Is IT Worth It?
Is what you’re pursuing worth the price you’re going to pay, and what you’ve already spent?
We are all pursuing something. For some, it is money, fame, or recognition. For others, it is a family or a career. For still others, it is an education, a hobby, a passion, or a mission. Some pursue a person, a place, or a state of being or belonging. Whatever it is that we are pursuing, there is one question that we should ask ourselves.
Is it worth it?
Is it REALLY worth it?
Why this question? Because whatever IT is that we are pursuing has a cost associated with it. It is going to demand something of us. The question we need to take the time to consider, ponder, reflect upon, and answer wisely is whether or not the reward we’re pursuing is the cost required to obtain it.
Few people would spend a thousand dollars or more to obtain an item valued at one hundred dollars. That’s not a good return on investment. Yet far too many people sacrifice years of their lives, relationships with those closest to them, or hard-earned money to pursue and obtain something that has little lasting value.
Of all the things we could be pursuing right now, is this the best use of our time, talent, and our resources?
We are all given 24 hours in a day, and we are all given 7 days in a week. No one gets anymore and no one gets any less. There are 1440 minutes in a day. That’s 86,400 seconds. What we do with this time is an investment. If we do nothing with the time we’ve been given, we’ve squandered the opportunity to use them for something productive.
Is what you’re pursuing worth the time you’re investing to achieve it?
Ask Qin Shi Huang.
If you don’t recognize the name, he was the Emperor of China from 221 to 210 BC. Qin Shi Huang is perhaps best known in the annals of history as the emperor who brought about the unification of China and the construction of the Great Wall. But he is also known for one of the most wasteful projects in history.
Quin Shi Huang ordered the construction of an elaborate tomb complex for himself that included thousands of life-sized terracotta soldiers, horses, and chariots. This vast army was to accompany him into the afterlife and protect him. Tens of thousands of hours of manpower, involving thousands of workers were invested in this project that did nothing to protect the emperor in this life, or in the life to come.
There is a financial cost to whatever it is that we are pursuing in life, and just as we do with time, we must ask ourselves if what we’re spending our money on is worth the investment.
Money is a medium of exchange for goods and services. We trade time for money. If we work a 40-hours a week, we are investing 2,000 hours a year (allowing for 2 weeks of vacation) to earn a paycheck. What we spend that money on says a lot about what we are pursuing and whether we are being good stewards of the money we’ve worked hard to earn.
Ask King Louis XVI.
Louis XVI ruled France in the tumultuous period leading up to the French Revolution in 1789. His pursuit was an extravagant lifestyle and out-of-control spending which contributed to the financial crisis in France. Louis XVI was more concerned with his personal comforts and satisfying his desires than being a good steward of the public trust and making decisions that provided for his people.
He squandered the people’s money on elaborate parties for the elites while the commoners of the kingdom suffered in squalor. While those of privilege dined on the finest foods in palacious settings, the rest of the country struggled to feed, clothe, and provide for their families. Because Louis XVI failed to address the social and economic challenges plaguing his people, they ultimately revolted. Improper spending of the nation’s Treasury led to Louis XVI’s overthrow and a public beheading by the guillotine.
In the pursuit of anything in life, there is also a personal cost, a physical, mental, or emotional toll that is exacted. There are only so many things we can do in a day. There is only so much energy and effort we can put forth toward the things we are pursuing in life. We can’t give more than 100% of ourselves at any time because that’s all we have to give.
Ask Kobe Bryant.
Known as one of the best to ever play the game, Kobe started his basketball workouts before the sun rose each morning. He would get up early, around 4 AM, and push himself through a 2-hour workout. After breakfast and a bit of recovery time, he pushed himself through another 2-hour workout mid-morning. After a lunch break, he was back on the floor, again pushing himself through another 2-hour workout before pausing for dinner. Then, he was back on the court, pushing himself through yet another 2-hour workout before ending his day.
He understood there was a personal cost to success, and he paid it every day. Kobe pushed his body, enduring the physical, mental, and emotional toll it placed on his person, because he understood there is a price to pay in the pursuit of greatness, and it paid off for him.
Compare that to Percy Fawcett.
Fawcett was a British geographer and archeologist who became obsessed with finding the mythical city of “Z” (also known as El Dorado) in the uncharted Amazon jungle. In the early 20th century, he undertook multiple expeditions to South America in search of the fabled city of gold. Fawcett endured numerous challenges, harsh living conditions, pestilence and disease, and dangerous encounters with indigenous tribes on his quests. Each time, he came back empty.
In 1925, he embarked on his final expedition along with his son, Jack, and a friend named Raleigh Rimell. The trio disappeared into the Amazon jungle and were never seen or heard from again. The mystery of their disappearance has never been solved, despite several expeditions to locate them or their remains.
Fawcett, his son, and his friend endured substantial physical, mental, and emotional duress in the pursuit of the fabled city of El Dorado only to pay the ultimate cost for their personal investment.
Was it worth it? For Kobe, the answer was yes. Fawcett, it appears the answer is no.
What about you?
Is it worth the time you’re sacrificing, the energy you are expending, and the resources you are investing in the pursuit of something or someone?
Perhaps a more important question is this…
Is what you’re pursuing truly going to make an impactful difference in your life or the lives of others, or does it simply feed your ego?
Is what you’re pursuing something truly meaningful, fulfilling, and satisfying, or will it leave you still wanting, yearning, and desiring something more when you obtain it?
Are you pursuing momentary success or lasting significance?
As my mentor, John Maxwell, says, “Once you’ve tasted significance, success will never satisfy.”
We are all pursuing something, and we’ve got to ask ourselves whether IT is worth what it is going to demand of us to achieve or obtain it. We don’t want to spend our lives in the relentless pursuit of something that will cost us more than what we’ll obtain as a result of acquiring what we are pursuing.
We don’t want to spend our entire lives climbing a ladder only to get to the top and discover it is leaning against the wrong wall. But if we don’t pause and ask ourselves whether IT is worth it, we may end up doing exactly that.
What we pursue says a lot about us. It speaks to what we value and truly desire in our lives.
Is what you’re pursuing worth the price you’re going to pay, and what you’ve already spent?
You’re giving up a part of yourself to acquire, obtain, or achieve it.
So, you better count the cost, and make sure it is worth what you’re willing to spend.