I'd like to share some thoughts and open a discussion on the following topic: as you get closer to FIRE, what steps can you take to "wind down" your career instead of working as usual and then quitting? By winding down, I don't mean slacking off, just sitting on your ass and not contributing at work. This approach is different from "engineering your layoff", more about changing your mindset, focusing on the positive as opposed to worrying and getting anxious about work.
Here are some random thoughts and ideas:
-Stop aiming to get promoted and worrying about career advancement. For example, if you can choose to either work with cool people in a good environment or get a more stressful job that pays more and/or results in better career opportunities in the future, choose the former.
-Stop worrying about impressing your managers and higher ups. Don't try to get more "face time" with them, show off your achievements, play politics to take more credit for work. Just be a normal person when you talk to them: joke with them if they appreciate your sense of humor. Talk about sports or other common interests not to score points, but only because you both like to talk about this stuff.
-Stop learning new skills just for the sake of career advancement and/or job security. Learn something new if your are genuinely interested in it, but don't worry about being at the cutting edge in your line of work to maximize your career prospects. This is particularly relevant in the IT/technology space where there seems to be an arms race to learn the latest programming languages and frameworks just to stay relevant and employable.
-Prioritize your life outside of work over career prospects. For example, turn down job opportunities if the location or commute sucks. Focus on work-life balance. Even take a pay cut if you can work from home or move to a nice city with better weather, closer to family and friends, etc.
-Cut off communication with negative people at work. Only talk to them about work-related stuff if you have to and keep it to a minimum. For example, don't feel like you have to go out for lunch or social events if some of the people there are not the kind of people you would socialize with outside of work.
-As you get closer to FIRE, take it one step farther and stop worrying not only about promotions, but even about keeping the current job. Again, this is not about slacking off and letting your colleagues down, more about losing any anxiety or negative emotions related to work. Take the following approach "I like this job and my colleagues and am happy to contribute, but I'm not going to worry about getting laid off or fired. If they have to let me go, so be it, but I'll enjoy my work and have fun while this job is available to me".
Ironically, this approach may result in better job performance and more career prospects. People around you will sense your positive vibe and want to work and spend time with you. Managers and colleagues will respect you for being genuine and not playing politics. Think Peter Gibbons from Office Space, except more reasonable and polite: not stealing printers or demolishing your cube, not trying to reprogram the system to siphon off pennies to your bank account, just being chill and positive, showing respect to good people and avoiding bad people around you.
I'd like to open a discussion so that people can share their experiences, thoughts and tips on the subject. At what point in your career, if ever, did you try something similar? How close were you to FIRE when you started winding down? Did it come naturally or was it result of a deliberate strategy that you pursued? How did it work out for you?