Every now and then I get an idea or an opportunity that’ll make a quick buck. Either there’s a product idea that I know will sell, or someone approaches me to do something that’ll be decent money. The problem is, it’s usually something I’m not passionate or something that won’t contribute to my overall goal in with my job.
So I’ve been trying to be better about choosing not to act on those quick buck opportunities. Here’s why.
1. It Undervalues My Time
If I see my time as a 1:1 ratio, one hour to one amount of money, I’m undervaluing my time. The real value of my time is my ability to do something now that yields longterm results later. If I were still working at a job, I’d count my day job as my 1:1 ratio, and my self-employment as my long-term investment. Now I have the luxury of all of my time going to long-term investment.
That’s still scary to me sometimes, because a quick income still feels nice. But I know my value is greater than just immediate cash.
2. It Skips Relationship
I have a certain faith that when I invest time in others, something comes back to me. It’s the principle of sowing and reaping, but I don’t necessarily think it always means money. Things come back in different ways, but things do come back.
When you go for the quick buck, you don’t invest in people. You don’t make long-term deposits in others. And the motivation shouldn’t be about getting something in return, but there’s a truth to that happening. I love investing in people for the sake of investing…but I also love seeing what long-term things come back from those investments.
3. It Usually Requires Compromise
Finally, that quick buck opportunity usually requires a compromise from my vision for my life. I might need to talk about a topic that isn’t really my thing. I might need to invest a ton of time in something that doesn’t contribute to my long-term goal. It might even require that I compromise a value I hold in order to make that quick buck.
So I’d encourage you, join me in the journey. Choose long-term investment over making a quick buck. I believe it’ll make for a better journey through life.