1337: Why I Love My W-2 Job and You Should Love Yours Too by Lisa Harrison of Mad Money Monster

[00:00:00] This is Optimal Work Daily, Episode 1337.

[00:00:03] Why I Love My W2 Job And You Should Love Yours Too

[00:00:07] By Lisa Harrison of MadMoneyMonster.com

[00:00:10] And I'm Dan, I am your host and narrator here on OWD,

[00:00:13] and we're gonna get right to our post now as we optimize your life.

[00:00:21] Why I Love My W2 Job And You Should Love Yours Too

[00:00:24] By Lisa Harrison of MadMoneyMonster.com

[00:00:28] Over the years, I've had an on-again, off-again relationship with my W2 job.

[00:00:32] We started out hot and heavy after college,

[00:00:35] and then out of nowhere, our relationship cooled.

[00:00:38] Then, after a few years of working on our relationship, we found our groove.

[00:00:42] That groove is the appreciation I have for the existence of our current union.

[00:00:46] Ideally, I want to be able to walk away from my W2 job at the drop of a hat.

[00:00:51] Realistically, I'm not there yet.

[00:00:53] In light of falling short of my ultimate goal,

[00:00:55] I am aware of the luxury my W2 job affords me.

[00:00:58] Literally.

[00:00:59] With that, I felt it would be beneficial to let my readers in on a little-known fact.

[00:01:03] I actually love my W2 job.

[00:01:06] I'd like to tell you why I love my W2 job and why you should love yours too.

[00:01:10] Ready?

[00:01:11] Let's go!

[00:01:13] Why I Love My W2 Job

[00:01:16] Years of self-analysis have led me to realize that I actually love my W2 job.

[00:01:20] It's also a much bigger part of my personal identity than I realize.

[00:01:25] I'm not a perfectionist, as I originally thought.

[00:01:28] When I think about the day-to-day activities of my job,

[00:01:31] I realize that I do get satisfaction out of completing these tasks.

[00:01:34] I also realize that I was once passionate enough about this type of work that I majored in it.

[00:01:39] Not only did I major in it, I took out some hefty – to me – loans to pay for it.

[00:01:45] As time passes and things become more and more routine in our lives,

[00:01:49] we tend to forget the satisfaction and joy we once experienced.

[00:01:52] Relationships to careers

[00:01:54] Sadly, we don't remember how excited we were to finally walk across that stage

[00:01:58] during college graduation and receive our diplomas.

[00:02:01] We forget the feeling of euphoria we felt when we landed our first real job offer,

[00:02:06] with a real salary attached to it.

[00:02:08] Reflection can be a beautiful thing.

[00:02:10] Yes, we are still pursuing the goal of early retirement, or in our case,

[00:02:14] the option of early retirement.

[00:02:16] My co-workers are well aware of our goals and plans for achievement.

[00:02:20] They're also well aware that on an almost daily basis I say,

[00:02:23] I couldn't leave all this.

[00:02:25] They laugh and roll their eyes, but I'm actually telling the truth.

[00:02:28] I really do enjoy being there with them and doing the work.

[00:02:31] After all, I studied for years to have the privilege of doing that work,

[00:02:35] and at the end of the day, it's satisfying.

[00:02:38] Why you should love your W-2 job

[00:02:41] The reasons you should love your W-2 job are pretty much the same reasons why I love mine.

[00:02:46] Think about it.

[00:02:46] At one point, you were gung-ho about getting your degree and job.

[00:02:50] I'm willing to bet that your W-2 job is affording you the opportunity

[00:02:53] to chart a path towards financial independence.

[00:02:56] Unless you're fortunate enough to have some rich relative

[00:02:59] that's going to leave you millions when he or she checks out,

[00:03:02] investing your way to an early retirement is your only option.

[00:03:05] Still not convinced of the love affair you should be having with your W-2 job?

[00:03:09] Let me ask you a few questions.

[00:03:11] Is your W-2 causing you extreme stress?

[00:03:14] Do you regret the decision of accepting your job on a daily basis?

[00:03:17] Are you being fairly compensated for your work?

[00:03:20] Are there benefits of your job that you enjoy?

[00:03:23] Does your current employer offer continuing education?

[00:03:26] Is health coverage and retirement savings part of the package?

[00:03:29] And does your W-2 job enable you to pay for a roof over your head and food for your tummy?

[00:03:35] If your responses to these questions are moderate

[00:03:38] and don't cause you to curl up into a ball and rock back and forth in a corner,

[00:03:42] you too should love your W-2 job.

[00:03:45] What if you don't love your W-2 job?

[00:03:48] It's true, sometimes we fall out of love.

[00:03:51] This goes for people and for jobs.

[00:03:54] If you fall into this camp and you're not in a financial position to call it quits just yet,

[00:03:58] you'll want to consider switching jobs or even careers.

[00:04:02] Of course, I never advocate leaving a job until you've found another one.

[00:04:05] This is especially true if you are not yet financially independent.

[00:04:09] So, just in case you are in this situation,

[00:04:11] the only advice I have to give you is to grin and bear it.

[00:04:14] I know it's an old idiom your grandparents used to use, but it still applies.

[00:04:19] Stop being a baby and acting like you're entitled to be happy in every single facet of your life.

[00:04:24] Sometimes life doesn't work out that way.

[00:04:26] And when it doesn't, it's up to you to make changes.

[00:04:29] No biggie, just do it.

[00:04:31] In the meantime, be thankful you have a job that is paying you actual money

[00:04:35] that you can use to cash flow your lifestyle and savings rate.

[00:04:42] You just listened to the post titled,

[00:04:44] Why I Love My W-2 Job And You Should Love Yours Too

[00:04:48] by Lisa Harrison of madmoneymonster.com

[00:04:51] We're driven by the search for better.

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[00:05:22] One of the things I love about Indeed is that it filters out those incompatible applicants.

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[00:05:53] Need to hire?

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[00:05:56] And a big thank you to Lisa Harrison, who is a mother, scientist, and financial enthusiast.

[00:06:01] She is the founder of Mad Money Monster,

[00:06:03] which is a personal finance blog that chronicles her and her family's journey

[00:06:07] from doing money all wrong to doing it all right.

[00:06:10] She and her husband are known as Mr. and Mrs. Mad Money Monster on the site,

[00:06:14] and they pride themselves as being Gen Xers who've turned it all around

[00:06:17] and are now charting a course toward financial independence.

[00:06:20] As you can imagine, Lisa is also featured a lot over on one of our other shows,

[00:06:24] Optimal Finance Daily, so be sure to check that one out if you like today's post.

[00:06:29] But that is going to do it for today.

[00:06:30] I thank you so much for being here and listening each and every day,

[00:06:34] and I'll see you once again tomorrow where I'll have more great content for you

[00:06:37] and where your optimal life awaits.