The 'Good Life' Ain't Cheap: The Difference Between Working Hard And Hardly Working

Some people will waste their days away, complaining about being broke and not having a job, when they could be spending their time job-hunting, instead. You’ll meet people who will always have their hands out, and those that would rather manhunt to marry rich.

Then, there are those people who will tell the same ‘ol sob story day-after-day, seeking pity for their lack of a profession and income… please, someone, queue the violins. It’s not necessarily a person’s fault for being laid off when a company is making cuts, or for needing to quit a job because it conflicts with your school schedule, but when you are healthy, available and still choose to be lazy and cry over your misery, it’s time to make a life change.

I believe the secret to staying young and living good is staying busy. Don’t give your body the chance to age, or even worse, don’t give yourself the time to become lazy and complacent.

My mother worked seven days a week, until she couldn’t work anymore. Seeing her work 12-hour days to provide for my sister and I set the example for me that if you’re not on your grind, you will fall behind.  Being a young career woman myself, I am living proof that you’re never too young or too busy to get moving and get going with your goals. You are your own problem and your own solution in the same. Don’t sit around waiting for someone to rescue you when you can be your own savior.

Reality Check

Live your own reality and make it a good one. Don’t buy flashy things you can’t afford when you barely have a job. Going broke trying to make an impression is the dumbest thing you could do to yourself and your future. Invest all that time and energy into accumulating wealth, open a savings account, and once you have a nice little financial cushion, you can shop all you want, with the funds to afford it. I love flashy and expensive things that I shouldn’t be buying, but I can afford to splurge if it makes me happy to do so.

How do I do it? I work my ass off. I go on all these fancy vacations and shopping escapades to reward myself and enjoy the money I work so hard to earn. I never feel the need to boast about my work or career because it reflects upon the kind of life I live and the material possessions I own. The “good life” is not cheap. I would hope that if you see someone who lives well, you automatically assume that they work for it. It’s not always the case, though. We live in the era of sponsors, supporters, sugar daddies and famous ball player baby daddies, so it’s not a shocker when that is someone’s means of income. However, I am single and have no children, so none of those sources apply.

Go Out And Get It Yourself

Time waits for no one. Vacations will not pay for themselves. Clothes and cars are not free. If you want something bad enough, you have to get it yourself. Expect nothing from anyone because the world doesn’t owe you a thing, and you will only end up disappointed.

It is up to you to get off your ass and make something out of nothing. I’ve never been sympathetic to anyone who calls me up to complain and cry over spilled milk. It’s mean, but I truly don’t have the patience –or the time– to sit here talking and crying over something that already happened. Call me when you have a problem and you need a solution. I am a fixer. I fix things. I am such a big control freak that I literally can’t wait for things to come to me organically. Everything I have, I went out and got it.

No Freebies

Some people attribute success to luck. I take offense to that because I have my fair share of struggles just like anybody else, except I choose to solve them instead of complaining and waiting for a miracle. I don’t care for luck or freebies because it’s not a sure thing. I don’t want anything that can easily be taken away.  Asking for things makes them temporary, while working for them makes them yours. I want to be deserving and worthy of my life. I always ask God to give me what I need, what I deserve and what is meant for me.

I am not a success story. I haven’t accomplished a quarter of the things on my bucket list, but I am on my way. I am on the road, opening doors, getting over the bumps, through the cracks and dodging bullets. I am not taking shortcuts. I am working day and night. And even though I forget to breathe sometimes, I don’t mind working as hard as I do. I don’t mind working for what I know I will receive as a payoff in the end.

Play Hard

That’s the thing about “the good life” - everyone wants it, but no one wants to work for it. My advice is to work hard and play harder. I may be working nine-hour shifts on Saturdays all summer while my friends are having fun, but come winter, I’ll be somewhere in the Caribbean or Europe sipping champagne by the ocean. That’s the difference between working hard and barely working.

Top Photo Courtesy: Hackett