Have you even known someone--or perhaps it describes you--who falls for every "get rich quick" scheme they come into contact with? These schemes always are described as "work free" (also touted as passive income). They are supposed to be easy, fast, and foolproof (risk free). Just pay your money (usually several thousand dollars) and you too can make zillions of dollars in 20 seconds without any work at all.

Some people seem almost addicted to these types of purchases. Some have huge collections of success "packages" on their shelves, and have neither used them nor attempted to get a refund of their money. They experience a deep shame and embarrassment connected to the purchases. They seem to feel a sense of personal failure for not having made those zillion dollars in 20 seconds time...or indeed anything at all.

Indeed, they felt humiliated every time they looked at the unopened packages. Yet, in spite of all this, they continued to buy these schemes at every opportunity. For most, they did not stop buying until their credit ran out. What is happening here?

1.) They are usually in a state of financial desperation when they start down this path...so they are in a place of desperately seeking and needing a quick solution to their financial situation.

2.) It may be a part of the human animal to have a streak of laziness that breeds an unrealistic and unlikely desire for a magical and easy solution to the financial mess that took years to create.

3.) This desire for an easy solution usually has a huge rescue fantasy component to it. It is something akin to thinking a rich billionaire is going to come along to bail you out any day now. This rescue fantasy is triggered by the presentation of the get rich quick scheme. You just know that this scheme is the answer and can rescue you from your desperate financial situation.

4.) The whole dynamic is fed by a severe aversion to "getting a job"...fed to you by the same people selling you the scheme. Part of the psychology of these schemes has been to turn honest work into something to be sneered at...as if only a fool would work (synonymous with holding a job).

Everywhere you go, hordes of people who have never succeeded in their career work believe they are going to be successful in creating "massive passive income" in 20 seconds...without any work.

Now that we understand the intricacies of schemes, how is a plan different? A plan is grounded in everyday reality. It has a timeline that probably extends over years. It involves a lot of work--but hopefully it is work that you love and enjoy. If not, your plan will probably not succeed. Choosing the right plan is another topic. For our purposes here, it is enough to assume you have chosen a plan to do something meaningful that excites you. Here are some components of a plan.

1.) It consists of numerous, small, doable steps that you can easily do and/or learn how to do.

2.) It will take work, but is leading you somewhere to accomplishing something with deep meaning for you.

3.) When you consider the plan, it is realistic. There is risk, but the reward is very gratifying. When you look at all the small actions, you do not go into fantasies of unrealistic proportions. It feels solid. It feels doable. There is some excitement at the scope of it, and some trepidation at the new enterprise, but it doesn't lead to "head in the clouds" inaction.

4.) You are ready, willing and able to start taking action immediately--and you do.

5.) It is in alignment with you, your values, your personality, your preferences, your strengths. It does not include or require your doing things you will never do, hate doing, would rather die than do. It plays to your strengths, not your weaknesses.

For instance, if your plan is based on "cold calling" but you would hate every minute of doing so, it's the wrong plan--and may be a scheme (because it is unrealistic).

Now that you have in depth information about the difference between a scheme and a plan, look at the options life presents you from this viewpoint. Make your choices so that you will have real and lasting success. Don't waste time and money on "Get Rick Quick" schemes that only enrich the seller. Realize that the odds of making money are something like 1 success in a 100 people attempting. Assuredly, every single person who now enjoys "massive passive income" will tell you that it took them years and years and very hard work to get there. Don't be taken!