Paying Debt Should Be About Experience, Not Mindless Suffering
The traditional work ethic says that you must “pay premiums” to be successful. But often it means enduring useless adversity just to endure it. Instead of a meaningless rite of passage, consider paying your dues an experience.
Paying dues can be a necessary part of a career, but in many cases it actually prevents us from moving forward. For example, you may feel that you are not allowed to negotiate a pay rise because you have not “paid your contributions” yet. But neglecting to negotiate your very first paycheck can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of your career. Writer Matt Chevront explains:
while experience matters, the idea of “paying your dues” is quickly disappearing. Nowadays, the concept of “climbing stairs” is an old school train of thought. We are all together looking for work that matters. This is not an easy job. Work that brings satisfaction. And we don’t want to wait. And really, not worth it.
It seems like the “old school line of thought” is that you need to suffer before you try to succeed. I remember the first time I heard this phrase. I was working with a group of people on a big engineering project, and we had to stay at work until 6 or 7 pm even though there was nothing to do. “What’s the point?” I asked. Someone from the team said, “You have to pay your dues.” But in this case, my “debts” were delayed in order to be delayed. It was unproductive and wasteful.
At the same time, Chevront says, experience matters. Instead of thinking of “paying off your debt” as simple suffering, think of it in terms of learning and experience. The blog Barking Up The Wrong Tree says it well :
you don’t have to suffer for years before you can take your picture. But you have to learn.
The general idea is a bit abstract, but it boils down to this: Don’t feel like you have to put up with meaningless grief just to get ahead. And feel free to strive for more simply because you feel unworthy. Yes, experience and training are essential ingredients for success. You can pay dues, just make sure they are really productive.
Find out more on this topic at the link below.
Life is too short to pay off debt | Life without pants