Careers, Christmas, & Cannabis
How pairing self-awareness with financial analysis can derive ultimate fulfillment.
Clementino Christmas Shenanigans
For the last couple of years, my family has been adapting to new ways of doing Christmas. Aged in the middle of the pack of my seven cousins and two siblings, we’ve outgrown our childhood traditions and recently shifted celebrations to my aunt's house. The presence of Vavo, our straight-talking and humorous grandma, reminds us that even with the shuffling of tradition, we are all most definitely Clementinos at heart.
This year, the cousins banded together for an after-party at Paige's house: one of the in-laws. With drinks poured and late-night finger foods prepared, the vibrant energy of dancing cousins fills the lively atmosphere. Despite our infrequent meetups, the catchups are always heartfelt - a testament to the closeness of our Portuguese family. Amidst this changing landscape of family traditions, I find myself in a deep conversation with my twin brother, Adrian, weaving through topics of work, life, and personal finance - perfect blog material, I must say.
This time around, we ironically find ourselves facing very similar decisions.
“Remember that operations management job at Strathcona Park Lodge I interviewed for last week?” Adrian asks, knowing that no answer is needed. “Well, they sent their job offer earlier this week!”
“Unreal dude! Cheers!” The ring of our glasses echoes as we tip our drinks back. “I remember you mentioning another job cooking at a remote work camp. What job are you going to take?” I ask.
“Well, I’m in a pretty interesting predicament, and I’m interested to hear what you think.” We swivel our chairs to face each other, my silence indicating my attentiveness. “My manager at the remote work job doesn’t want me to leave; she wants to know what it’ll take for me to return in the New Year.”
I chuckle, “Hey, that doesn’t sound bad at all! Funny enough, I'm in a similar situation - let’s get into it!”
Professional and Personal Decision Making
“So, what’s your magic number?” I ask, knowing that this is more complicated than just employment income.
“Well, to begin, I don’t have a magic number. We share similar financial positions being recent graduates with moderate debt loads.” Adrian clarifies, “But when considering my future, it’s not all about the pay. Often my income is the flexible variable in the equation.”
“I’m with you there.” We nod in agreement, and then I ask, “Out of curiosity, what’s the quick financial rundown?”
Adrian: Balancing Economic and Social Considerations
“The remote job already pays more," he begins, "and given the preposition to negotiate my wage, I figure it could put me ahead in debt repayment by at least $5,000 by the summer.” Eyebrows raised, I prompt him to continue, “But that’s the bottom line, and doesn’t quite consider the real-world implications of each decision. The higher income of remote work comes with isolation, which I see as a huge cost to my ‘social capital’.”
“Social capital, what’s that?” I ask.
“Think back to your lessons about the ’triple bottom line’ and consider the economic, social, and environmental impacts of any given decision. I apply that same mindset to my personal financial decisions, and by working at a remote location, I will not be as engaged in social development, be that building a relationship with my girlfriend, fostering and making new friendships, or even developing a more dynamic professional network - these are massive non-financial costs that I face.”
“Absolutely,” I agree, “I couldn’t do remote work mainly for that reason, along with other lifestyle preferences. Do you weigh skill development into the equation?”
Our twin telepathy makes his answer immediately clear, “Of course I do! Coming from an education in tourism and outdoor adventure, the Strathcona job intrigues me because of my experience in the field, the leadership role, and the more flexible lifestyle. Ultimately, the decreased pay is balanced by other, non-financial ways.”
Adrian slams his drink back - a concoction of Miller Lite, vodka, and clamato juice.
What do you think of the concoction? Let us know in the comments!
“Need a drink?”, he asks me, on his way to grab another.
“Sure. Get me whatever that swamp water mix is you’re drinking”
As he bartends, he continues, “So what’s your sitch? Job change in your future, too?”
”Kind of?” I respond, indicating complexity. “I’m looking to transition into a new role with the larger goal of more work autonomy and flexibility. My boss has also indicated his desire to keep me around and opened up the question of increased compensation as a factor in my decision-making."
“Atta boy,” Adrian cheers, “It’s nice to be facing a favourable predicament like this, isn't it?”
“Absolutely, but it’s hard for me to leave money on the table,” I respond.
“So why don’t you take it?” He asks.
"Though I love being on the tools, I want to work in the back-end and gain some experience in more than one construction company. The autonomy of freelancing has me considering how I can integrate contract work into my current career path. Ideally, my boss and I can define a scope of work that checks my boxes. Given the company size, I am willing to source additional back-end gigs to supplement my income if I can’t exclusively fill my hours with him."
Evan: Considering Opportunity Cost and Appetite for Risk
Adrian passes over my drink, “Freelancing eh? That’s what you’re thinking for next year?”
“Yessir,” I claim, in between sips, “It’s a fascinating position for me because I feel like most people would quickly take advantage of offers like the ones we face. I guess my compulsion to work for myself and to design my own life according to the principles of the 4-hour work week (LINK to Jan 15 piece) has me yearning for something unordinary.”
Adrian fangirls, “That book is unreal, I just finished reading it over the holidays. Life changing.”
“Isn’t it!?” I proclaim, knowing my suggestions are always smashers. “It seems that in both our cases, these decisions come down to an honest assessment of tradeoffs - a textbook example of opportunity cost and risk management. According to my judgement, taking the entrepreneurial route has the highest net benefit in my life, factoring the financial and non-financial considerations.”
“The cost/benefit analysis is a good framework for these types of decisions.” Adrian reminds me, “How did you come to this?”
Feet tapping, I lean forward in my seat, “I figure that, at this stage in my life, I am confident in my ability to take on the risks of entrepreneurship - namely inconsistent or insufficient income. Though my debt load is moderate, I still have sufficient cash flow to cover my debt obligations and maintain my current lifestyle. Ultimately, I am sacrificing stable income and taking the risk of prolonging my debt, but the up-side is the possibility of expedited debt repayment and a more desirable lifestyle.”
“Plus, you are doubling down on your current skill set and advancing your capabilities.” Adrian puts his jacket on, indicating that this conversation would be ideal with the company of a lit joint. “It reminds me of a theory I learned in school called Nussbaum’s Capabilities Approach, where strategic decision-making - like the decisions regarding our professional and personal lives - should consider broader human flourishing and well-being.”
“Nailed it!” I concur, assured that he fully understands where I’m coming from. “It’s funny how even though our experiences with work and school are widely different, we still share very similar perspectives on personal development and finances.”
As we get to our feet and head toward the sliding patio door, our older sister comes by for a wholesome family hug - she knows why we’re heading outside, and her timing is impeccable.
The trio we form is special and complex given the twin bond in the mix. When we get together, we are all reminded of our roles in each other’s lives and how special this dynamic is.
Higher Perspectives
Often, what seems like the most financially driven decisions are fundamentally not about finance at all. Concerning career choices and professional development, we learned to make decisions using factors such as pay, benefits, hours, and job descriptions. Sounds easy enough, right?
Not so fast.
Sparks fly from the bic as we consider our current jobs. Suddenly, the spark ignites a vibrant yellow flame.
It's essential to consider the objective and subjective factors of any decision. If job A makes more than job B - this is an objectively true statement. But what about quality of life or the alignment of work and personal values? These questions move the decision-making process toward personal preferences, demanding deeper self-awareness.
Recognizing yourself as an individual - independent from the environment and others around you - is the first step in making beneficial and well-aligned real-world decisions. Understanding your character, feelings, motives, and desires is essential for personal and professional development, and even that doesn’t guarantee success.
The decision-making that comes from self-awareness is what leads to holistic personal development and the attainment of a fulfilling life. It is difficult to imagine a disservice inflicted on oneself greater than that of neglecting self-awareness to pursue purely financially based life decisions.
Clouded judgment is costly.
Thanks for reading!
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Muchas gracias,
Evan Clementino
Hell ya Adrian...... Love your drink of choice! haha