I was just told that I was being unreasonable. I love being called that because I have attained freedom and financial gain by being rationally unreasonable. I have posted previously that I am on an early retirement side hustle. I have the perfect project to work. Of which is funded directly by an internal company client separate from the department my short-term gig is in.
This project is funded until the end of the year. The funding client insists that I concentrate solely on this work. That allows me to stay outside of the company’s day to day operational issues. That is totally awesome for me. I am really enjoying this gig and looking forward to completing it.
However I was just asked whether I would consider a contract extension into next year after I finish this project. I basically said only if….
I then laid down my boundaries of what I would be willing to do if I were to accept a contract extension.
I am not working here because I have to but because I wanted to based on this project. Why wouldn’t I be picky about the conditions that I would find acceptable to stay longer?
When others found out how selective I was about what I considered acceptable and the limitations I had laid out I was called unreasonable. Although I counter that I am being totally rational.
Being rationally unreasonable is what Leisure Freak Tommy is all about
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” George Bernard Shaw.
I unreasonably challenge the definition of retirement and many other things. I wasn’t always this unreasonable. I use to toe-the-line and take my fair share of misery and crap. Many times more than my fair share of crap because the world is like a big machine with all its moving parts and someone must toil to keep everything moving. Not everyone, but someone.
If you are always reasonable then you end up being that “someone” because it is easy for those who rule and don’t want to deal with it to have you do it. That is the prevalent world of the career-driven. I have made the rational decision to be unreasonable when it comes to the way I want to live my passion-driven life.
Within Reason
The opposite of being unreasonable is being “within reason”. I have often been cautioned with that limiting phrase when I started preaching my retiring early and often lifestyle plans long before my first retirement.
- People would tell me it was OK to set my early retirement goals but make sure my goals are “within reason”.
- Go ahead and embrace living a passion-driven lifestyle pursuing my passions and interests but do it “within reason”.
- It is fine being picky about the opportunities I am willing to accept retiring early and often but you are getting older and less hirable so scrutinize any opportunities “within reason”.
The list can go on and on, but what is “within reason” really saying?
- Within reason says don’t take too big of risks.
- Within reason says go ahead and do what you plan but make sure you play it safe.
- Within reason says don’t expect too much, ask for too much, or dream too big.
Within reason basically means just be part of the normal masses, chained to tradition and the definitions laid out years and years ago. Get a job, go into debt buying crap, buy a big expensive house, save for a retirement that should be delayed until age 70, never question authority and always do what the “experts” claim as the normal thing to do. Now that is what I call being irrational and unreasonable.
Push Yourself Being Unreasonable
To really succeed with financial independence and early retirement you have to go way farther than safe or within reason. You have to make a rational decision to be unreasonable. To unreasonably break from the norm and push your thresholds by testing the waters of risk and discovery.
This is about being rationally unreasonable about your own plans and expectations for your participation with the world.
This is about asking for what you really want and challenging the norms.
This is about being rationally unreasonable anytime you have the choice to question and go in the opposite direction than how everyone else does things.
I want to dedicate this post to my son whose birthday is this week and would have turned 34. He was a musician, artist and painted cars for his money and definitely lived his short life being rationally unreasonable.
His passing changed me and taught me that life is too short to live under the rule of others who benefit from the reasonable stuck-in-the-rut people. I prefer being a freak who loves being rationally unreasonable.
Do you consider yourself rationally unreasonable?
I often will question and challenge preconceived notions in order to ensure that they can work for what I am striving for. If they don’t then I have no choice but to forge my own path which tends to happen a fair amount lol. Your son was without a doubt a blessing to you in many ways and may his positive influence continue to live on in you.
Thank you Kassandra. I sometimes think the road less traveled if not the better way to my destination will at the very least get to the same place as the normal heavily traveled path but will offer something much more interesting getting there.
I will never get over losing my son but he is with me with my every breath.
Good for you sticking to your guns about the extension. You’re there because you want to be and should only stay if you want to. Not sure how that’s being unreasonable. They could always hire someone else.
Happy Birthday to your son, this is a very fitting tribute.
Thank you for your comment. The comment toward me being unreasonable was from other people I work with. How dare I set terms and conditions and not just accept whatever they want to push down my throat. Being reasonable or “within reason” is the safe path and I believe the fact that by my being unreasonable I may escape more of the tedious and mind-numbing aspects of the work if I stay is what the real issue is. As you say, if the management doesn’t like it they can just hire someone else. I am perfectly OK with that.
Always stick to your principle, if you really believe in it. There will always be noise, but in the end, it’s not worth to listen to. In the end you can prove to them that what you’ve been doing is right, especially if it’s about pursuing your real passion after you retire early.
Happy Birthday for your son, it seems like he was a great guy, stood out from the crowd and did things that he actually enjoyed — not many of us do that 🙂
Thank you for your comment. I totally agree with you. It is our lives to live.
Thank you for the Happy Birthday. We got together as a family to celebrate my son’s birthday just as we do every year and he is definitely with us.
Being reasonable is what keeps us from breaking past our goals and dreams. Viva la irrational!
Hey Even Steven, thanks for stopping by. You and I are on the same page brother…
Unfortunately I would say that I am on the other end of the spectrum, and really at this point of my life it is alright with me, for now. I agree 100% that it would be nice to tell the man that you weren’t going to do as he asked because you knew you didn’t have to. In my case, I get to grin and take it because I don’t have a choice. Now that’s the bad part, being just another cog in the wheel. The good part is that I know whole heartedly that if I can stick to it for just a few more years, it will put me into a position of being able to be reasonably unreasonable. And that sounds perfect to me!
Hello Jeff and thanks for the comment. I know exactly what you mean. I was there for a long time and I just had to take it. I do think looking back now that there may have been ways to make sure the pain was sharned better than it was. I was always afraid of bucking the system of crap even though I saw inequity in how it was divided up. I think if I had been able to see outside of my situation I could have maybe come up with a diplomatic way to get some relief and started living rationally unreasonable back then. Good luck and I hope you can soon see a way out of having to accept just being another cog.
My condolences about your son. Thankfully, you have fond memories.
Regarding being rationally unreasonable, I think you can afford to be that way because you have options. It would be another story for someone who has no plan B.
Hello Zambian Lady. Thanks for your comment and condolences. I agree I do have options, a benefit of reaching FI. But I made the mistake in my first career before FI thinking I didn’t have options to at least tweak things to make work life more balanced. It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing approach as I may have just done now. I think if I had tried I could have set some boundaries. I think it would take a different more diplomatic approach and knowing your manager or decision maker would be key. If they are a total Jack-Hole then you are right, there would be no positive outcome.