Comments on: Being Overly Content Can Be Detrimental To Your Career

By: admin

admin — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 14:31:54 +0000

Thanks Sam. Great quote. Are you a new writer with Mike at TFB?

By: Sam

Sam — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 13:54:54 +0000

I say wonderful post. And I only have a quote which I somehow find fitting to this post:
” Contentment is not always the fulfillment of what you WANT, it is the realization of how blessed you are for what you already HAVE.”

By: Jslugger

Jslugger — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:43:58 +0000

I am quite content with the current level of my finances however that contentment allows me to contemplate without fear about what my next step is in life.
I am not mal nor discontented, neither am I complacent. I eagerly look forward to the next thing in my life but i think being content allows me to make a better decision with regards of weighing the pros and cons of a situation. I find that these days I am less hasty and it is easier for me to recover from mistakes whereas before being discontent could have and it has caused me to compound mistakes.

By: Brandon

Brandon — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:53:08 +0000

Great advice. I think what people don’t realize is that they’ll be even more comfortable with a higher salary. Sure, it may take time to get used to, but eventually you will get back in your same rhythm.

By: In Brief: Kids Are Expensive, Cheap Meals, and (Of Course) iPhones | Money Under 30

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 19:12:20 +0000

[...] Financial Samurai: Being overly content can be detrimental to your career. [...]

By: ermine

ermine — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 21:33:15 +0000

Interesting that you need the yang of work to give meaning to the yin of chilling on the beach. I’m not convinced by http://www.financialsamurai.com/2010/04/30/the-dark-side-of-early-retirement-risks-dangers/ – money is crystallised power, it is the value and meaning that adds to life that makes it worth working for, or not. Maybe you just have a cool work ethic, and I’m a lazy bum, that’s fine with me :) Good luck in your quest!

By: admin

admin — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 14:35:56 +0000

Ermine – Thanks for your thoughts. There might be a reason why there’s a lot of talk about work and money on this site…… it’s a personal finance blog!

I’m not sure if I’m stressed about money or work. What’s more is the stress of having too many options and wondering what to do, since there are always headhunters and people calling to make the move. I think it’s natural to wonder what else is out there.

I’m not with the Mexican fisherman story b/c it’s the JOURNEY which I’m having so much fun with. If all I did was chill out of the beach and fish, I’d get bored. The reason why chilling out on the beach is so much fun sometimes is because of work. There has to be balance.

I think you’d love this post: http://www.financialsamurai.com/2010/04/30/the-dark-side-of-early-retirement-risks-dangers/

Cheers, Sam

By: ermine

ermine — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 13:51:31 +0000

I think you stress about work and money too much ;) Okay, so you are probably being provocative to get lively debate, but y’know, there’s more to life than money.

You’ve got the right to your priorities, but in some ways I wonder – after all if more money is what you’re after then heck, you sound bright, go into business yourself. You never get rich working for somebody else…

FWIW I am one of those lifers – I switched jobs early in my career, to get myself to where I wanted to be. Then it comes time to look at the other things that make life worth living. There’s more to life than work.

Now, I want out. The company has changed, globalisation is worsening conditions in professional careers, and there’s still life to live and less time to live it in. Sure, I could earn the price of a fancy house as cash in the next 10 years. So what? I already own my current house outright, and owe nobody a thing. I’ve had enough of this work/slavery lark, I have screwed my outgoings down without losing too much quality of life. You’ve only got so many years on this earth, how many more do you want to spend looking at the inside of an office wall or at the company computer.

I’m with ERE and his Mexican fisherman here. Freedom is priceless – which is why it’s worth considering paying the opportunity cost for it. Each to their own, however – if you fear contentment, run away from it :) Ask not, however, what you are running away from – ask what it is that you are running towards. What are your aims, ideals, values, and live them. If it’s Benjamins lining the walls, you know what you got to do…