Henry David Thoreau once said that “the cost of a thing is amount of what I call “life” which is required to be exchanged for it immediately or in long run.”Most of us are putting off things this month that will wind up costing you more in long run, in time, energy, missed opportunities.
Maybe you’re putting off paying anything on your debts because you’re afraid to tell creditors how much you can afford to pay them each month, because you’re afraid they won’t accept your small payment, afraid they will try and garnish your wages, or a hundred other reasons. Your true cost in long run may be that you wind up with a stress-related health condition from dodging creditor phone calls, or you wind up ruining your credit for years.
Maybe you’re putting off telling someone you love how you truly feel about them because you’re afraid they don’t feel same about you, won’t want to take a chance on love again, or a hundred other reasons. The true cost may be that you wind up spending rest of your life without person you truly love, pining away for “what might have been” or “what wasn’t said.” It’s like country song “It’s a Little Too Late.”
Or maybe what you’re putting off doesn’t seem so life-altering. Maybe you’re putting off having your car serviced, fixing a small leak in gutters, ironing clothes you’ll need for work next week, cleaning out fridge, sorting through your tax papers, making a phone call, and so on.
Make a quick list of 4 things you’re putting off doing, because you currently feel you lack enough time, energy, money or knowledge to take care of them. Then write down true cost of what they may mean. Does cost of having your car towed at an inconvenient time, coordinating rides with others and paying for unexpected repairs outweigh cost of having your oil changed this month?