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Writer's pictureDee Martin

Building a Passing Game Off Your Running Game: The Key to Financial Longevity


In both football and money, the offense is all about balance. When it comes to football, offensive schemes depend on the balance between running plays and passing plays. In your financial life, this balance is reflected in how you earn your money (running) and how you grow your wealth (passing).


For many people, the running game—their physical labor or day-to-day job—forms the foundation of their income. They work hard, trade time for money, and rely solely on their physical efforts to make ends meet. But just like in football, where a strong running game sets up the passing game, your financial offense should leverage your earned income to create opportunities for passive income streams. This will allow you to transition from physically demanding work to earning money more efficiently and sustainably over time.


The Running Game: Your Physical Labor


In football, the running game is reliable but physically taxing. Running backs take hits, grind out yardage, and often face a limited career because of the toll on their bodies. Similarly, in personal finance, the running game represents your physical labor—your job, side hustle, or business that requires direct time and effort to earn income.


While the running game is necessary and effective, it comes with a limitation: you only have so much time and energy to give. Just like a running back eventually slows down, relying solely on physical labor can limit your ability to scale your income and maintain financial longevity.


Maximizing Your Running Game:


Understand Your Yards Per Carry: Just as a running back measures success by yards per carry, you should know how much you’re earning per hour worked. Understanding your income efficiency will help you better allocate your resources.

Budget for the Future: Since you can’t physically run the ball forever, use your current income to plan for a future where you rely less on physical labor. Think of this as building a financial strategy that looks beyond today’s work.


The Passing Game: Earning Without Physical Labor


In football, a strong running game opens up the passing game, allowing the offense to gain large chunks of yardage with less effort. In personal finance, the passing game represents your passive income streams—investments, side businesses, or other ventures that generate money without constant physical effort.


By leveraging your running game (your job or earned income), you can start to build a financial passing game. The goal is to invest or diversify your income sources so that, over time, you can earn money without having to work harder or longer hours. The key is creating a balance between earning from physical labor and generating passive income.


Building Your Passing Game:


Invest in the Future: Use your earned income to invest in stocks, bonds, real estate, or other assets that grow over time. These investments allow your money to work for you, creating passive income.

Start a Side Business: Consider starting a business or side hustle that doesn’t require you to be involved day-to-day. Whether it’s an e-commerce store, rental property, or online courses, creating a passive income stream is key to reducing your reliance on physical labor.

Learn and Grow: Just like a quarterback studies defenses to make better passing plays, you need to continuously learn about new financial opportunities. Whether that’s learning about real estate, online businesses, or new investment strategies, building knowledge helps you improve your financial passing game.


Why the Running Game Alone Isn’t Sustainable


Running backs in football have some of the shortest careers of any position due to the physical toll their bodies take. In the same way, relying solely on your physical labor for income can wear you down over time. There’s only so much work you can do before it takes a toll on your health, energy, and ability to enjoy life.


Building a passing game off your running game is about creating a financial strategy that allows you to transition from trading time for money to earning money passively. The earlier you start, the sooner you can begin reducing the pressure on your body and mind, allowing for greater financial freedom and longevity.


Offensive Philosophy: Balancing Risk and Reward


Just like in football, every offense has a different philosophy. Some teams rely heavily on the running game, grinding out yards with steady, reliable gains. Others prefer the high-risk, high-reward passing game, going for big plays and quick scores. The best offenses, however, are balanced—they know when to run and when to pass, adapting to the defense and the game situation.


In your financial life, the philosophy is the same. A balanced offense means knowing when to focus on earning through physical labor and when to invest in passive income streams. By taking calculated risks and investing in your future, you can build a financial offense that’s not only sustainable but scalable.


Key Elements of Financial Offense Philosophy:


Consistency First: Just like in football, a consistent running game is essential. Your earned income is the foundation of your financial success. Use it wisely to build stability before taking bigger risks.

Take Strategic Risks: Once you have a solid foundation, start looking for ways to grow your wealth through investments or passive income streams. These can be riskier than simply earning a paycheck, but they also offer the potential for greater rewards over time.

Adapt to the Game: Financial situations change, just like the defense in football. Be flexible in your approach and adjust your strategy as needed. Whether that means shifting more money toward investments during good times or cutting back on expenses during tough times, adaptability is key.


Conclusion: Building Your Financial Offense


In football, a team with a balanced offense has the best chance of success. The running game sets up the passing game, and a strong passing game opens up opportunities for big gains. The same is true in personal finance.


By building your financial passing game off the strength of your running game (earned income), you set yourself up for long-term success. Use your earned income to invest in passive income streams, take calculated risks, and develop a financial offense that not only works today but also builds a sustainable future.


Remember, you can’t rely on physical labor forever, just like a running back can’t carry the ball on every play. Start building your passing game now so that you can enjoy the benefits of financial success without putting all the burden on your body and time.



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