54 | Seesaws and "Enough"

Our kids love a seesaw - the constant ups and downs seem like Roller Coaster 101 for those under the age of 6.

The "pivot point" in the middle of the seesaw on which the entire board rests is the fulcrum.

The closer you get to the fulcrum, the harder it is to lift the other side.

The further away from the fulcrum, the easier it is to lift the other side.

A 4-year-old way out on one end can lift someone many times his or her size if that person is close to the fulcrum.

And vice versa, no amount of force applied near the fulcrum is going to lift the 4-year-old into the air.

Of course, I see a connection to finances. How can I not?

Income that is not accompanied by an ability to spend less than 100% of it is like applying force at the fulcrum of the seesaw while "enough" is sitting way out on the end.

Even for folks, especially for folks who have the highest levels of income*, the reality holds true.

The force matters, but only if the fulcrum is in a place to leverage it.

If the fulcrum is in the wrong spot, no amount of force is bringing the other end off the ground.

It's not about applying force, or generating ever-increasing amounts of income, until you retire, burn-out, or quit. It's about slowly adjusting the position of the fulcrum to see "enough" begin to come off the ground.

Of course, no seesaw is ever perfectly still, but once we know the mechanics, it's easier to predict which way we're headed.

When it comes down to it, I think deep down everyone just wants to have "enough", but it's all too easy to forget the role of force and the role of the fulcrum.

*I caught myself typing "fortunate enough, lucky enough, talented enough to have high levels of income" and realized my own biased towards "more" being the default best case scenario.