Can you tell the truth?!

This is an interesting blog and prompts a few immediate thoughts – the principal ones being, that’s a lot of money to have and still be working. Surely most people would have their feet up at that level of wealth? But hey, the question is being asked by the boss, and it’s a hypothetical, so it’s understandable that they would smile, tug the forelock and say yes sir, of course I’d still be here bright and early tomorrow morning! On the other hand it may highlight how much of a disparity there is between how much you need to actually stop working and the perils of lifestyle inflation.

That aside, it shows how people want to work in creative and interesting roles doing things they love, even when money isn’t an issue, which is at the heart of FI. It makes me happy that some employers must be getting it right in attracting the right people to the right jobs and keeping them engaged and interested. However, every job surely has to entail the boring bits, the admin has to get done otherwise the systems don’t work and no one has a clue what’s going on. I also heard that research showed entirely free thinking work was very draining and having some repetitive tasks to tick off the list gives us little dopamine hits, so an ideal job has a balance of both elements.

But if I didn’t have to slog through the boring admin and was liberated to spend more time being creative and apply higher thinking to situations, would I give up on FIRE, buy myself some sleek glasses and black turtle neck and stay in the workforce until 70years old?

It’s a no from me. A job still means sitting in an office for hours per day, commuting, suffering train delays, tube strikes and eating plastic wrapped sandwiches. It’s because of those reasons that I am pushing for, and will continue to push for FI.

I wonder what the reaction would be if the answer to the initial question was; work half as many hours? Saying it would make you more productive for being better rested and coming in seeking stimulation and challenge rather remaining stressed through overwork…

Would such a statement only demonstrate that you are not a good worker bee? If you couldn’t possibly say such a thing without severely limiting your career for such failure of loyalty, are you in the right job? If you can’t escape such a job, but it’s paying the bills nicely, then surely the answer is to put yourself in the position where you can look your boss squarely in the eye and tell them the truth (which isn’t the same as shouting obscenities and flouncing out the door) without fear. It means having an ‘F’ you pot if necessary and passive income.