Money isn’t everything. There are things some people value far more, such as the time we can spend with family and friends. In theory, that’s how it is. Only in theory. Let me tell you an old story: the fable of the fisherman and the businessman. At the end, we’ll draw some conclusions.
A millionaire businessman went on holiday to a small village and rented a house by a river. Every day he watched a young fisherman spend 4 hours in his boat catching fish. Once he had filled 2 buckets, the fisherman went home until the next day. That was his life, 6 days a week. The businessman studied the young fisherman’s situation, and one day he went over to talk to him.
Businessman: How long have you been fishing?
Fisherman: All my life, since I was a boy. My father taught me to fish and to make a living from it.
Businessman: And do you make good money?
Fisherman: I’m not getting rich, but I pay my mortgage, the electricity and the insurance, and I have free time for my family and to play cards with my friends.
Businessman: I’ve noticed that you come fishing for 4 hours every day and only fill 2 buckets. Did you know that if you fished 5 km further down the river instead of on this stretch, you could fill 4 buckets instead of two in the same time?
Fisherman: Yes, I know, but I’d have to put in 1 more hour, and I much prefer to spend that time with my family and playing cards with my friends.
Businessman: Sure, but if 1 more hour lets you double your catch, 4 more hours could quadruple it.
Fisherman: And why would I want to do that? I’ve already told you that what matters most to me is being with my family and playing cards with my friends. Why would I do it?
Businessman: Because in a few months you could hire more fishermen.
Fisherman: And what would I want that for? I’m telling you, all I want is to be with my family and play cards with my friends. Having more fishermen would mean keeping on top of payrolls and counting the rest of the fish they bring me. So why would I do it?
Businessman: Because that way you’d have your own fleet, your own company.
Fisherman: You don’t understand me. What I really value is being with my family and playing cards with my friends. So what do I want my own fleet for?
Businessman: Because with your own fleet you’ll have enough fish to stop selling retail. You’ll be able to cut out the middlemen and go straight to the supplier, increasing your profit margin. In time, you could even buy your supplier’s company and become the number one fish supplier in the whole region. Before you turn 40, you’ll be able to do one of two things with your company: sell it or take it public. Either way, you’ll be rich.
Fisherman: And once I’m rich… then what?
Businessman: Then you can spend time with your family and play cards with your friends.
This old story shows the difference between the mindset of a worker and that of a born spotter of business opportunities (an entrepreneur or businessperson). The fisherman had settled into a quiet life with no surprises. He valued simple things, like spending time with his family and friends, but he didn’t realize that one day he might fall ill and be unable to go fishing, or that something unexpected might simply come up.
Money isn’t the most important thing, but unfortunately it’s the greatest enabler of quality of life and of the time we’ll be able to devote to our loved ones in the future.
The businessman was proposing that the fisherman make an extra, temporary effort now in order to gain quality of life later on. At 30, this is no time to get comfortable; it’s time to go out and conquer the market.
Featured image: Peter van der Sluijs, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
