Why am I writing this stuff? Am I writing tongue-in-cheek, for the sake of humor, or do I really believe it?

I know it’s a copout to say a little bit of all three, but I’m going to go ahead and say it. Sadly, I do believe that all of the tips given out here will work for the most part in a mid-to-large corporate office. I’ve rarely taken just a one-hour-lunch or stayed past five. And I’ve never been in trouble for it.

I went to Miami University of Ohio where I got a degree in Systems Analysis. I think this was a double edged sword. I enjoyed the discipline and thought it was interesting–it basically teaches you to extract the most you can out of any given situation through analysis. In this case, I want to maximize free time and money while minimizing work.

However, living the life of a slacker can sometimes become lonely and frustrating. This is my outlet. I do mean for a large portion of it to be humorous, but everything I write comes out of true experiences. And like any system, you need to test the boundaries to find its strength. I test those boundaries.

I could try to argue that I am doing something good because this blog can be read by anybody. Besides being used by slackers to escape work, managers and corporate leaders could in turn use it to learn about slacker tactics and how to reign them in.

In reality, I just felt that the slacker viewpoint is one that isn’t well represented on the Internet. I figured I might as well have a go of it myself, and it seems like there are many slackers out there.

Do I apply the slacker attitude in the corporate world only, or does it spill over into my life in general?

The ’slacker attitude’ does spill over in my life outside of work, but not nearly as heavily. For example, I usually don’t clean up my condo much if the only people going to be seeing it a few days (or weeks) are myself or close friends. It is when I’m having family or other people over that I take the time to get the whole place in order. Until that point, I want to ‘hang out.’

And whats so wrong with ‘hanging out’ anyways? Some people scoff or roll their eyes when I say something like that. But, c’mon, hanging out basically means doing whatever you want for an extended period of time. I would rather do that than clean.

At work it has become more of a game for me. It can be so easy to slack off, it gets mind numbingly boring. I’ll go in the morning already knowing that I have an entire day of absolutely nothing ahead on me. When this happens I start to go a little crazy, and it was on of those times when I started writing about it. If nothing else, it makes the days go by faster.

And if you love work and feel piteous for me, don’t worry about it. It’s fine. Some people love that what they do, but a lot of people don’t. We do what we need to get the bills paid.

Where do I ultimately believe this way of thinking will lead?

I believe that if done correctly, a person would be able to effectively remain employed for a lifetime as a slacker. Barring doing something obviously detrimental, it seems to be very difficult to get fired in the corporate world. Whether or not this is something I will be doing for the rest of my life is something I’m unsure of.

At this stage in my career, I pretty much already know that rising up the ranks and dealing with all the politics involved is not something I want to be doing. However, it also pays pretty well and allows me the time to do other things I enjoy…running, playing tennis, blogging, and just generally having time to do what I want to do.

When the time comes when I have to leave or am (gulp) fired, I will deal with it as it happens. I already know that I am on borrowed time, so in my head I imagine myself unemployed yet still getting a paycheck every two weeks for showing up to the office.

How do I respond when I am reverse-slacked? i.e. when someone who is providing a product or service to me is a major slacker, causing the service to fall short of my expectations. Do you cut them some “slack”, or do you demand reparations?

I welcome them as an equal and we start comparing our situations and laughing. Honestly, I probably cut the person as much slack as I would take if I were in their situation. But if I’m paying for something, I expect to get what I paid for in the end. If someone slacks, I can usually complain to a higher up and get some type of peace offering (cash) in return.

If this happens at work, it makes me look better. I can go to my mananger and say, “Yeah, I’ve been trying to do so-and-so, but I can’t because Mary hasn’t completed the specifications.” I still haven’t done anything, but I look better than that lazy sack Mary who is holding me up.

Am I sad, antisocial weirdo who hates my life and part of ‘what is wrong with this world’?

No.