You have to pay a price even for success in career. Here's how to make it worthwhile

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

economics professor, Satish Deodhar, it carries the learning in its name—There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.

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There shall be payment

The idea originated in the 19th century America, where saloons offered free lunches. These would include salty food—ham, cheese, crackers—that made the customers thirsty, and thirsty customers buy more drinks. So actually there was no free lunch. The price was hidden in the over-priced alcohol. TANSTAAFL was popularised in a science fiction novel in the 20th century, and later by economists, who pointed out that even if you don’t pay for a free lunch, someone else pays for it. At work, where are the free lunches? That guaranteed fixed salary, the role with easy targets, the no deadline project, the non-pushy boss. Observe carefully. Who is footing the bill? Know that there is always someone who pays.

Opportunity cost

Some argue that certain things are actually free, like food or coffee in the company cafetaria, or gaming and social media apps on your phone, or the pick-up and drop to work, or even the double salary offered by a recruiter. The economist retorts that if something appears to be free, you are paying for it with opportunity cost. That is what you could have been doing with your time instead of doom scrolling on your phone or being stuck in a dead-end job for the freebies and an insane salary. When you prioritised quick bucks or fancy perks, may be you lost an opportunity to learn and grow in a better role, where the pay or perks were missing. What is the opportunity cost when you choose a particular education or career path, remote gig work or startup, freelancing or career path, fixed salary or outcomebased payouts, build passive income or