You Get What You Deserve.

In life there are no short cuts.

 

Everyone is looking for short cuts or an easier way to achieve their goals.

Social media promotes the “social conditioning” of hacks and quick results.

Just look at the “bit-coin frenzy” over the last two years and the financial devastation this is now inflicting on millions of investors.

 

“Success is a lousy teacher, because it makes you forget how the real-world works.” Bill Gates

 

This email was inspired by my youngest daughter Maggie (turning eighteen next week), who is currently struggling with the last two months of year 12 and the immense pressure build up to her final exams at the start of November.

 

Maggie is a good student who has always done well at school, but she is following her two older siblings who achieved great year 12 results a decade ago and both now have fulfilling careers. So, Maggie has extremely high expectations for herself and is working incredibly hard to fulfill her aspirations.

 

As a parent it is painful to watch your child put themself under such pressure. But having watched her siblings and their friends go through the same pressure cooker, I firmly believe in the end each student gets the marks they deserve. If they put in the work, they ultimately get the reward.

 

This principle applies to all aspects of life.

 

“There is no substitute for work ethic” Unknown

 

In the financial newsletter “Collaborative Fund” Morgan Housel’s article “Reality Catches Up” outlines that overall, there are no real short cuts in life and the only pathway to success is a good consistent work ethic.

 

“Hacks are appealing because they look like paths to prizes without the effort” Morgan Housel

 

The main take away from Housel’s article is that you should only want the lifestyle you can comfortably sustain. The current inflationary climate with rapidly rising interest rates is causing financial stress for families that have unrealistically large mortgages, which were extremely comfortable up until 6 months ago. An asset you do not deserve can quickly become a liability.

 

Two of my favourite and most used sayings speak to this well-founded social principle.

 

“There is no such thing as a free lunch.”

 

“If it’s too good to be true, it probably is”

 

Thanks for reading,

Stay safe and work hard.

David.