| I prefer not to call it "F-You Money" or an "F-You Mindset." Instead, I like to think of it in terms of having the ability to walk away with your head held high, rather than your middle finger held high. In other words, when they take the low ground, you continue to take the high ground -- right on out the door. To do this, I think most people can rely on two objective values and one psychological one. The two objective values are: 1) knowing what you're worth in the current market (e.g. by regularly interviewing, even when you're not actively looking), and 2) having sufficient savings to cover your expenses until your next job starts. The psychological value is harder to work out, but it has to do with developing a clear sense of your own self-worth and identifying the sort of treatment within the workplace that you will and will not tolerate. I don't mean acting like a prima donna and viewing certain work as beneath you. I mean stuff like if a toxic boss is fundamentally mistreating you, or if you're promised a certain set of working hours or working conditions and then find out that it was an empty promise. |