Entrepreneur Begs Full-Time Workers To Be The ‘Last One In & The First One Out’ — ‘Do As Little As You Can For Maximum Pay’
He said you cannot get time back once it's passed, so why should you give it away freely?
Ono Kosuki / Pexels Working a full-time job can require a lot of time and energy which is why you should give them away sparingly. At least that's what one man claimed.
Aaron Knightley, an entrepreneur and podcaster, told full-time employees that they should be the "last one in and the first one out." Often, you hear the opposite, but Knightley delved deeply into his philosophy.
An entrepreneur essentially told full-time workers that they should do the least amount of work for the most amount of money.
Knightley's message sparked the attention of many when a short clip from his podcast attracted around 18 million views.
He had many agreeing and some even criticizing him, but he had three reasons why he believes so deeply in this mentality:
- It's all about time.
- You are just a number.
- You should be working on your personal development.
It's all about time.
Time is a very precious thing — once it's gone, you can never get it back. Sadly, most companies have no respect for employee time outside the office. Why should you waste your own time when you are not being appreciated?
Companies use you as much as they possibly can and while it can be tempting to try and prove yourself by showing up early and staying as late, it's simply not worth it.
Instead of being rewarded for doing more, companies seek to exploit do-gooders, so you might as well work the exact amount of hours required and no more than that.
Ground Picture | Shutterstock
You are just a number.
When you work at a company you are more so just a cog in a machine. You could just as easily be replaced by someone else. There truly is no recognition for the work being done so long as someone is doing it.
Knightley emphasized, "You are an expense on an expense sheet, and at the end of the year, they'll decide whether to keep you or not, depending on the company's profit and loss."
He's certainly not wrong. The list of companies that have already implemented or are planning mass layoffs is huge and only seems to be growing. Add to that the fact that these layoffs are generally not performance-based, and it's a clear sign that good employees are being let go for economic reasons or, worse because their jobs can now be automated.
You should be working on your personal development.
Every one of us has unlimited potential and that is what we should be focusing our time and energy on. There is so much that you can do if you work on yourself, your goals, and your skills. Don't allow your job to be the thing that holds you back.
Knightley himself worked on his own business, poured his energy into that passion, and was able to escape his 9-5 job.
Even if your passion projects are not lucrative enough to support leaving your job, they can be a great resource for improving your current skills and making you more desirable in your current role or with a new company.
To implement the 'last one in and first one out' strategy, you have to set boundaries.
If you know you are working in an environment that does not value your commitment, you should not take on more than you can, which means you have to be able to stand up for yourself. When asked to stay late, say no, and when asked to work overtime, say no.
Setting boundaries is integral to your success, both personally and professionally.
You are not being rude or not doing your job; you are simply fulfilling the contractual agreement you have with your boss, which is to work for X number of hours for X salary. You are not doing any less than you have been asked to, and you certainly should not be doing any more than that.
Focus your time on improving yourself, and let your 9-5 pay the bills. Who knows? You might build your own business and escape the rat race.
Sahlah Syeda is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news, and human interest topics.