FI at work = attitude problem

[force majeure]

I am at SWAMI status, just reached FI a few months back. The problem is, I notice my tolerance for BS in the workplace is being challenged on a daily basis. I got a promotion and I am struggling with the complexity of the new role. More importantly, its not what I am doing, its why am I doing it? I recognise that I have an attitude. Yesterday, I nearly lost it and I was a split second away from smashing up the office. I need to take time out.

[steveo]

just reached FI a few months back.

Well done.

its why am I doing it?

I'm thinking exactly the same thing.

[herbgeek]

Yeah I had the same issue.  Once I had choices, and was not operating from the fear of having to keep my job at all costs, I spoke up and exercised some leadership to address the issues around me.  As a result, my career actually took off at that point- oh the irony.

[Thegoblinchief]

I am at SWAMI status, just reached FI a few months back. The problem is, I notice my tolerance for BS in the workplace is being challenged on a daily basis. I got a promotion and I am struggling with the complexity of the new role. More importantly, its not what I am doing, its why am I doing it? I recognise that I have an attitude. Yesterday, I nearly lost it and I was a split second away from smashing up the office. I need to take time out.

Why? You have more choices, thus more control, and should feel bulletproof. Anger is the refuge of those without the capacity to change their circumstances.

[Retired To Win]

I am at SWAMI status, just reached FI a few months back. The problem is, I notice my tolerance for BS in the workplace is being challenged on a daily basis. I got a promotion and I am struggling with the complexity of the new role. More importantly, its not what I am doing, its why am I doing it? I recognize that I have an attitude. Yesterday, I nearly lost it and I was a split second away from smashing up the office. I need to take time out.

Okay, you've outlined some serious negatives in your job situation.  Are there any positives?  Do you have any good reasons to stay on now that your are FI... other than the nefarious "One More Year" syndrome?

I had a similar situation once.  I just spent my time (yes, at work) lining up a new situation.  I did the minimum required on the present exasperating job while I concentrated on moving on.  How about doing that, if you don't feel mentally ready to just FIRE?

[zataks]

Google didn't help me much with defining SWAMI.  A little help?

[mxt0133]

Google didn't help me much with defining SWAMI.  A little help?

Enjoy!

http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/04/30/weekend-edition-retire-in-your-mind-even-if-you-love-your-job/

[acroy]

Once I had choices, and was not operating from the fear of having to keep my job at all costs, I spoke up and exercised some leadership to address the issues around me.  As a result, my career actually took off at that point- oh the irony.

Yeah! same boat here. They keep promoting me now! I appreciate the recognition and $$ but... time to pull back a bit.

[zataks]

Google didn't help me much with defining SWAMI.  A little help?

Enjoy!

http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/04/30/weekend-edition-retire-in-your-mind-even-if-you-love-your-job/

Well then, it doesn't sound like OP is satisfied at all.  Sounds like there is a large amount of dissatisfaction.  Granted, it seems to be with work, not the mustachian lifestyle.

[MrFancypants]

My personal terminology for "FI" is "f*** you money."

If I were to apply your situation to my plan, knowing that there's my coworkers/employees/bosses could do to change my security, I wouldn't be shy about meeting "workplace BS" very directly.

If it continued to be bad or annoying, this is where another aspect of "f*** you money" comes in...  quit and find a new job somewhere else, should you desire to maintain employment.

[Livewell]

I am at SWAMI status, just reached FI a few months back. The problem is, I notice my tolerance for BS in the workplace is being challenged on a daily basis. I got a promotion and I am struggling with the complexity of the new role. More importantly, its not what I am doing, its why am I doing it? I recognise that I have an attitude. Yesterday, I nearly lost it and I was a split second away from smashing up the office. I need to take time out.

Congratulations!   Still working at my FI number, but passed the "FU money" level a while back so I can understand.

You have to take emotion out of it, be pragmatic and logical.    If it's occasional BS, ignore it if you can, if you can't tell you boss (or report) that you don't agree with whatever it is and be straightforward as to why you aren't going to do it.   If they say no way, then you are on the highway.

I generally like my work.   I have some flexibility because I work for myself essentially, so I get to make the calls about what projects I work on (mostly).   When I can't, I just think about how quickly I can get through the activity and back to what I want to do.   If it ever reached the point where it was too much of the stuff I didn't like to work on, I'd move on.

[AlexK]

Yeah I had the same issue.  Once I had choices, and was not operating from the fear of having to keep my job at all costs, I spoke up and exercised some leadership to address the issues around me.  As a result, my career actually took off at that point- oh the irony.

Me too. You would think reclining, yawning, doodling, and saying what I really think during meetings would reflect poorly but it has not, quite the opposite. I am calling this "the Office Space effect".

[Syonyk]

If you need to take some time off, take some time off.

For me, at least, while not FI, having a good cushion of money in the bank has radically improved my ability to put up with crap at work, because I know I can quit if I want to.

... also, changing to a team that's much more my set of skills has helped a lot too. :)  And I have zero desire to be promoted to manager of any sort, because I'd rather do technical work than wrangle people.

[Sayonara925]

You would think reclining, yawning, doodling, and saying what I really think during meetings would reflect poorly but it has not, quite the opposite. I am calling this "the Office Space effect".

Nice.  I experienced some of this myself over the last couple years.  LOL, I'd be doodling and not taking notes because it all didn't seem to matter much anymore.  Just tried to do a good job, but knowing in the back of my mind if anything got uncomfortable, see ya!  My opinion and input suddenly became more valuable.  No longer felt any sort of intimidation from individuals in "upper mgmt" and could have frank discussions with them, whereas before I may have been more tentative and reserved.  I think it threw them off a bit...why is this guy talking to me like he doesn't care who I am? 

[deborah]

Write out all the reasons you are still there. Write out all the reasons you should not be there. Work out which you really want. Tear up the list that doesn't fit. Quit tomorrow if that list fits, otherwise keep the "why you are there" list in your wallet, and read it each time you are about to tear up the office.

[arizonawildcats]

There were times in my early career when I felt the relationship with my employer was a one-way street (what they say goes).   I was always wanting to please the employer even if it meant sacrifice or pain for me and my family.   Once financial independence is achieved, it's great to be able to stand up and have more of a backbone.  You are no longer at the mercy of your employer because there are options.   The one-way street absolutely turns into a two-way street which evens out the playing field.   

It is good to take some "cooling off time" after someone presses your buttons.   I try to "sleep on it" before acting or responding to others.   It's amazing what a good night of sleep can do for perspective.   


 

[MrFancypants]

Me too. You would think reclining, yawning, doodling, and saying what I really think during meetings would reflect poorly but it has not, quite the opposite. I am calling this "the Office Space effect".

I'm extremely close to being at that point in my career, but I'm struggling to make the mental leap.

[sol]

I nearly lost it and I was a split second away from smashing up the office.

That sounds like a problem that goes beyond your job.

Once financial independence is achieved, it's great to be able to stand up and have more of a backbone.  You are no longer at the mercy of your employer because there are options. 

Lots of you keep saying this, but I'm not seeing it in my workplace situation.  Most of the BS that I deal with is pretty justified.  People put pressure on me at work because they're depending on my contributions.  I have lots of monthly conference calls where people want to discuss what I have contributed to their particular five year plan in the past 30 days, and if I don't have a top ten list then I get scolded for not pulling my weight.

I have enough money to never work again, but this money doesn't provide me with any freedom to push back against these pressures.  I want to be good at my job.  I believe in the mission and I want the team to succeed, I just hate having to give up my nights and weekends to make it happen.  I'm still totally at the mercy of my colleagues, no matter how much money I have.

I think this oft-reported feeling of freedom is only present in people with a pretty adversarial relationship with their employer.  In my case the financial freedom is just hurting my morale because it's always there, quietly whispering, offering to free me from the pressure to succeed.  It says "don't bother to get that report out on time" and "you can probably skip that conference call" and "go ahead and let someone else pick up the slack on this project" and "what are they going to do, fire you?"  Far from making my work more enjoyable, it's a constant negative influence on my motivation, pushing me toward mediocrity.  Who wants to be mediocre?

[Sayonara925]

Who wants to be mediocre?

Have to admit...I was tending to rest on my laurels toward the end there.  As mentioned, the work seemed less important (to me), and although I endeavored to keep the quality up, I was not feeling the pressure.  The main thing that motivated me at that point was not letting my team members down.

[MrFancypants]

Lots of you keep saying this, but I'm not seeing it in my workplace situation.  Most of the BS that I deal with is pretty justified.  People put pressure on me at work because they're depending on my contributions.  I have lots of monthly conference calls where people want to discuss what I have contributed to their particular five year plan in the past 30 days, and if I don't have a top ten list then I get scolded for not pulling my weight.

I have enough money to never work again, but this money doesn't provide me with any freedom to push back against these pressures.  I want to be good at my job.  I believe in the mission and I want the team to succeed, I just hate having to give up my nights and weekends to make it happen.  I'm still totally at the mercy of my colleagues, no matter how much money I have.

I think this oft-reported feeling of freedom is only present in people with a pretty adversarial relationship with their employer.  In my case the financial freedom is just hurting my morale because it's always there, quietly whispering, offering to free me from the pressure to succeed.  It says "don't bother to get that report out on time" and "you can probably skip that conference call" and "go ahead and let someone else pick up the slack on this project" and "what are they going to do, fire you?"  Far from making my work more enjoyable, it's a constant negative influence on my motivation, pushing me toward mediocrity.  Who wants to be mediocre?

I think the first part of your post, believing in mission and being willing to give extra time to meet it, comes down to the priorities you've set.  If this is a high priority in your life, then things are the way they should be.  I have similar feelings regarding my career and workplace, but my other priorities take precedence.  I still put in extra hours when necessary, but I viciously push back against any type of tasking that isn't absolutely critical that could eat into my family time.

The last part, I don't think is entirely accurate for all of us, even if it surely is for some of us.  I think that if you've made it to even a middle management position you may find that any adversarial relationships that have developed are less with your boss(es) and more with your peers.  Simply feeling free to speak up to point out whatever elephant is hiding in whatever room you happen to be sitting in can be pretty powerful.

Ironically, the closer I get to retirement the less I hate my job, maybe because I'm bending the terms of my employment to fit my life instead of feeling like I have to desperately appease others to maintain my position.

[sol]

I'm bending the terms of my employment to fit my life instead of feeling like I have to desperately appease others to maintain my position.

I think part of my problem is that my lifestyle requires so much bending of my job expectations that I become bad at my job.  I could totally get away with only working 40 hours per week, but everyone around me would immediately start to view me as a failure because my output would drop so much. 

They wouldn't fire me.  They wouldn't promote me either, of course.  My (government) job is secure enough that I could probably skate by on 40 hours per week for the next year or two without getting canned.  By contrast, busting my ass for a promotion would increase my income a bit, but not for very long.  And that's the problem, for someone who only plans to work another year or two anyway; I have strong motivate to be bad at my job, and little motivation to be great at my job.  The closer I get to my punch-out date, the worse this situation gets. 

[MrFancypants]

Man, if skating by is considered 40 hours of solid effort where you're at, I'm happy I'm not there. My experience with a position that had me going for 70 to 80 a week is what led me to drastically ramp up my savings. I enjoyed that job, and I was very good at it, but I won't be doing that again unless lives are on the line.

[steveo]

Lots of you keep saying this, but I'm not seeing it in my workplace situation.  Most of the BS that I deal with is pretty justified.  People put pressure on me at work because they're depending on my contributions.  I have lots of monthly conference calls where people want to discuss what I have contributed to their particular five year plan in the past 30 days, and if I don't have a top ten list then I get scolded for not pulling my weight.

I have enough money to never work again, but this money doesn't provide me with any freedom to push back against these pressures.  I want to be good at my job.  I believe in the mission and I want the team to succeed, I just hate having to give up my nights and weekends to make it happen.  I'm still totally at the mercy of my colleagues, no matter how much money I have.

I think this oft-reported feeling of freedom is only present in people with a pretty adversarial relationship with their employer.  In my case the financial freedom is just hurting my morale because it's always there, quietly whispering, offering to free me from the pressure to succeed.  It says "don't bother to get that report out on time" and "you can probably skip that conference call" and "go ahead and let someone else pick up the slack on this project" and "what are they going to do, fire you?"  Far from making my work more enjoyable, it's a constant negative influence on my motivation, pushing me toward mediocrity.  Who wants to be mediocre?

I don't see this happening in my workplace either. You either put in or you go. I can imagine someone giving me a fuck you when I was stating we have to do something. I'd say no worries and you can get the fuck off my project.

People like me giving them a tonne of work because I think they want to get better at their jobs. I'm the project manager but one developer especially busts my balls to get work done. So he is hassling me. I leave earlier than other people and people keep working. I don't think money is the issue.

[steveo]

I think part of my problem is that my lifestyle requires so much bending of my job expectations that I become bad at my job.  I could totally get away with only working 40 hours per week, but everyone around me would immediately start to view me as a failure because my output would drop so much. 

They wouldn't fire me.  They wouldn't promote me either, of course.  My (government) job is secure enough that I could probably skate by on 40 hours per week for the next year or two without getting canned.  By contrast, busting my ass for a promotion would increase my income a bit, but not for very long.  And that's the problem, for someone who only plans to work another year or two anyway; I have strong motivate to be bad at my job, and little motivation to be great at my job.  The closer I get to my punch-out date, the worse this situation gets.

I do get away with doing bugger all at times. The thing is when I turn up and have stuff to do I just do it. So I can work from home and sometimes I'll just go the gym, play chess etc. Most of the time though I work freaken hard.

I want to do less. I can get away with doing less. I don't like seeing work get stuffed up though.

[force majeure]

Thanks for the advice everyone. It re-inforces the real reason I started down this road to FIRE, the desire to cut back on everything and stop people directing my life. Hey, its not so bad, I just got a free breakfast at work today!

[Faraday]

I am at SWAMI status, just reached FI a few months back. The problem is, I notice my tolerance for BS in the workplace is being challenged on a daily basis. I got a promotion and I am struggling with the complexity of the new role. More importantly, its not what I am doing, its why am I doing it? I recognise that I have an attitude. Yesterday, I nearly lost it and I was a split second away from smashing up the office. I need to take time out.

Use your SWAMI status...to look for a job at a better company. Why? You've got to rule out your employer as the source of your stress, and the best way to do that is to interview for a similar position at other companies.

Imagine if you could do what you do now, (being as good as you are at it), but you worked at a different company where your contribution was highly valued, but they weren't beating the crap out of you in the meantime?!?!

You are in a PERFECT position to search for a new job. Get that resume updated, break out an interview suit and have at it!

[Miss Prim]

It's the funniest thing, but I actually have more tolerance and am happier now that the end is in sight!  I work with a lot of strong, opinionated people who like to micromanage other people and they are not even in charge!  I have had to have my say with them and once I stood up and they knew I wasn't going to tolerate their BS., things got better.  I even would kind of have it out with my boss now and then. 

But, I work in healthcare and have more seniority than everyone I work with, so as long as I don't carry things too far, I am not in danger of loosing my job.  Since I stood up to everyone who was a problem, I
am left alone to do my job, and that I would never compromise because people's lives are at stake. 

I work hard and am proud of it, but I won't tolerate BS from other people, including bosses.

                                                                              Miss Prim

[Le Poisson]

Angry to the point of smashing up an office isn't healthy. For your own good, you should talk to someone about that - and likely not a bunch of internet friends.

The guy in the cube next to me could be called a SWAMI, I guess. At least until recently, he had savings and family money that meant he didn't need a job. Where he departs from SWAMI was that he doesn't give a damn about work. At all.

He has a mini-fridge under his desk. Seriously. His own mini-fridge because he doesn't want to walk to the lunch room. He spends an hour each morning calling around restaurants to see which has the best lunch, then wanders around the office recruiting a group to go out with. He has a full filing cabinet of CD's and once tried to bring a recliner into his cube. He's comfortable, and resists change - to the point that he still hasn't learned to use excel or word, preferring to hand write memos and give them to an admin to type out. (What memos he does write are so brutal I end up rewriting them, only to have him tell me the admin changed his content. Ugh.) I've been tasked with letting him know its not a country club we're in, but an office. We've tried to 'promote' him out, but he refuses any new position. If we could let him go, he would be long gone, but unfortunately he is protected.  Yes my frustration with this dude is through the roof. He has 20 years seniority in the union, so I'm stuck with him until he retires - which won't be soon since he just bought a country home and took on a new mortgage. He could have retired, but then went and got himself in debt.

My point in sharing this is that if you reach this level of comfort in your job, you should really move on to something else. If for nothing else, then to challenge and broaden yourself. Or to have pity on the rest of the people trying to work around you. Its one thing to say you don't want to come in on the weekend, its another altogether to produce absolutely nothing and still collect a paycheck.

[I'm a red panda]

I had a friend who absolutely was not at FI, but comfortable for a month or two who reached this way after vesting in our 403b. 

Everytime something pissed her off, she threatened to walk out (and in the months leading up to vesting counted the days down).  One day, she actually did.

She got a new job a month later. 

But knowing she wouldn't lose 5 years of company contributions was enough. So it isn't surprising reaching FI makes you less willing to put up with crap. 

But I agree- if you are angry to the point of smashing things, it isn't healthy.  If you want to keep working, maybe somewhere else?

[2lazy2retire]

Lots of you keep saying this, but I'm not seeing it in my workplace situation.  Most of the BS that I deal with is pretty justified.  People put pressure on me at work because they're depending on my contributions.  I have lots of monthly conference calls where people want to discuss what I have contributed to their particular five year plan in the past 30 days, and if I don't have a top ten list then I get scolded for not pulling my weight.

I have enough money to never work again, but this money doesn't provide me with any freedom to push back against these pressures.  I want to be good at my job.  I believe in the mission and I want the team to succeed, I just hate having to give up my nights and weekends to make it happen.  I'm still totally at the mercy of my colleagues, no matter how much money I have.

I think this oft-reported feeling of freedom is only present in people with a pretty adversarial relationship with their employer.  In my case the financial freedom is just hurting my morale because it's always there, quietly whispering, offering to free me from the pressure to succeed.  It says "don't bother to get that report out on time" and "you can probably skip that conference call" and "go ahead and let someone else pick up the slack on this project" and "what are they going to do, fire you?"  Far from making my work more enjoyable, it's a constant negative influence on my motivation, pushing me toward mediocrity.  Who wants to be mediocre?

I don't see this happening in my workplace either. You either put in or you go. I can imagine someone giving me a fuck you when I was stating we have to do something. I'd say no worries and you can get the fuck off my project.

People like me giving them a tonne of work because I think they want to get better at their jobs. I'm the project manager but one developer especially busts my balls to get work done. So he is hassling me. I leave earlier than other people and people keep working. I don't think money is the issue.

"you can get the fuck off my project."

This is why FI means alot to me and why I'm so thankful for my lot ,now I never have to work for someone like you

[Cougar]

I am at SWAMI status, just reached FI a few months back. The problem is, I notice my tolerance for BS in the workplace is being challenged on a daily basis. I got a promotion and I am struggling with the complexity of the new role. More importantly, its not what I am doing, its why am I doing it? I recognise that I have an attitude. Yesterday, I nearly lost it and I was a split second away from smashing up the office. I need to take time out.

I just plug along and just do the work and dont complain. I have actually figured out that my spending at FI on my estimate of 3 years goes up $4 every day for every work day and $85 a month for every work month (of course if the stock market doesnt lose 50% again). I know at some point I will walk away and never work past 5, a weeknight, weekend or holday again; i may take another job; but it'll be on my terms.

[Schaefer Light]

Where he departs from SWAMI was that he doesn't give a damn about work. At all.

He has a mini-fridge under his desk. Seriously. His own mini-fridge because he doesn't want to walk to the lunch room. He spends an hour each morning calling around restaurants to see which has the best lunch, then wanders around the office recruiting a group to go out with. He has a full filing cabinet of CD's and once tried to bring a recliner into his cube.

This made me laugh.  I could see myself turning into this guy.  Except I'd have a wet bar in my cubicle ;).

[Fuzzy Buttons]

I think this oft-reported feeling of freedom is only present in people with a pretty adversarial relationship with their employer.  In my case the financial freedom is just hurting my morale because it's always there, quietly whispering, offering to free me from the pressure to succeed.  It says "don't bother to get that report out on time" and "you can probably skip that conference call" and "go ahead and let someone else pick up the slack on this project" and "what are they going to do, fire you?"  Far from making my work more enjoyable, it's a constant negative influence on my motivation, pushing me toward mediocrity.  Who wants to be mediocre?

Who wants to be mediocre?

I think I do.

I've been struggling with this a lot recently.  At 44, I'm no longer an eager young go-getter.  When I was in high school or college, I often felt I'd do something amazing with my life, and I had a great sense of expectation.  Through my twenties I made many productive contributions to my company and, though not the stuff of Google, they are accomplishments of which I'm still pretty proud. 

But now, what I mostly feel is tired.  Tired of meetings and paperwork, of course - that's a given in any corporate environment.  But also tired of my work.  I no longer feel like I'm going to make great leaps in my abilities, and I'm no longer driven to do so, either.  I'm tired of going to the same office, sitting in the same gray cube, nine hours a day.  I'm tired of writing code.  If I was saving lives or improving the human condition, then I might feel differently.  But I'm not.  I'm one of millions of people - billions around the world - who is doing something that will continue if I'm not there with hardly a perceptible skip.

I also don't feel like I am driven to take on a new career.  Right now, my desires are pretty simple.  I want to hike.  I want to sleep when I'm tired, wake when I'm rested, eat when I'm hungry.  I want to spend time with people I love, and people who love me.  I want to enjoy the years I have left, whether it be forty, or twenty.  Or just one.

What I'm trying to do now is to convince myself I'm okay with this.  More, that it is okay to want this.  That this isn't a moral failing.  Because right now the thought of living my life like this makes me feel guilty.  It's not what my parents or society thinks I should be doing.  It's not what I think I should be doing.  It's a waste.  It's settling for mediocrity; and worse, sloth.  Hedonism.  Lots of words for it - the only one with positive connotations I can find is leisure.  I want to be a man of leisure.

I've got plenty of time to sort this out, though.  I'm ten years from FI.  So for the next ten years, my goal is to be mediocre.  I'm getting the job done, and letting the stress slide off.  I don't need a promotion.  I don't need a raise.  I want to help my coworkers do well, and I want the money, so I'm doing my part.  But I'm finding that lots of the work I've always thought was mandatory, is in fact extra credit.  And I'm done with extra credit.

Sorry - kindof got off point there.  To the original poster, anger at people with whom you are now associating on a purely voluntary basis is irrational.  There's something else going on there.  What do you want?  What is in your way?

[toodleoo]

Right now, my desires are pretty simple.  I want to hike.  I want to sleep when I'm tired, wake when I'm rested, eat when I'm hungry.  I want to spend time with people I love, and people who love me.  I want to enjoy the years I have left, whether it be forty, or twenty.  Or just one.

But I'm finding that lots of the work I've always thought was mandatory, is in fact extra credit.  And I'm done with extra credit.

Preach! This is exactly how I feel. I want to live a simple life, on my own schedule. I am tired.

[steveo]

Right now, my desires are pretty simple.  I want to hike.  I want to sleep when I'm tired, wake when I'm rested, eat when I'm hungry.  I want to spend time with people I love, and people who love me.  I want to enjoy the years I have left, whether it be forty, or twenty.  Or just one.

This is how I feel. I state that I want to get promoted but all I really want to do is live the life I have now but not have to go to work. I don't need fancy cars, clothes, holidays etc.

I want to go the gym all the time. I want to ride my bike. Eat healthy food. Read books. Play chess. Spend time with my wife and kids. Work is just not anywhere on my list of priorities.

[StartingEarly]

I am already feeling this with only having FU money. I am an apprentice and am there to learn. I generally work as an assistant to people, they can easily get by without me at this point. However I am still included on the vacation limit numbers. That means that the very limited vacation days that I earned aren't allowed to be used as I see fit, quite the opposite. Typically I can only get days off when I don't really care to take them.

I had them turn down a few days off because they didn't deem it important. I am allowed to turn over staying over to help on after hours projects. They pay time and a half, but I hardly feel like doing them anymore. I feel no drive to go above and beyond when I am treated like shit over arbitrary rules that have no set basis in reality.

[Cressida]

he still hasn't learned to use excel or word

o_O

[dragoncar]

Google didn't help me much with defining SWAMI.  A little help?

Enjoy!

http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/04/30/weekend-edition-retire-in-your-mind-even-if-you-love-your-job/

This is a terrible acronym and needs to die.  Every single time I see it, I have to look it up again.  Moreover, OP is not even SWAMI -- not "satisfied" at work!

[deborah]

This is a terrible acronym and needs to die.  Every single time I see it, I have to look it up again.  Moreover, OP is not even SWAMI -- not "satisfied" at work!

Yes, every time I see it I think of Hari Krishnas

[Fuzzy Buttons]

This is a terrible acronym and needs to die.  Every single time I see it, I have to look it up again.  Moreover, OP is not even SWAMI -- not "satisfied" at work!

Yes, every time I see it I think of Hari Krishnas

Every time I see it I think of Johnny Carson.

[MrFancypants]

he still hasn't learned to use excel or word

o_O

^ yeah, I don't understand how that's really possible these days.

Not to say that I'm a wizard in either of those applications, but I know enough to get stuff done.

[Cookie78]

Right now, my desires are pretty simple.  I want to hike.  I want to sleep when I'm tired, wake when I'm rested, eat when I'm hungry.  I want to spend time with people I love, and people who love me.  I want to enjoy the years I have left, whether it be forty, or twenty.  Or just one.

But I'm finding that lots of the work I've always thought was mandatory, is in fact extra credit.  And I'm done with extra credit.

Preach! This is exactly how I feel. I want to live a simple life, on my own schedule. I am tired.

+1 to both quotes

Simple life on my own schedule. Spending time with loved ones.

I have no desire for anything beyond mediocre at work.

[Cougar]

But now, what I mostly feel is tired.  Tired of meetings and paperwork, of course - that's a given in any corporate environment.  But also tired of my work.  I no longer feel like I'm going to make great leaps in my abilities, and I'm no longer driven to do so, either.  I'm tired of going to the same office, sitting in the same gray cube, nine hours a day.  I'm tired of writing code.  If I was saving lives or improving the human condition, then I might feel differently.  But I'm not.  I'm one of millions of people - billions around the world - who is doing something that will continue if I'm not there with hardly a perceptible skip.

I also don't feel like I am driven to take on a new career.  Right now, my desires are pretty simple.  I want to hike.  I want to sleep when I'm tired, wake when I'm rested, eat when I'm hungry.  I want to spend time with people I love, and people who love me.  I want to enjoy the years I have left, whether it be forty, or twenty.  Or just one.

What I'm trying to do now is to convince myself I'm okay with this.  More, that it is okay to want this.  That this isn't a moral failing.  Because right now the thought of living my life like this makes me feel guilty.  It's not what my parents or society thinks I should be doing.  It's not what I think I should be doing.  It's a waste.  It's settling for mediocrity; and worse, sloth.  Hedonism.  Lots of words for it - the only one with positive connotations I can find is leisure.  I want to be a man of leisure.

I've got plenty of time to sort this out, though.  I'm ten years from FI.  So for the next ten years, my goal is to be mediocre.  I'm getting the job done, and letting the stress slide off.  I don't need a promotion.  I don't need a raise.  I want to help my coworkers do well, and I want the money, so I'm doing my part.  But I'm finding that lots of the work I've always thought was mandatory, is in fact extra credit.  And I'm done with extra credit.

Sorry - kindof got off point there.  To the original poster, anger at people with whom you are now associating on a purely voluntary basis is irrational.  There's something else going on there.  What do you want?  What is in your way?

Wow, so much of this is me.

I have no desire to try for the best again, i know all the effort will just be time i gave up for maybe a 3% raise. I'd prefer to take a less taxing job like working in a grocery store where when my shift is up; i'm done until i go fire but to do so would be a failure in the eyes of most of my family; so instead i worked this sunday and probably will many more sundays this year.

[deborah]

The guy in the cube next to me could be called a SWAMI, I guess. At least until recently, he had savings and family money that meant he didn't need a job. Where he departs from SWAMI was that he doesn't give a damn about work. At all.

He has a mini-fridge under his desk. Seriously. His own mini-fridge because he doesn't want to walk to the lunch room. He spends an hour each morning calling around restaurants to see which has the best lunch, then wanders around the office recruiting a group to go out with. He has a full filing cabinet of CD's and once tried to bring a recliner into his cube. He's comfortable, and resists change - to the point that he still hasn't learned to use excel or word, preferring to hand write memos and give them to an admin to type out. (What memos he does write are so brutal I end up rewriting them, only to have him tell me the admin changed his content. Ugh.) I've been tasked with letting him know its not a country club we're in, but an office. We've tried to 'promote' him out, but he refuses any new position. If we could let him go, he would be long gone, but unfortunately he is protected.  Yes my frustration with this dude is through the roof. He has 20 years seniority in the union, so I'm stuck with him until he retires - which won't be soon since he just bought a country home and took on a new mortgage. He could have retired, but then went and got himself in debt.

My point in sharing this is that if you reach this level of comfort in your job, you should really move on to something else. If for nothing else, then to challenge and broaden yourself. Or to have pity on the rest of the people trying to work around you. Its one thing to say you don't want to come in on the weekend, its another altogether to produce absolutely nothing and still collect a paycheck.

No-one is completely protected. I have dealt with staff like this (in fact I was given several because I did so well with them). Went completely by the books (read up on exactly what was in the certified agreement and talked long with hr/conduct and performance), and had a rewarding time getting people to work (sometimes for the first time ever). It completely amazed me what most other managers would allow to happen.

[Daisy]

Right now, my desires are pretty simple.  I want to hike.  I want to sleep when I'm tired, wake when I'm rested, eat when I'm hungry.  I want to spend time with people I love, and people who love me.  I want to enjoy the years I have left, whether it be forty, or twenty.  Or just one.

But I'm finding that lots of the work I've always thought was mandatory, is in fact extra credit.  And I'm done with extra credit.

Preach! This is exactly how I feel. I want to live a simple life, on my own schedule. I am tired.

+1 to both quotes

Simple life on my own schedule. Spending time with loved ones.

I have no desire for anything beyond mediocre at work.

I remember quite a while back my company instituted a ranking and rating system where the top 10% would be awarded with a "higher" raise and/or bonus, the bottom 10% would be targets for layoffs. That left a pretty nice 80% in the middle which I also called "the mediocre middle".

Mediocre for me meant doing my job well, being pleasant at work, and not letting people down. I knew I'd never be top 10% in a technical field, so I was happy being in the mediocre middle. I think I stated it out loud a few times, but definitely not during performance reviews. ;-) I was always happy to just be "on plan".

[retired?]

Yep, not a SWAMI.  I am jealous of those people.

So, my suggestion is to do whatever you think is best for the firm, AND what you would like to do.  Pretend you are a full professor with tenure.

e.g. perhaps don't attend a meeting if you think it is not worthwhile. 

My advice along the lines of that blog with an article "How to Not Give a Fuck".  Like the one poster who wrote about his career taking off, people who can do what they see as best (assuming with a respectful attitude) somehow are respected themselves and successful.

Not asshole, but confident.

[force majeure]

My point being, once you get to FI status, you tend not to care about what other people's agenda is, and maybe it shows in the workplace. So maybe its time to plan the exit.

[retired?]

My point being, once you get to FI status, you tend not to care about what other people's agenda is, and maybe it shows in the workplace. So maybe its time to plan the exit.

And, my point would be perhaps that means it is a good time to stay.  Don't have outbursts like you indicated you were on the verge of.  Not caring about other people's agendas can make you quite productive. 

It's just another mindset.  It sounds like you don't care about their agendas anymore, but still feel (as you prob did pre-FI) that you ought to appear to care. 

Try it out.  Look at it this way, the option to exit will still exist.  At worst, you exit a little later having miffed a few people who you very likely won't ever see again.

[forummm]

I am at SWAMI status, just reached FI a few months back. The problem is, I notice my tolerance for BS in the workplace is being challenged on a daily basis. I got a promotion and I am struggling with the complexity of the new role. More importantly, its not what I am doing, its why am I doing it? I recognise that I have an attitude. Yesterday, I nearly lost it and I was a split second away from smashing up the office. I need to take time out.

Yeah, if you liked what you were doing before, maybe try to go back to doing that. You clearly don't need the promotion. If you can't maybe just walk.

[Cinder]

By contrast, busting my ass for a promotion would increase my income a bit, but not for very long.  And that's the problem, for someone who only plans to work another year or two anyway; I have strong motivate to be bad at my job, and little motivation to be great at my job.  The closer I get to my punch-out date, the worse this situation gets.

It's just like investing.  The earlier you invest, the long you have for the gains to grow.  If your punch out date is only a few years out, the difference between a 'standard' raise and a 'bust your ass' raise really isn't worth the effort.  If you have a longer time till FI, then the larger % gains have more time to compound.