Too often, when we think about opportunity cost, we think about the things we have today and the loss that would occur if we were to give them up. What we neglect to consider is the things we don’t yet have, but could. When you’re trying to make a decision about a big life change, flip the paradigm. What if your great big dream was real today…. what would be the opportunity cost of closing up your dream and going back to the way you’re living now?
Obviously it’s not a perfect comparison, because you have your life now. But it’s a helpful way to reframe things. Certainly making the jump and entering the unknown involves greater uncertainty, but the other side of uncertainty is opportunity. You never know what you could be until you go out and try. It’s hard to see the opportunity costs of things you don’t yet have.
Ramen-san
