Featured image by Adam Nir from Unsplash
Most people want wealth right now. They want to skip the grind, bypass the years, and land directly in financial freedom. But here’s the truth: wealth doesn’t arrive overnight, and the short-term will always compete for your money. Rent, groceries, family, travel, debt—the list never ends. And when those priorities pile up, it feels almost impossible to set anything aside for the future.
But the irony? Ignoring investing now creates far more pain later. Because when time passes—and it will—you’ll look back wishing you started sooner. The boring, invisible years are where wealth is quietly built. You don’t need thousands to begin. You can start with one damn penny, and the habit will carry you farther than you ever thought possible.
In the Short Term: Endless Priorities
In the short term, it feels painless not to invest. There are always competing demands on your money. It could be school, family, your partner, travel, debt, transportation, medical bills, pets, hobbies, games, furniture, movies, or even investment losses themselves. The list never ends, and it’s always easier to justify spending now rather than saving for later.
In the Long Term: Only a Few Priorities
On the surface, long-term investing looks unrewarding and slow. At first, it’s just numbers on a screen—steady gains, random losses, nothing exciting. But the truth is, in the long run only a handful of things really matter:
- Health
- Peace of mind
- Relationships
- Resources
I once heard someone say: “The time will pass you by anyway.” They were talking about medical school, but the principle applies to investing. People balk at eight years of study—but what else are you going to do with that time? Whether it’s eight years, twenty years, or forty years, the clock doesn’t stop. You can either put it to work or let it drift by.
From Debt to First Penny
I know what it’s like to feel like investing isn’t possible. I had a mountain of debt, no emergency fund, student loans, inconsistent income, and nothing to my name except the desire to change. On paper, I had zero reason to start investing. If anything, it looked like it would only make things worse.
But rules never appealed to me. I realized that if I didn’t begin—even in the smallest way—my situation would never improve. So I decided to get scrappy. Most people aren’t born with resources, but everyone has one tool: their mind. Use it to rewrite your financial story.
Begin with just one penny—seriously—and build upward from there.
Final Note
Not investing long-term is like skipping exercise, ignoring your health, or neglecting your dreams. It feels easier in the moment but compounds into regret later. The time will pass regardless, so start now, even if your first step is tiny.
What matters isn’t the amount—it’s that you begin, and that you don’t stop.
👉 For more strategies on creating wealth that lasts, check out my personal finance series on youtube