In Investing, Would You Rather Build Skills or Take the Easy Route?

Recently, a programmer in Singapore shared an interesting story online. He called an electrician for a repair that took just 40 minutes—and the bill came to S$300. Do the math, and that’s an eye-watering S$450 per hour! At first glance, it seems like a no-brainer: “Wow, high hourly pay = high income!” But if you dig a little deeper, you realize that high pay doesn’t always translate to high overall income or long-term wealth.

This got me thinking about investing. In a way, it’s not too different. You can go the high-volatility route—spending time and effort sharpening your stock-picking skills to chase those exciting, potentially huge returns. Or you can stick to the “stable income” route—investing in high-dividend stocks and reinvesting dividends to grow your wealth steadily over time.

Of course, the parallel isn’t perfect. Unlike calling an electrician, investing carries real risk—you could lose money chasing those high-volatility plays. But the trade-offs are similar: effort, time, stress, and potential reward.

If we translate this into career choices, it really boils down to two roads: A. Upskill yourself and take on side gigs, or B. Stick with your main job and enjoy steady, predictable income.

For me, the decision isn’t just about money—it’s also about meaning and stress. If the “main job” is fulfilling and low-stress, I’d lean toward stability and peace of mind. After all, there’s a lot money can’t buy, and peace of mind is one of them. That said, upskilling yourself isn’t wasted effort—it’s a hedge against the future and a way to keep options open.

Now, flip the lens to investing. Do I try to chase high-volatility, high-return stocks, or do I focus on building a portfolio of dividend-paying companies and let compounding work its magic? For me, the answer is clear: I prefer the second approach. Yes, even dividends carry risk, but the risk feels far more manageable than trying to pick the next moonshot stock. And there’s a certain satisfaction in knowing that my money is quietly growing while I sleep—a modern-day “peace of mind” in financial form.

In both life and investing, it seems the choice comes down to our tolerance for risk versus our craving for stability. High volatility offers excitement and potential outsized rewards but it comes with stress, uncertainty, and the possibility of loss. The gains of the steady route might feel slower, but it buys something priceless: calm, consistency, and the slow, compounding magic that rewards patience.