Almost anything worth while is a long term commitment. Whether it’s losing weight, gaining muscle, being rich, or getting twitter followers, the process is a long term one. Strength and resources need time and consistency. Realistically speak, those are the underlying principles of success because money, diet and health are all long term problems. Long term problems require long term solutions. Something else, however, needs to be addressed and that would be short term solutions.
Short term solutions for long term problems isn’t a good formula, but it has its place. Long term solutions usually show results over time and have greater potential for growth. An example of this would be starting a business and then reaping the rewards a few years down the line when it grows and maybe even goes public.
Another example is losing weight. You can starve yourself and lose a few inconsistent pounds, only to have them come back. Or you can take your time and have smaller, consistent results over the long run and continue to stay at your desired weight.
There are times however where a short term, temporary solution is necessary. If we take the weigh loss example and look at it in the eyes of a fighter, we may think different. Imagine having to weigh in for a fight the next day, but you’re over by two pounds?
A long term weight loss strategy is better for losing a lot of weight and keeping it off, but it won’t help in this situation. This is when starving or dehydration will come in handy. Since it’s short term, it’s usually a one time thing to make weight, then back to the long term in mind.
The Problem
With money, the same may be so. Money is always a pressing matter for most adults. Bills, food, children, tax, repairs, etc. They’re all urgent issues. Want a quick fix? Sure! Go get a job and work your ass off.
Here’s the problem with that money management model. It’s a short term solution to a long term problem that people mistake as a long term solution. Working for years just to maintain a current life style with questionable room for growth, is not an effective long term solution to the matters of money.
The traditional time for money model is not as effective as other money models. Time is worth a lot more than money so being paid hourly for labor is not as effective a money management system as say, money for money. Investing is using money to make money. How about buy low sell high? That’s another money model that’s more effective. These money making models do take time however and in that time, we still need to pay rent, buy clothing, eat and travel so time for money is a good, temporary solution to the problem.
The solution
The trick is to always look for growth. Find what you’re good at and offer it for a price, then automate it. If you’re not good at anything marketable, find an item that is. That way you can find ways to buy it at wholesale price and maybe sell it at retail price online or via brick & motor. It takes time and research, but the potential for growth is almost limitless.
Time for money is a short term solution for money. but money is a long term issue. While we are managing our bills and having fun, there’s no reason to stop there and not put our eggs in different baskets. Invest some of our time and money into long term solutions that will free us of time and labor in the future.
The opportunities are out there, but they aren’t fed to us like employment is in school. School was an institution designed to produce good labor and if that’s what your goal is then look no more. If you need to find alternative long term monetary solutions then I hate to disappoint you, but the paradigm of mainstream education is not in your favor.
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