Deep Thoughts by CvM 20+14

Water Cooler
#1

Here are some random musings by CvM on the first Friday of 20+14.

Last night my manager and I were busy hammering some Excel models, creating memorandums, and processing various financial reports per year end. After throwing down a cool 12 hour day, I approach him, summarize the list of tasks done and to be completed, then say I’m heading out. His face turns still and I can see a soapbox rant is coming up. He goes on and on to ask me what I want to do with my life, what I want to be when I’m self-actualized, and how much money I want in liquid assets. All of these hit me hard and fast and I shrug, “I dunno, just work hard now and keep hustlin’ for the man.” He then says I need real specific answers to these questions if he’s going to be able to work with me (probably true, but whatevs). He then goes on to say, “I really think you need some direction, I can tell you don’t know what to do with yourself based on your volunteering involvement in nonprofits which does not add direct value to finance, the adjunct role you’ve now assumed at the hacksaw community college, and now compounded by the fact you already want to leave already tonight.”

He goes on to say that he wants to be an executive/partner at a specific firm and have a cool $250m in liquid assets. His plan is to acquire that by the tender age of 50, and only then, will he take some time to enjoy it by retiring to bum around a beach resort. Until then, he is going keep working ~80+ hour weeks giving our slave driving employer his all and everything. Mind you neither of us have an equity stake in our employer.

While this dude is a rather cool cat and someone I enjoy working with. I find his logic and philosophy flawed way the fck off. I mean, I enjoy life now. Why must he wait until he’s 50 to finally relax and enjoy life? For all I know, I’ll be hit by a subway car tonight rendering my fat 401k plan and AF legacy completely moot. Furthermore, during my tenure in the business world, I no longer believe in the goodness of company management to make things right. So I give my job my best effort and perform what is asked, but I’m not going to go way the fck out of my way to help them at my personal expense. I also don’t live my life to work, I work to live my life. Yes, not everything I do has a direct value added marginal benefit to my financial role at said firm. Sure I won’t have as much money as this BSD, but money isn’t my motivator anymore. I eat well, sleep well, and live comfortably. I almost have ‘fck you’ money in the bank to walk from crappy job if I need to outright. Though to me, fck you money isn’t a quarter bill, it’s enough to live comfortably for at least a year if I needed to simply quit and find a new job. Am I lazy for wanting a work life balance? My goal in life is not to run a company, start a business, or hit Forbes 400.

All of this had me thinking last night to this morning. Am I just some pseudo liberal hippy douche who isn’t Wall Street enough? Or does the AF Brothahood feel the same way? After hammering away the ripe years of my 20s getting my MBA, CFA, CAIA, and FRM, I feel I can throttle back finally and diversify my life outside of financial related extracurricular activities. Sadly this cracka doesn’t feel one in the same.

#2

My economics prof said, we all do what we do, because we have nothing else better to do. Otherwise, we’d be doing it.

#3

There is more to life than financial success for most people. I’d bet you will enjoy life more than that guy lol

#4

Define what happiness means to you, and pursue it at all costs.

#5

Your boss is going to die in the best hospital that money can buy. To him, that means he won.

Fortunately, you know better.

#6

CvM,

Sounds to me your boss is jealous of your life because you are not driven by money but rather having a great career and balanced life by giving back to your community. Teaching at your local Jr. College is shaping young minds in a way your boss never could or will.

Also, your boss assumes he will be healthy and alive at 50 to retire on the beach but life happens and you better enjoy it while you can because you just never know what each new day will bring. Enjoy the new year.

#7

Whew, I was hoping I wasn’t crazy. I thought for sure B ga Chad would say, “Go to the AF Arsenal and grab the rustiest hacksaw you can find…”

#8

To each his own, some people enjoy working long hours if they didn’t they wouldn’t work them. It’s that simple. Hank Paulson was the head of Goldman and Treasury Secretary and he was home in time to have dinner with his family and read his kids a bedtime story.

#9

I don’t think the boss’ life philosophy is “wrong”. If he really has $250 million at age 50, he will be able to truly affect the world by supporting research, non-profits, or political causes. This will be 1000x as significant as any time he would have spent volunteering before then. Even if he is not altruistic, he can still use his money for whatever selfish reasons that he likes. If this is his life goal, it’s not unreasonable that he would want people who work for him to share his philosophy and support him throughout the process.

#10

Don’t worry about your manager’s philosphical teachings. But you should consider the message he is sending you: If you want to get promoted don’t announce that you are leaving for the day while he is still there working.

#11

That’s a problem for CvM though. My first boss was into empire building. He believed in 80 hour work weeks, work comes first, etc…While he would say it was family first and work/life balance is important, he lied. He didn’t like anyone working for him that wasn’t going to help him reach his goals of taking over the world.

#12

Unfortunately, this is important.

Fortunately or unfortunately, people like that are often more concerned about appearances than realities.

#13

To me, achievement is what i find pleasure in. Having said this, i too do not like 80+ hour work weeks at my current gig but I certainly wouldnt mind it when i start up my own business bc it will be something i am passionate about. The key, imho, is to truly understand what makes you happy and the relentlessly pursue that and to continue to live by your standards without letting petty comments from superiors stop you. To me, I think having a vision and working towards that goal is universal, but we all have different destinations.

Finally, and this may be reading to far into things, given the fact that you posted a blog about your experience, it is likely that this colleague struck a cord and what he said resonated with you. Perhaps it is time to reflect on your life mission for these things change as our perspective of the world changes. This is one task that I have been working on bc it is easy to get caught up in busy work without taking time to reflect on the big picture. In any event good post bro.

#14

Everyone has different personalities, different backgrounds, and motivations in life. I prefer a boss who is like minded with similar values, but there is nothing inherently wrong in working 80 hour weeks to want to move up and become a partner, get wealthy, retire early etc. I admire people that work hard, love their work, set goals and go after those goals. However, I do think there is more to life than work and we should attempt to be balanced in everything we do, have outside interests . Some people truly love working and have nothing else that fulfills them - he may be one of these guys.

#15

Bruh you got it figured out. There is more to life than the dollar bill. The only thing missing now is Mrs CFAvsMBA and junior. When will you stop turning up homie?

#16

I have a vision of sitting on the couch, drinking booze and playing video games. Today I am snowed in and plan to pursue this relentlessly.

Sadly, I must first work and take down a Christmas tree. I also have a dream of a paycheck to pay for said couch, booze and video games as well as a vision of a house without an old Christmas tree.

This is my manifesto.

#17

You should give your boss a copy of “The Six Hour Work Week” for his birthday and see his reaction.

#18

supyoguv

I guess I feel bad about not knowing what I want to be when I grow up. I work hard, but I guess I don’t have an end goal in mind. This should probably change.

bwyf, I think it’s 4 hour work week, lmao!

#19

I’ve never been into “goals.” I have found I can’t predict what opportunities will come so I prefer to excel at whatever I’m doing today and make decisions for tomorrow. The most I think about in terms of “goals” is a direction of where to head.

And was that 250,000 or 250,000,000 in liquid assets? I forget not everyone uses “M” the same way. “M is the Roman numeral for 1,000 but in the metric system M designates the prefix mega- which is a million.”

#20

You’re all wrong. Life is not about money or happiness; it’s about getting as swole as possible.

“It is a shame for a man to grow old without ever seeing the strength and beauty of which his body is capable.” -Socrates

Eat your protein.