because after all, who are you working for? YOU! There is a reason why I list myself on Facebook as “SELF EMPLOYED”.
I may work for someone else’s company! But in reality. I work for myself. You should too!
But while I was cleaning, I was also doing some thinking. About how my career has progressed, but mostly about a conversation I had with a friend last week. His current position, with a soul crushing commute, is really getting him down. He is considering going part time, or worse yet, quitting without another job lined up. His comment to me was, ”Money isn’t everything!”
No money isn’t everything. Until you don’t have it. A roof over your head, a car, food, air conditioning. Where do these things come from? Wait for it…….MONEY!
Now you know I am all about being happy. But there is a difference between temporary euphoria and real, long term happiness. Temporary happy can sometimes mean long term-didn’t-watch-the- video-all –the- way-through –life- long- miserable. Remember, I am an expert at this. I was crowned the Queen of Living Beyond Her Means, after trading long term financial security for the latest sale at Macy’s!
So before you decide to “retire early”, go part time instead of working full time, quit a job without another position lined up or bail on something that might lead to something else, look at why sometimes being temporarily miserable in your working life can lead to the promised land in the future!
SOCIAL SECURITY:
Yes, it is easy to say, Social security won’t be there when I retire!” The reality is, chances are, it might be. The amount you get is based on the 30 years of your top earnings. Working part time during the years you could be making a lot more money, means you are cutting what you can collect in retirement. Not working at all? Retiring early, without a lot of money in the bank? Really not in your best interest. What does that mean? The expression “make hay while the sun is shining” is not just about farming.
TEMPORARY CUT FOR MORE MONEY IN THE LONG RUN
I never advise being miserable, but sometimes, to get to something better, you do have to have a little misery time. I decided I was totally sick of managing people. I wanted to work in a more consultant capacity, on the vendor side of life. To get there, I took a sizeable pay cut. Not only that, I signed up for the aforementioned soul crushing commute.
Where am I two and a half years later? Working from home and making more a year than I ever had. Easy? Not at all. The road to get to where I wanted to be meant I had to navigate some rocky terrain, but I saw the prize at the end. A year of misery in exchange for getting what I was looking for was worth it.
PART TIME OR NEW JOB?
So the job is making you crazy and the commute is horrible. Is part time really going to solve that? Making less money and setting yourself up for financial decline, while still being in something that makes you want to jump out your office window isn’t logical when you say it out loud.
It is rare to see an increase over five percent at a current job, but find a new position at ten or even a fifteen percent increase? Closer to home? Kiss the stress, the gas bills and the nightmares goodbye and keep yourself on track financially.
Because after all, who are you working for? YOU! There is a reason why I list myself on Facebook as “SELF EMPLOYED”.
I may work for someone else’s company! But in reality. I work for myself. You should too!
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