Why Your Salary is Like a Drug Addiction

You may have heard the phrase that your salary is like a drug addiction. That’s because once you get hooked on it, you can’t live without it. Here’s why.

1. You receive a “high” from your salary

Each month, you receive your salary directly into your bank account. This “reward” for your work creates a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction. This is a similar feeling of reward and satisfaction that people gain by taking drugs. You can consider your salary as your reward for being part of the rat race.

2. You need your salary on a predictable basis

Not knowing when you are going to get your salary is similar to how addicts feel when they don’t know when they can experience the next drug high. The overdependence on our jobs to receive that monthly salary means we may be unwilling to take risks. The potential loss of income should we lose our jobs could create anxiety or stress. Therefore, this fear of missing out on that regular pay cheque could leave people unable to break free.

3. Your life revolves around your salary

Addicts allow their addiction to consume their life, affecting how they behave and how they go about their lives everyday. Sometimes, they neglect their family as the drug comes first in their lives. For some people, that’s exactly what a job does to them. Sometimes, they place their careers as number one, sacrificing even personal family time to chase that regular and predictable salary.

4. It’s hard to build wealth

Whether you’re a drug addict or salary addict, it’s hard to build wealth either way. As a drug addict, everything is spent on getting that next supply of drugs. The same goes with a salary. You’re surviving based on what your salary pays you. And it’s hard to take the risk to go all out to pursue wealth.

Conclusion

So what can we conclude from the analogy that your salary is like a drug addiction? You have to continue working non-stop to continue earning your salary. And you are exchanging your time for money because you need that salary to survive.

Can you get out of this salary addiction? First, you need to build wealth. If you don’t want to take too much of a risk, start by doing some side hustling. Explore building multiple streams of income. There are plenty of options out there – run an e-commerce store, do some freelancing or consulting work, or learn about property investment. Once you grow your side hustling, will you be willing to take it to the next level so that you can finally break free of the rat race? That’s some food for thought.