5 steps to greater income
Most of us want more money, but so many of us just feel stuck in a financial rut, like we’re going nowhere and nothing we do seems to make any difference.
I have spent a good few years sitting in jobs where I felt I was giving a lot more than I received and savouring the quiet despair of knowing I would just never get ahead, that I was truly stuck to a life of labour. While part of me suffered this way, another part got really curious about how money and income worked and I became determined to understand it and get it right, no matter if it killed me. And because I was a coach and therapist at heart, I knew that as soon as I had any breakthroughs I would have to pass them on to anybody who cared to listen. So here, they are … some of the insights and lessons that have come as revelations to me, and which I hope might be of some use to you.
i) Reach more people
One’s wealth is directly proportional to the number of people one impacts. Let me say that again in case you missed it – your wealth is directly proportional to the number of people you impact. It’s not about how hard you work or how clever you are, it’s about how many people you touch. This was perhaps the biggest revelation of all for me. When I got this one, I suddenly realised why I had been earning such an unsatisfactory salary all those years – it wasn’t about the lack of promotion or salary increases, it was that I was only ever impacting one or two or three people. I was making my boss happy, but that was it. If I got a promotion it would be only a slight improvement – it wasn’t going to get me to the point where I could work part time and write novels and do other things that interested me.
So, to earn more, ask yourself this question: “How can I reach more people with my message, product, or service?”
ii) Share your vision
Wealthy people all have a vision that they want to share with as many people as possible. People who are truly wealthy have an unshakeable belief that their service or product or message deserves to be shared with as many people as possible. It doesn’t matter if they are trying to save the world or to sell a widget, they know that their offering will make the world a better place, and so they give themselves fully to promoting it. It’s all about finding the value inside you and then offering it to the world. You don’t serve humanity by hiding away and pleasing your boss.
Ask yourself, “What special talents or insights or products do I have that will make other people’s lives easier or more fulfilled? How can I make the world a better place and be richly rewarded for it?” (If you don’t think you have any special talents or insights, read step iv)
iii) Solve somebody’s problem
One definition of an entrepreneur that I really like is that an entrepreneur is a person who solves other people’s problems. Entrepreneurs are fascinated by problems, they just love problems, because they know that where there’s a problem there’s a way to make money AND make people’s lives better. When you have a strong desire to improve people’s lives and lift humanity, even if it’s only by inventing some sort of kitchen widget that makes a busy mother’s life a little easier, you are adding value to the world, and that value will be reflected in your income. Sit down and think about the things you struggle with every day, or which you see other people struggling with. Can you find a way of ending the struggle? Is there a way of offering your solution to large numbers of people so their lives and yours can be improved?
iv) Discover your inner expert
Do you know what an expert is? An expert is someone who puts himself in the front of the room and tells everyone he has something interesting to share. It’s that simple. You don’t need to be anybody special or have a suitcase full of qualifications, you only need a subject that has personal meaning for you and the courage to stand up and share your angle on it. Is Al Gore an expert on climate change? No, he’s an expert at being a politician with a burning interest in climate change and a desire to explain the problem to millions of people. There are many climate change experts, but only one Al Gore. Do you get what I’m getting at here?
Nobody else in the world has your unique blend of interests and talents, so if you don’t share those interests and talents the world will be a lesser place. Be aware of all the little negative voices that tell you you’re too ordinary, too middle class, too normal, too whatever. When I was putting a lot of time into writing novels I would get these voices a lot, and I had to remind myself that they were all just my little excuses.
The bottom line is this – your special combination of loves and talents means you have special angles on subjects that nobody else has, and some of these angles could be developed into a product or service that could impact a large number of people and bring you great reward.
Ask yourself this question: “What do I love doing or talking about or researching that might benefit other people?”
And if you’re feeling brave: “If I die tomorrow, what message has been left unsaid?”
v) Step out of your comfort zone
It’s only recently that I really began to understand how company salaries work and why many people feel like they’re being cheated. I used to feel cheated and I was sure I wasn’t getting paid what I was worth, but now I know better. The difference between what you feel you should earn and what you do earn is something I call the Security Tax. The Security Tax is a tax your employer takes from you in return for job security and a regular paycheck.
Needless to say I learned this after leaving a permanent job and going out on my own. Some months were great and the money flowed, and others were terrible and I began to have sleepless nights. If you work for a big company you’re not going to have any sleepless nights, it’s the company owner who is going to be having them – so she’s the only one who doesn’t have to pay the Security Tax.
The moral of the story is this – if you don’t want to pay the Security Tax, give up the security and become your own boss. When the sleepless nights come around, console yourself with the knowledge that great reward comes with great risk, and you have chosen risk.
Okay, these are just five of the income-related lessons that I have learned in my own journey and about which I feel strongly. In the end they all boil down to a very simple formula – find your message and reach more people. That’s it.
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