Recent research by Kahneman and Deaton at Princeton demonstrates that happiness levels out at salary levels of circa $75k per annum. I think the normal among us can relate to a figure that doesn’t leave you scratching your head or indeed tearing your hair out, as to how you will on earth manage to pay a sudden [delete from following; obscene electricity / gas bill; sudden dental treatment; car breakdown etc] bill. Yes, it would be nice to be able to afford that random purchase of an Aston Martin, or to rent Mick Jagger’s Mustique property for a week in high season without a lurch in one’s stomach. But it’s nice to be able to pay the bills. And more is better for the frills.

But not my guy. Let’s call him Richard. Richard is a highflying city executive. He woke up at 3 am the morning of our executive profiling session to attend to a non-urgent client need – because that’s the way he is. Of course by the time he reached me he was ratty and hyper in that way toddlers are when they are overtired but don’t know quite how to manage themselves. Gabbling away like Jeremy Paxman on speed it soon becomes apparent Richard (1) has a large ego and lacks related humility (2) is neurotic and obsessive in a way that any client would love but his colleagues and family may be irked by and (3) has lost all perspective on life.

He reminded me of a colleague way back when whom no one had known to take a holiday in the previous 10 years of his employment. He took pride in sleeping under his desk during large deals. But he was a nightmare to work with – controlling, micromanaging, emotionally on the edge. He was forced to take a permanent break as even clients eventually spot crazy. His role was filled the next week. We didn’t mourn his loss and neither did the clients who apparently might have self-imploded without his permanent and ever ready presence.

In the course of our conversation Richard revealed to me that he earned £900k per annum (yes £900,000, not £90,000), owned three large houses all with fully paid off mortgages, and his wife was a partner in a GP practise (code speak for creaming it in). He offered this information gratis and as an aside to other questions. As I always do, I asked him: why he worked? what was his purpose in life? If he was passionate about his job? The bold and immediate reply, “oh, if someone offered me a pot of cash today I wouldn’t be doing this….. I would be gardening all day and enjoying my family life”. Of course this begged the following question, “Given you’ve just told me you earn £900k, you have 3 houses with paid off mortgages, exactly how much cash do you need to be given?”. He fumbled, he hoed and hummed but wasn’t really sure. Then he swiftly went off at some other tangent. He wasn’t prepared to go down this path so the magic number remains unexplored.

So folks here’s the thing…

–          Rule number one in life: you are dispensable – to clients, your organisation, and to nature most of all

–          If you have 3 houses you probably have enough by way of assets to redirect your energies towards some of the relationships that should actually matter (see http://www.inspirationandchai.com/Regrets-of-the-Dying.html for top 5 deathbed regrets – profound yet simple stuff)

–          If you are a total nob and lack humility at least try to hide it… a little