Small wins add up. This is a lesson from several years of playing strategy board games. While flashy, decisive rounds tend to leave a lasting impression and elicit high fives, they usually represent a short-term gain at the expense of a long-term victory.
The deliberate incrementalist who responds to round-by-round incentives for small bonus point awards is easy to overlook, yet over time one finds these tortoises winning more often than hares.
Real-life example: A friend runs a business where clients pay her online. For years, he has paid a large percentage in fees to paypal. In the past year, a minor switch to accepting payments via Zelle (an app sponsored by a coalition of banks, which currently assesses no fee) has kept thousands of dollars in his pocket.
Neglecting the big rocks of fixed expenses (housing, transportation, food) will certainly inhibit progress, but I've found that these big rocks are not necessarily the same for high income professionals like physicians.
Diligent attention to details over time results in tangible gains, whether in gaming or finance.
Comments 1
One word: compounding