My mother wrapped our hot pizza stone in a recent copy of the Wall Street Journal and sent us home.  Days later, I flipped through the paper and came across an article about CEOs being frustrated with productivity when everyone worked from home and deciding, “That’s it! Experiment over! Everyone back to the office!” (Not an actual quote.  I recycled the paper already.)

Despite it not even applying to me, it got under my skin.

I put myself in the place of all those employees who frantically adjusted to working from home during Covid so they could keep their paycheck and keep their employers afloat.  They carved out work areas in their homes and apartments. They endured interminable zoom calls because their managers confused getting constant status with actually managing. 

It wasn’t all terrible for employees. I see my neighbors walk their kids to the bus stop in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon.  Another neighbor has time to run before work. A former colleague got back 3 hours per day and $4,000 per year in commuting costs. 

Now we are post-Covid and trying to figure out the new normal.  In this article one software company CEO said sales were 30% lower on days when everyone worked from home therefore he’s calling everyone back in.  I can see why that’s his reaction.  It is probably a lot easier than figuring out what is going on with the sales team and fixing that.  I might make the same decision if I was under pressure to right the ship pronto.

What then really bothered me about that short article?  

It was the feeling of powerlessness I would have if I was one of those employees. Someone else would be calling the shots on a big part of my life. What if I’m more productive when working from home?  I still must upend my life again to go back into the office because that’s the biggest, easiest lever for the CEO to pull.

It reminded me of how grateful I am to have been able to retire early.  It made all the decisions to get here, big and small, totally worth it.  If it sounds appealing to you, I am here to cheer you on.  It may not  happen overnight, but each step of the way is motivating.  It feels like a game, watching your debts shrink and your net worth grow.  

The rewards are not just monetary. Your confidence at work increases. Your fear of layoffs diminishes.  You become more effective because you’re not operating from a place of fear.  Ironically, your compensation may increase because you are valuing yourself more.  

As you get closer to financial independence, your employer’s control over you recedes.  If they make a decision that does not align with your goals or ethics you can confidently move on because you have so much more flexibility.

That article was a reminder that being in control of your own time is the ultimate luxury.  Taking steps to get there is always worth it.