Achieving financial success requires a deep understanding of how income is generated relative to time. Instead of focusing on the false dichotomy of passive versus active income, reevaluate income generation on a spectrum of activity versus time investment. Everyone has a dollars per hour metric, which means trading hours for money is inevitable, although not always recognized. A common pitfall is the obsession with quick and easy money-making schemes, which distracts from the more sustainable approach of assessing true returns on time and effort.