“Doing something unimportant well does not make it important. Requiring a lot of time does not make a task important.”
Timothy Ferriss, The 4 Hour Workweek
People are obsessed with buying a house, it seems to be the main goal of their lives, being able to own a house, it doesn't matter that they will pay it for 40 years, they want to own a house.
Here comes my question: why?, when I ask this to several people I almost always get the same answer: in case that I lose my job, nobody will be able to take this away from me (the house), so I never will be left on the street. They are preparing themselves for the worst-case scenario, not having a job, not being able to pay the bills, being left on the street, but they will own their house.
Studies have been made, we spend 90% of our lives worrying for things that WILL NEVER HAPPEN, and this worst-case scenario is one of those things. If you think about it, people that are obsessed with acquiring a house are putting themselves in a bad position by acquiring debt for the following 30 - 40 years, during this period of time if the worst-case scenario happens, for sure the bank will take away the most fulfilling goal of their lives... owning a house.
Let's think about preparing for the worst-case scenario a little deeper and you will come to the realization that it is ridiculous to think this way. Ok, here comes the example, let's prepare for the worst-case scenario.
Situation: currently you are looking to change job, and the hiring manager contacts you in order to schedule an interview. Your mindset is to prepare yourself for the worst-case scenario and these are your thoughts: "Maybe I will go to the interview, and I will not give the best impression for any reason, so I will not get the job, also the interviewer will remember me and he will tell bad things about me, or maybe, he will know my next interviewer in the next company that I will apply and he will tell bad things, so I will never get the job. The best option here is not going to the interview".
If you analyze that mindset is ridiculous to be thinking and preparing yourself for the worst-case scenario because the odds are that it will never happen. You could die tonight while sleeping, you will never know, so the best thing you can do is aim for the best-case scenario. So let's aim for this.
The best-case scenario is the one that makes free to travel, to take risks, to spend time with the people that you love, to learn the skills that you like. I know, I make it sound easy and you know it isn't. I advise you to take baby steps, the first one is: get rid of your debt and avoid it at all costs. I know you have heard that debt is the only way of "owning", but do you really call paying something for 30-40 years "owning"??? I see this mindset every day with my colleagues, they are brainwashed into what society expects from us. Don't fall in that game, nobody really cares what is happening with your life. Instead of getting debt, focus on how you can get the things you want without needing a loan. Debt is one of the main causes of suicide, so I'm not talking bullshit here, a very bad financial desition could easily destroy your life.
Sorry, I got distracted. Aim for achievable and trackable goals, focus on the good things that will happen 90% of the time and you will get better results to live the life you want. Aim for that new job position in another country that you like, start that side business that you have been putting off. You are the one that has the control to have a fulfilling life, don't waste it.
That's it for today.
Regards.
No comments:
Post a Comment