The locomotive & passive income

Big trains take energy to start—but a little to continue

Imagine a 50-car freight train sitting at a station. Filled with iron ore, the train is waiting to begin its journey. A crew sits up in the front engine, with four more giant engines hooked up in parallel. The horn is pulled and the huge “thunk” is heard as the train jostles forward—slowly.

The train creeps forward, slowly, ever so slowly gaining momentum. If this was your first view of a freight train, you might think that it’s never going to reach its optimal speed. Even with five engines—how on earth is this thing going to get up to speed?

Five minutes go by. 10 miles an hour. Then another 5 minutes. 15, 16, 17 miles an hour. The train is churning, pulling at full strength to get moving. A lot of work for what seems not a lot of movement.

But the behemoth is moving. The train breaks 30, 33, 36mph and the torque required to pull the cargo is beginning to lesson. She’s moving, and moving. The initial effort to start is backed off. Momentum has begun.

There’s a direct correlation between initial strength and overall speed & time. One small engine will get it going—eventually. But it might take a long, long time.

Passive Income works the same way. There’s a balance required between the right pull to begin. A small pull and nothing will really move. Too much pull and the links between the cars will snap. But the right balance will move at the right speed.

Don’t overdue it. Small moves make big gains. But too few moves won’t move enough to where you see actual movement. Passive income requires a start and a drive. And over time, it will become easier. But you still need to put in the effort to begin.