The Cost of Doing Nothing
The Cost of Doing Nothing
Oscar Wilde wrote, “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist.” Have you thought about whether you are living or just existing? Do you live a life that you truly want or just exist in the one handed to you each day? Every day you are faced with a hundred different little choices, and the worst thing you can do is nothing. When you do nothing, you cease to live and simply exist.
Think about the following scenarios and whether your reaction sounds more like that of Person 1 or Person 2.
· The stock market just took a dive and so did your 401(k).
Person 1: Tries to forget about the loss by watching a Netflix marathon. Hopes he won’t have to delay retirement more than a year or two now.
Person 2: Calls his financial advisor immediately to talk about what he can do now to take advantage of a market upswing and get back on track to meet his retirement goals.
· You go to the doctor, and your blood work shows that you are on the edge of pre-diabetes.
Person 1: Figures that pre-diabetes isn’t really diabetes, so why bother eating salads? He’ll just throw in an extra gym day every week. But not this week. Maybe starting next week. Or the week after that.
Person 2: Determined not to let this get any worse, he immediately starts making small changes to his diet and adds an extra 15 minutes to his cardio routine each day.
· For months, you’ve been watching the news every night and hearing them talk about an impending economic implosion and inflation.
Person 1: Starts to wonder if the couple hundred dollars he has in a savings account is enough. Maybe he should try to pinch some pennies and save a little more next year.
Person 2: Explores possible side hustles and develops a budget to get some additional savings and stability.
In each case, Person 1 doesn’t really do anything and lets life happen. Person 2, on the other hand, makes a decision and commits to changing course. By taking action, whether it turns out to be good or bad, you decide your course. Even when things go wrong, you learn from the experience and gain knowledge to help you make a better decision next time. Learning from experiences is called personal growth. Living your life your way is called success.
There is only one success, to be able to spend your life in your own way. ~ Christopher Morley (American author)