[Repost] The subtle joy of being a bit underemployed

Don't let your boss read this

Would you ever turn down a promotion that guaranteed to double your pay?

What a strange question. It seems un-American to even ask such a ridiculous thing.

Especially in these uncertain times with a fickle job market and inflation still delivering body blows to our wallets.

Now, what if, in exchange for double the pay, your hours doubled? And your stress doubled? And your anxiety doubled? And your happiness halved as well?

Would it still be worth it?

That’s a hefty tradeoff worth some further consideration.

---

Let’s say I gave you a magic wand to wave around and this scenario came true.

Sure, you’d have more money at your disposal. And it’s not hard to visualize how much better your life could be with double the income.

But don’t forget, there’s another side to that coin.

A fatter wallet is a Faustian bargain — more money giveth and taketh away.

It’s way more fun to think about the giveth part so that’s all most people consider.

More money could giveth you a bigger house, fancier car, more exotic vacations, and more.

We all know, he who dies with the most toys wins.

But more money could also taketh away quality time with family and friends, personal hobbies, unstructured time to goof off, and more.

Now you may still be thinking, “So what? I don’t even like my family or friends that much and the only hobby I have (watching my favorite team lose all too often) leads me to sulk in despair. Sign me up!”

---

Here’s a quick personal story. I want you to ask yourself if it sounds familiar:

Since the moment I started my career, I had one goal in mind: I want to make more money.

How much more? A lot more than I currently make.

This vicious cycle continued for years.

But as time went on, I noticed with each promotion and bump in pay, the goalpost kept moving slightly out of arm’s reach.

I never got to a point where I thought, Hey I’m finally making more money. I accomplished my goal!

It was never enough.

Even though I knew deep down more money wouldn’t buy happiness, I wanted to find out for myself.

It was a painful realization, but I finally realized that more promotions and more money weren’t the point.

I wanted what I thought would come along with them. Until I got them.

So I did something, my younger self would have considered incomprehensible, even idiotic. Twice.

I (politely) declined a promotion that guaranteed to double my pay.

How stupid could I be, right?

Ah, ah, ah. Not so fast my friend.

I made it a point to interrogate my colleagues who were already in the position I was being offered the promotion for.

I vigorously scribbled notes on what their day to day experience was like, how much money they were really making, and most importantly, asking myself, “Do they seem any happier than me?”

My conclusion was an emphatic NO.

---

One theme kept recurring after each interrogation concluded.

They had sacrificed their autonomy for more money.

They were constantly being dragged into pointless zoom calls, stressing over a weird corporate phrase called KPIs (key performance indicators), all while having to maintain a fake smile.

This is what they claimed they wanted, wasn’t it?

Their pockets were fatter, but their lives seemed emptier.

Sure, they probably got a few thrills when that first new juicy direct deposit hit their accounts. And I’m sure they got a temporary high from updating their Linkedin profiles with a fancy new job title.

But they didn’t seem any happier than they were before the promotion. Quite the opposite in fact.

That’s when it hit me.

The unemployed have too much autonomy.

The over-employed have zero autonomy.

The underemployed have just the right amount.

---

I realize you must be in a privileged position to even be offered a promotion and more money in the first place.

There’s plenty of people who would have no choice but to accept one if they were offered it.

But I learned from my past errors in judgment that a prestigious sounding job title and more money in the bank are not always worth sacrificing your autonomy.

That’s why there is a subtle joy of being a bit underemployed.

You still earn enough money to live a comfortable life all while maintaining heaps of unstructured time to goof off in whatever way you see fit.

I think this is highly underrated.

Choosing to be a bit underemployed is like only filling your plate half way at an all-you-can-eat-buffet.

You know you could pile it up higher, and probably still eat it all, but end up stuffed, with no room for dessert.

But dessert is the best part of any meal. There’s such a variety of choices: ice cream, pie, cake, cookies, or fruit salad for you psychos out there.

Dessert is like what you get to do with your free time.

My current dessert preferences include: writing, reading, going on long aimless walks with my dog, sipping coffee while discussing mentally stimulating topics with friends, and watching Georgia football.

The decision to consciously remain a bit underemployed allows you to still have a nutritious entrée that provides all your essential nutrients, while still leaving room for some tasty treats.

Your thoughts? Criticisms? Complaints? Please leave a comment below.