When there’s work to be done, there’s always going to be a cost. It may be our money. It may be our time. But it will always cost us something.
One of the challenges I’ve faced in this area is determining when I should spend my time on something, even if it doesn’t make financial sense. For instance, if I could pay someone to do my yard work, and I could use the same amount of time to earn enough on the side to cover the cost plus some, why wouldn’t I? From a financial standpoint, I’d be ahead if I could earn more per hour than I’m paying someone else to do the necessary work.
And while this is certainly true in one sense, there are also other factors to consider. Yes, we should certainly factor in what the work costs us — whether the money we spend to hire someone, or the time we spend doing it ourselves — but we should also be aware of what what the work itself does in us. Is it fulfilling? Is it life-giving?
For some people, for instance, the opportunity to get their hands dirty and do manual labor can bring a sense of fulfillment that they don’t find in other places. And so, even though they could pay someone else to do this kind of work for them, and come out ahead financially, they would also be missing out on the life-giving nature and fulfillment that the work would bring them.
We all know life is far more than dollar and cents. It’s one thing to have a little more money, it’s another thing to experience joy and fulfillment. Which means, when deciding what work you should do yourself versus what you should hire out, don’t forget to factor in what you’ll get out of the work itself. Is it enriching your life? Or draining it? Will it bring joy? or frustration?
Because sometimes it’s these kinds of factors that are even more important than the money or time involved.