I am resigning from a company that is gonna back to WFO

Disclaimer: I really don’t have many complaints about this company, I actually think this is a very good company. I will recommend it to anyone who loves WFO.

But the second I received a Slack announcement that they are trying to enforce WFO (they called it “Hybrid”, but I believe it is just a Full-WFO Frog Boiling); that’s it. That was my cue to end this good relationship.

Money

Among many things that I learned during my employment, there is one thing that I will remember forever, one that I will use for many years, definitely i will teach my kid(s) this: money management.

I learned about money when I nearly reached 30, a little too late but I am glad that I was surrounded by very good people who taught me this among many things.

I learned anything from “log all your incomes and expenses” to “how to prepare for your retirement”. I have become a different man, become very frugal compared to myself 3 years ago. My wife and I count every penny coming out of my pocket now, forecast many years forward’s expenses, and planned our retirement.

I felt different, I felt I have power over my life. That is when a TikTok revelation comes to me:

Be frugal with your time too - A wise man from TikTok.

Time is (More Than) Money

Time is a resource that is more limited than money. I can increase my income, but not my time. It is just plain stupid to be frugal about money but not about time. This revelation froze me and made me think a lot about how I spent my time before.

Our time on earth is limited; we can’t ask for extra time.

That is the only reason I need to be frugal about my time from now on. I should spend my time like how I spend my money: prioritize something that is either more essential or more meaningful.

Essential means something bad will happen if this thing is missing or not done. Meaningful means I will enjoy life more if it is present or done.

Below is my matrix of priorities, something that is essential and meaningful should be Priority Zero. Something that is essential but less meaningful should be Priority One, and so on.

My Priorities

I don’t know about other kids, but my son still doesn't understand many things yet. He still needs plenty of years to understand things like money, time, and (especially) his father’s work commitment.

He does understand one thing tho: his parent’s presence. My presence.

When I am out of his sight, he looks for me and sometimes cries for me. Seems like my physical presence is essential and meaningful to him. My son needs me. On the contrary, my colleagues, my manager, or anyone in this company will never cry for me, even if I am dead. It’s dead plain to see which one I should prioritize.

I am 100% positive that I will always choose to wipe my son’s asshole over commuting to work. I am not insane enough to want to battle the traffic and weather just to do something that I can do on my house.

Bye

I will enjoy it while it lasts, my baby will not demand me forever. When he grows older, he will be less demanding of my presence. But until that time comes, I will try to give my physical presence as much as possible. This company's WFO policy is not aligned with my priorities, so it's time to say goodbye.