Avoid Schemes
Impacts: Mind, Money, Community, Time
“The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life.” – Theodore Roosevelt
The desire for instant gratification may be our biggest cultural weakness. Americans love it fast, especially when it is money. In fact that may be why we like to gamble and the idea striking it rich. No wonder it’s so easy for us to fall victim to things that offer quick rewards for little effort and why its hurts so much when it’s finally time to pay the piper.
Schemes take on a variety of shapes and sizes. A simple scheme might be something like buy one get one free. In fact that simple phrase is a marketing tool used so commonly we often mistake it for something other than a scheme. But if you widen your definition of scheme to include all things that promise a quick benefit for what seems like little effort, you’ll quickly realize that schemes surround us.
Should all schemes be avoided? You should definitely be on the lookout for them all the time, avoid the gimmick and reap the rewards when it makes sense. For example, should you avoid buying stuff on sale simply because it’s a marketing scheme? No, of it’s something you need then by all means buy it on sale. If the sale is buy one get one free and you don’t need two then pause and carefully consider the purchase.
Get rich schemes are the easiest to spot because they make outlandish claims and promise gigantic rewards. Avoid these at all costs. The only people with any chance of getting rich quick are the people running the scheme.
The most important reason to avoid schemes isn’t the money you loose but the mental distraction they create. They will cause you to loose focus on your real pursuit of happiness and replace it temporarily with an artificial instant gratification high. If you find yourself getting caught up in schemes often you should try asking yourself some tough questions about instant gratification and what really makes you happy.
Take Action
- Watch out for anything that promises quick rewards for little effort.
- Watch your wallet. Schemes are easily spotted because they always ask for money up front.
- Avoid buying lottery tickets.
- Avoid gambling.
- Focus on long term goals and make every step count.
