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Antiwork

Once I Stopped Giving a Shit, Everything Got Better

I used to care a lot. Came in early, stayed late, learned new software as it came out, sold my vacation days, etc. If there was a family problem, my wife had to handle it. 10 years ago my wife and I were on the phone during my workday and she said, “you gotta just quit. This job is killing you.” But I was trying to make our way in the world – we got kids, you know? So I moved to the next company, gave it my all, and it was the same dead end. I re-grouped and figured out how to do as little as possible while getting as much credit as possible – cherry picking all the easy work. One day at a team meeting my boss said, “We got 4 perfect reviews from the National Office.” There was an applause. “And they were all for Fomention.”…


I used to care a lot. Came in early, stayed late, learned new software as it came out, sold my vacation days, etc. If there was a family problem, my wife had to handle it.

10 years ago my wife and I were on the phone during my workday and she said, “you gotta just quit. This job is killing you.” But I was trying to make our way in the world – we got kids, you know?

So I moved to the next company, gave it my all, and it was the same dead end.

I re-grouped and figured out how to do as little as possible while getting as much credit as possible – cherry picking all the easy work.

One day at a team meeting my boss said, “We got 4 perfect reviews from the National Office.” There was an applause. “And they were all for Fomention.”

At 35, I had a career of under-earning, never making even $50,000.

At 40, my pay eclipsed $100,000.

Before I'm 45, I plan for it to be $200,00, and the plan is to keep giving no shits.

I sleep in when I'm tired. I re-schedule meetings if they inconvenience me. Last week, my kid texted to ask if I could take her out of school early because they had an event and were now just hanging out. I almost said, I have a call, but maybe after. Then, instead, said yes, telling my colleague I'd call him when ready.

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