Honor and pride are great qualities, but they can sometimes make life harder, especially when you’re trying to improve your financial situation or quality of life. Life is tough as it is, so why add extra challenges by being too stubborn?
I’ve felt the burnout myself, waking up early to write before my kids get up, then spending the whole day managing childcare and household chores. By evening, I’m exhausted. I’ve considered publishing less frequently to make life a bit easier, but my dedication won’t let me cut back.
My high school track coach used to say that only losers quit, and that mindset has stuck with me. But I want to show you how sticking too rigidly to my principles of honor and pride has made my life tougher than necessary. Here’s what I’ve learned from sticking to my guns, sometimes to my own detriment.
For instance, I delayed starting my blog, Financial Samurai, because I didn’t feel credible enough after graduating from business school and working in finance. It wasn’t until 2009, during a recession, that I finally launched it, motivated by seeing others with less experience succeed. I realized then that confidence and marketing skills could make up for a lack of expertise.
Another example is how I clung to driving an old car for a decade due to my financial rule of not spending more than 10% of my gross income on a car. Even when the car started having problems, I just covered the warning lights with duct tape instead of fixing them. Eventually, I traded it in for a more practical and modest car that fit better with city parking and my financial rules.
I also faced challenges with preschool admissions for my son. Despite having connections who could have helped, I chose to apply without any referrals to see if we could get in on merit. We faced multiple rejections before finally getting accepted into a local preschool. This experience taught me that sometimes, using available resources and connections might not be as negative as it seems, and can actually be beneficial.
As life progresses and you potentially grow wealthier, consider using your resources to make life easier, not harder. Recognize when it’s time to shift from survival mode to enjoying the fruits of your labor. There’s no reward for making life harder than it needs to be. Enjoying a simpler, less strenuous path doesn’t diminish your achievements or the hard work it took to get where you are today.
