I Don’t Think That Word Means What You Think It Means…

You know exactly what I’m talking about. And you know where this quote comes from.

Which proves that there are things that are nearly universally understood in our culture.

One of those things is the phrase “passive income.”

And

I

Hate

It.

Passive Income basically ruined my life for about a year and wasted a bunch of my money trying to chase this dream of getting money while doing nothing.

Well, guess what?

If you didn’t know already, nothing in life is free.

So let me give you five reasons why the phrase passive income is a joke and you should immediately ignore anyone who uses it.

1. Passive Income is Not Free Money

 Somewhere along the way someone told me and convinced me that passive income was the idea that you could make money while you sit back and drink coffee and play video games in your Tesla.

I spent over a year building a blog chasing after the stuff that could make me some “free” money. Sure, I wanted to help people, too. But I really wanted to see that “free” money rolling into my bank account on the reg, ya know?

About $200 and 12 months later and I had not gained a single cent yet. 

And I had spent a lot of time trying to build this passive income.

2. Passive Income is Not Passive

I hate the words passive income so much because of the connotation, the hidden ideal or meaning behind, the word passive.

Time and time again, I was convinced that this meant I could do nothing and make an income.

I worked on my website, my blog, or content upgrades almost every day for a year. Which took a lot of work.

That doesn’t sound passive to me at all!

Wait a second. That isn’t passive at all! 

3. Passive Income is Not Simple

The other thing so many internet gurus were talking about was how passive income was so simple to create.

“All you have to do is build an audience!”

Can I get an amen from all the people out there who hustle until their blue in the face to get a single person to subscribe to their emails?

I hear you, I see you.

Passive income isn’t plain and simple. Building any kind of income takes some kind of investment, be it a financial investment, a time investment, or an opportunity investment.

4. Passive Income is Not Cheap

Speaking of financial investment, just about the only true passive income or anything that comes close to it. Is investing your money where someone else handles your money so it can make money.

And you’ll never guess what it takes to create this passive income, huh? Money.

That passive income to make you money while you sip on a Diet Pepsi? It’s gonna cost you at some point.

As I said, I had a website ($$), I bought a course to learn what I was doing ($$$), and I spent loads of time getting things done (which cost me money – $$$$).

5. Passive Income is Not REAL

If you want to build wealth, then you are going to have to do some work.

Sure, there may be some ways to create income doing easy work, but you still gotta put in the elbow grease and cold, hard cash where your mouth is.

The passive income myth is dangerous and draining. Do not buy into it.

Semi-Passive Income: the Holy Grail of Income

What is the cure for the disease that is this idea of passive income?

Easy.

Semi-passive income!

“Wait. Did you just add the word “semi” in front of it and now it’s all good?”

Yes, yes I did.

The reason this subtle change makes all the difference in the world is because it strips away the idea that creating wealth can be something you are not an active participant in.

This is key because it now makes you recognize that wealth building takes time and/or money and/or work. All those five reasons above become stripped of their power when you introduce the idea of “kinda-passive income.”

You can create a stream of income that will eventually grow beyond the bounds of the work and time you have put into it. You can build wealth that will one day allow you to take a step back while still bringing income.

But you are going to need to do something first.

And it is that distinction that makes all the difference in the world to adjust your mindset, your attitude, and your expectations.