Thought – “Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze?”

A former VP in my work organization had an expression that really stuck with me. She used to ask the question “Is the juice worth the squeeze?” when talking about potentially pursuing different initiatives. The meaning behind the expression is simply “Is the goal you are trying to reach worth the price you have to pay? Is there a better way to spend your resources?” Time is a finite resource that we all have a limited amount of, and that is something that we need to be mindful of.

As I think about the “Road to One Million” this a thought that has been on my mind a lot. My purpose for wanting to retire early is to be able to spend more time with my family; I have a wife and three kids under 4 years old. That is why when I evaluate ways to save money or make money I am going to be asking myself the question “Is the juice worth the squeeze?” very frequently. I do not want to sacrifice my time (or my sanity) chasing a goal and have life pass me by in the meantime; that juice is not worth the squeeze.

I would suggest that you, my devoted reader, consider this question as well before you embark on any task to be financially independent, or just save money. Ask yourself the question, “Is the juice worth the squeeze?” and determine for yourself if the steps you have to take to reach your goal are truly worth it.

Sorry, the deep and heavy physiological analysis is finished for today. On a lighthearted note…I have some followers now! There are officially some “devoted readers” now that I can refer to/talk to/entertain. Thanks for being willing to travel down this road with me, even if it is just for a short time.

Road to One Million Update: Milepost 0 out of 1,000,000 (no money raised to date…but I have been saving money which is good, I just am not counting it toward the early retirement…I have to buy too many diapers and too much formula for that…)