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The earlier posts in this series are as follows:
- Dirty Dozen #1 – Luck
- Dirty Dozen #2 – Status Quo
- Dirty Dozen #3 – Complacency
- Dirty Dozen #4 – Mediocrity
- Dirty Dozen #5 – Indifference
- Dirty Dozen #6 – Impatience
- Dirty Dozen #7 – Common Sense
- Dirty Dozen #8 – Failure
- Dirty Dozen #9 – Expert
- Dirty Dozen #10 – Free Ride
- Dirty Dozen #11 – Shortcoming
Dictionary definition of Shortcut:
A shorter alternative route.
If there is an ultimate example of an irony, it’ll be called a “Shortcut.”
I have never seen a shortcut saving time or money in the long run. In fact, I think all shortcuts will take more time, energy and money in some way or the other.
The very reason you take a shortcut – to save something, you will lose more of it in the long run by taking a shortcut eliminating all the “perceived” advantages of the shortcut.
Let us actually make this more practical. You spend a significant amount of your life on your craft – you can call it job or profession or whatever you want to call it – I am referring to something that will give you money as a compensation.
Now, Do you want to get a premium for your work or will you settle for commodity wages?
It’s a rhetorical question. Of course you want to get a premium.
This is where the discussion about shortcuts gets interesting.
Shortcuts, by design, won’t give you a premium. They can’t. Let me explain. If anything is easy, there will be a LOT of people who will go after it – meaning an oversupply in the marketplace. When something is available in plenty, it can’t command a premium.
In summary, you can have it easy and get commoditized or you can take the long route and command a premium – the choice is yours.
Forget about taking shortcuts in life. They are too costly in the long run.
You can listen to the audio here:
Note:
Illustration by Ming. Ming is the creator of the Fantasy Story webcomic. He is also a freelance illustrator, designer, painting instructor and occasional luxury car salesman. Ming is based in Penang, Malaysia. You can find him on twitter @Artmaker