Whether To Embrace The Suck

There is a quintessential question that divides the financial independence community. The divide spans philosophy as well as the generational gap. it digs down to the core of what you believe about the path to financial freedom and the role of work and employment. There are two distinct sides that are deeply entrenched in their own dogma. I have touched on the subject with my post about front loading the sacrifice. I guess I have chosen my side. The quintessential question is whether to embrace the suck or to dispel of it altogether.

What do I mean?

Simply put, for many in this community, the road to success is paved with sacrifice. Put in your dues. Work long hours. Slowly move up the ladder, and nirvana eventually awaits. For others, sacrifice is a four letter word. They fear this concept of grinding away at a task they hate. They believe that passion is the bridge over troubled waters.

Which is right?

Front Load The Sacrifice

Work was never meant to be joyful. Especially in the beginning. Most jobs start with menial tasks. That’s because you don’t know anything and don’t own anything. You are the bottom rung of the ladder. You can’t climb unless establish a good base and work your way up.

Compounding. Not only money but the experience you gain during those menial tasks will pay dividends in the future. They will compound into a wealth of not only riches but opportunities. If you are wise enough to start young, that advantage over decades will be unimaginable.

But you have to start young. You have to put up with some of the drudgery. Sure, I had no fondness for all the middling tasks I performed as a med student and a resident. The knowledge gained, however, during those never ending days on call would be the fuel for my rocket ship.

They would propel me to heights professionally and economically that I would never have been ready for at the beginning of my career.

I had to put in the time. There was no question of whether to embrace the suck or not. I had no choice.

Breaking The Daily Grind

There is an equally compelling argument that the old way of doing things no longer works. Why spend our precious time working away at activities that we despise? There is a new world dawning. The gig economy and the liquid work force allow a person to tailor their work experience to fit their needs.

Why do something you hate when you can do something you love? There is no time to waste on the mundane. Follow your passion and allow it to lead you to monetization. Whether to embrace the suck is no longer a relevant question.

Embrace the passion and opportunities around you. They don’t have to suck.

Proponents of this philosophy rightly point to the failings of previous generations. Baby boomers and gen X’ers who are no better off financially, and yet were miserable throughout their work careers.

Who’s Right?

That’s a great question that I am not sure I have the answer to. I chose to grind it out and front load the sacrifice. This has served me well. But, I also didn’t even have an inkling early in my career that there was another possibility. I had no choice on whether to embrace the suck or not, it was the only path I knew to becoming a doctor.

Now, there are other options. Even if you want to be a medical professional, you can become a nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or even an EMT and foreshorten the pain quite a bit. With a little luck and entrepreneurial spirit, the pay gap may not even be that great.

More importantly, the world is big enough to accommodate both philosophies.

So do what you like.