Soldato
true dat.
The 5 year plan to £50k - Accomplished.
- Thread starter craptakular
- Start date
Soldato
Well done but not everyone needs 50k to be happy. I'd rather work to live, than live to work.
Earning 50k automatically means you "live to work" and have no free time or social life? Another classic and ultimately ignorant line.
Caporegime
In my experience it's the opposite. The less I earned the more I worked. As a lacky in my teens on a pittance I was on 12 hour shifts seven days a week in a warehouse. Late teens and early twenties as an apprentice on about 50p more saw long days with frequent-ish weekend work in IT development and support. Late twenties on a substantial wage was much less work and within the 9-5.30 style (though I didn't have fixed hours, so often would start late and finish late as I am a night owl) and into my thirties much, much more relaxed.
Disclaimer for those waiting to jump on this: I'm certain it's a bell curve as execs put in ungodly hours and also not strictly true for everyone everywhere, there will always be examples from outside the norm, so please don't go quoting personal examples just to counter this one. It's a flippant point of observation just from my own personal experience of my own career and those I have worked with along the way, and I just don't care anyway.
Disclaimer for those waiting to jump on this: I'm certain it's a bell curve as execs put in ungodly hours and also not strictly true for everyone everywhere, there will always be examples from outside the norm, so please don't go quoting personal examples just to counter this one. It's a flippant point of observation just from my own personal experience of my own career and those I have worked with along the way, and I just don't care anyway.
This saying has always annoyed me. Does earning more some how automatically mean you get so social life and constantly working?
Soldato
My experience is exactly that of yours Jestar. The more trusted/senior you become the more flexible companies are with you. You have to perform though to enjoy that kind of trust. Good companies realise that to get the best people you have to give them a good work/life balance.
Right, I'm off to the dump now, I've been cleaning out my garage this lunchtime on a day working from home.
Right, I'm off to the dump now, I've been cleaning out my garage this lunchtime on a day working from home.
Only if you have no experience.
My experience agrees with you both. I'm now working less hours on double the money I was 5 years ago.
No one said there is no luck and everything is self-determined. I explicitly stated that the biggest luck in life happens before you are even have the ability to make a rational decision - your parents and your country of birth. Of course you can get hit by a bus tomorrow. Successful people don't worry about such possibilities because there is nothing they can do about it.
WRT to kids- it is your decision whether you want to have kids (or get married), any reduction in your (typically only perceived) ability to take risks or constrained fiances/time preventing furthering yourself, e.g. inability to upticks to a new country or go back to Uni is a direct result of your earlier decision to have children. If your primary goal is financial success children is the last thing you want. There is no luck involved at all in children limiting risk taking - that is all down to one of the most important decisions of your life.
Apart from that, it is bogus. Parents can still make major changes to their life they can still move city or country, change careers, improve education. They can still take risks, the main difference being the expectancy typically has to be higher (bigger outcome and/or better odds).
If you are in an underpaid job then you have most likely made a series of life decision that brought you there. How much effort did you really put in at school, what subjects did you try hard in, did you do that extra homework/exam revision or go out with friends to drink white lighting in the park? How much thought did you put in to your university application, di you strive to get to the Uni with the best reputation, did you ask your school teachers for help when writing your UCAS application, what subject did you decide to study? How hard did you study, did you change courses in 1st year to something you would do better at or lead to better career opportunities? When you were struggling in that course did you go see the teaching assistant, did you contact the lecture for personal help, did you spend the whole year preparing for the exam period by revising lecture notes and preparing study guides months in advance? Did you sit in on extra lectures in different subject that you didn't need but thought might be useful to your career? How many hours did you spend trying to get an internship or summer work placement vs playing xbox and drinking in the student bar? If you got a summer internship how much networking did you do? At the careers fair in your final year did you blag your way into dinners arranged for the top % of student despite you not being eligible? Did you attend the free pizza and beer evening hosted by some investment bank that you would never want to work for but saw the evening as useful practice? While studying did you work on your own portfolio to demonstrate your ability? Did you apply for that job that said it required 5 years of experience but you only just graduated? Did you apply for jobs near your parents or university town or apply nationwide? Did you decide to find employment after graduating or do a Masters to better differentiate yourself? Did you seek professional assistance in creating your CV? Did you research and then write company specific CV and covering letters for each and every application? Did you accept the first job that gave you an offer despite being lower paid, or did you turn it down and keep looking? After 1-2 years in the low paid job did you start looking elsewhere?
A combination of bad luck and poor decisions can get you trapped in underpaid jobs with a mortgage and kids to look after, but you certainly made a lot of decision to even get to that stage.
I actually find it terrifying how much of your life you are responsible for.
And even if it turns out most things in life are determined by luck, it is never, ever helpful to think that way. You will always do better if you believe you can make a difference.
Again, people seem to be assuming that because I'm trying to explain the true role of chance in our lives, that I seem to think I'm powerless. I absolutely do not. Why do you think being 'trapped' has angered me so much? I align very closely to Housey actually, I just think that chance plays far more of a role in our lives than people are admitting to.
Ah I see, so there's never ever been an accidental pregnancy then? Children may be a decision to some degree, but they are also for many an inevitability. The Wille zum Leben is a very powerful driver. If only our biological urges didn't factor in.
You do realise that the legacy of a bad start can haunt people their whole lives, right? Ruling out the child's choice to apply themselves, doing well at school can largely be a factor of chance: what school they go to (good or bad), the type of peer-group they're forced to grow-up with (disruptive or not), if they get bullied, have good or bad teachers (they can make the difference between a subject coming alive or not), at what age they start puberty and how 'violent' the hormonal conflicts are, etc. How 'good' or able someone's parents are, their own upbringing and life experiences against the disposition and needs of a blank canvas also plays a significant role, which as you've admitted is chance. Parents can have a large impact on reinforcement and family-culture can have a bearing on if a child pays any attention to university or not -- if the parents are graduates themselves, a child may take it more seriously from a younger age for example. That is all chance.
It's not a level playing field. Bad luck at the bad times can have very far reaching legacies.
Within reason. If you're trapped the point is your agency won't matter as you have no options to action. If bad luck put you there, then that's nothing to do with efficacy is it?
As I've said 100 times now. You have responsibility for your own life and all you can do is pick yourself up and steer the ship. Recognise options if they are there and take them.
What the outcomes are will be unknowns and chance plays in to it. By steering the ship you can help obtain certain outcomes but you are never totally in control of what that outcome will be nor what kind of ship you've got.
Last edited:
to summarise... everyone needs some luck.. everyone gets chances.. some people due to personality, personal ambition, willingness to take risks, work ethic, etc... are better suited to recognise those chances and act upon them.. generally the more chances you take the more likely you are to succeed.
Although I agree to some extent that bad luck (life circumstances) has a bearing.. plenty of people who have had poor luck or made bad decisions early in life (myself included in that statement) go on to become successful.. it is never to late to take a look at your lot in life and do something about it...
Although I agree to some extent that bad luck (life circumstances) has a bearing.. plenty of people who have had poor luck or made bad decisions early in life (myself included in that statement) go on to become successful.. it is never to late to take a look at your lot in life and do something about it...
Soldato
I moved 4000 miles from a 25k pound a year job to a $37.5k job(I'm 26) (that's a little over average over here) with no qualifications, then it bumped up to $53k (the average entire household pay figure for Florida). I'm an MCP as of 3 weeks ago but that hasn't been reflected in pay yet.
Still failing to see how Uni does people much good nowadays but good job, always have a goal. My goal in the UK was to get the same figure as my age in thousands, I beat it for most of the time there.
Still failing to see how Uni does people much good nowadays but good job, always have a goal. My goal in the UK was to get the same figure as my age in thousands, I beat it for most of the time there.
Associate
- Joined
- 16 Aug 2012
- Posts
- 226
My .5p -
If you want to get far in life one of the most valuable things you can learn is how to properly sell yourself and your skill-set. Everyone is a commodity in business and it is essential that you prepare you self for the shelf, so to say; and to make sure that you as a product offer more value to a business than anyone else on the shelf.
If you can master this strange artful collaboration of social intelligence, psychology, determination and humour in the face of adversity you will excel in any roll you choose.
I strongly believe that anyone can earn 50k, what ever "unlucky" events may transgress against them but if you start blaming the universe for your failings you will get no where. You will label yourself and you will enable a self-fulfilling prophecy that will pit you into a spiral decline.
Take control, you are solely accountable for the decisions you take. Steal yourself, praise your ego, enable change and welcome it always using it to your advantage.
Don't do this and you will find yourself wanting, blaming and generally being a soppy *******.
If you want to get far in life one of the most valuable things you can learn is how to properly sell yourself and your skill-set. Everyone is a commodity in business and it is essential that you prepare you self for the shelf, so to say; and to make sure that you as a product offer more value to a business than anyone else on the shelf.
If you can master this strange artful collaboration of social intelligence, psychology, determination and humour in the face of adversity you will excel in any roll you choose.
I strongly believe that anyone can earn 50k, what ever "unlucky" events may transgress against them but if you start blaming the universe for your failings you will get no where. You will label yourself and you will enable a self-fulfilling prophecy that will pit you into a spiral decline.
Take control, you are solely accountable for the decisions you take. Steal yourself, praise your ego, enable change and welcome it always using it to your advantage.
Don't do this and you will find yourself wanting, blaming and generally being a soppy *******.
I would 100% agree with this unless you plan on entering a profession that requires a degree / doctorate...
I like this.. people need confidence in themselves if they expect an employer to have confidence in them.
Associate
- Joined
- 12 Dec 2006
- Posts
- 1,382
congrats at reaching you goal....... now i wonder how long it will take you to reliase you need 65k not 50k
Congrats op.
Love the naysayers in this thread coming out and saying it's 'luck' and they've never got them chances in life.
It's ridiculous...the amount of people I've employed who spent their time moaning about the opportunities (luck) others got over them was depressing. If they spent a fraction of that time to deliver their value or constructively aim for something. Rather than waiting for the 'chance' to arrive at their desk all gold plated and shiny as if it is their right. They'd be in a good position. I do value my employees greatly, but I reward the proactive, ambitious and driven wherever possible. 'Time-served' isn't justification for promotion.
Money doesn't make me happy, however it takes away the potential things that could make me unhappy, allowing me to spend time focussing on my family instead of the bills. If that makes any sense at all.
Love the naysayers in this thread coming out and saying it's 'luck' and they've never got them chances in life.
It's ridiculous...the amount of people I've employed who spent their time moaning about the opportunities (luck) others got over them was depressing. If they spent a fraction of that time to deliver their value or constructively aim for something. Rather than waiting for the 'chance' to arrive at their desk all gold plated and shiny as if it is their right. They'd be in a good position. I do value my employees greatly, but I reward the proactive, ambitious and driven wherever possible. 'Time-served' isn't justification for promotion.
Money doesn't make me happy, however it takes away the potential things that could make me unhappy, allowing me to spend time focussing on my family instead of the bills. If that makes any sense at all.
Last edited:
Someone didn't read the thread.
Much respect to you for trying to better yourself mate. Getting out there and doing something. Ive known so many people who hate their position in life and are totally depressed because of having a terrible job. Yet they refuse to take a risk to put themselves in a better position. They refuse to leave the comfort of their local and their mates.
Although personally id be more interested in what someone does with their income than how much they earn. 50k a year that is being poured down the drain isnt much to write home about. Whereas 50k a year well managed is very nice.
Although personally id be more interested in what someone does with their income than how much they earn. 50k a year that is being poured down the drain isnt much to write home about. Whereas 50k a year well managed is very nice.
Nope, I did, plenty of them...though they didn't represent the majority. I wasn't even referring to you, but looking back at some of the posts you made, you come across a tiny bit whiny
/edit Whiny is the wrong word sorry...maybe defensive. Not to say I don't think your points are well made.
Last edited:
And others are thinking you are putting too much emphasis on chance.
There are some things that are 100% chance, e.g. where you are born and who you are born too, these have life long consequences, but after that you are more and more responsible for your own life outcomes. Scientifically there is no such thing as good luck or bad luck; events happen and you have to maximize long term pay off.
If you decided to have sex then there is always the risk of pregnancy. You mitigate that risk by taking precautions and using contraceptives. Was the women on the pill and you also used a condom to reduce the odds, or did you assume the pill was sufficient risk? Was there a discussion about abortion that you had some weight in? [note, i'm firmly against abortion in these kinds of scenarios, my points is merely there is a choice]. Anyway, you choose to have sex then you are willing to take on the risks of fathering a child.
Secondly, you seem to be replacing chance with determinism. Yeah, you are born with sexual urges, that isn't any kind of chance or luck.
No one said it was a level playing field., time and time again people have pointed out things like country or birth and parents have huge impacts on your life but you seem to ignore these comments and keep reiterating that everything afterwards is down to chance. Even with a bad start in life there are many life decisions that will dictate your future.
You can minimize your chances of getting bad luck and minimize the costs of it. It is also extremely rare to be completely trapped. There is nearly always things you can do to improve . OS you are stuck in a dead end underpaid job but can't afford to quit. There is always night school, self study, libraries to help educate, you can be more proactive in appeasing the boss, you can put yourself forwards for promotions, you can apply for other jobs without quitting. You may have far more options depending on your personal circumstances: move back in with parents to free up capital to invest in education or take risk in a new career, ask family/friends for small loan to pay for a tuition cost, remortgage house, move to a cheaper place to rent, ask friends if they have any job opportunities at their company, take a big risk knowing that if it all goes wrong in he UK the safety net will prevent you and your family from starving to death or living on the streets. Most people that say they are trapped are actually far form trapped they are just uncomfortable with change or unwilling to make sacrifices.
Agreed, you can't decide to become a millionaire but you are endlessly making decisions that improves your odds of living a happy and successful life, or increasing finances.