The Opportunity Cost of More Money

What are you willing to give up to make more money?

I think that this question would be better if worded, “What are you willing to prioritize over money?” I like to think that I would hold dear my family, friends, and self in most cases before money. Defining “within reason” becomes the real question. What is the price of all of these people and experiences? I don’t think that a price can be put on merely one event. It’s when that one event turns into a pattern that illustrates what will be sacrificed for an amount of money.
I’d like to think that opportunity in any sense is okay to take advantage of and that my opportunity costs personally aren’t too high. It’s when those costs become completely sunk that a line has been crossed. Determining “within reason” is a constant battle with compromise and need as opposed to want.


How might you shrink the demands of your career yet have more impact?

I think that there was once an economist who said specialization is the way. In this context, focusing on a narrow path of specialization for a career intensifies the gratification that is received. Being completely spread out has always been a fear of mine. To look at a week and wonder why I had to be at three opposite points in the state for whatever reason boggles my mind. Being spread too thin and not being able to perform my tasks appropriately because of it is the worst scenario for me.
To shrink these demands on my career would probably be pretty easy given the time to think about it. Could I hire someone at minimum wage to run misc. errands while my time is spent elsewhere? Or I could outsource several aspects of what I do focusing on just a few things. Impact becomes the real question though. It all depends.