How much money is enough?

02/02/2024 by

Introduction:

You may feel you would like more money in your pocket, but have you ever asked yourself the philosophical question, “How much money is enough?”

If you ask a billionaire, the response is likely to be that no amount is enough. Let’s face it, they become billionaires because they’re constantly driven to make money.

However, other people might modestly settle for, say, $1 million.

People who are a little more thoughtful might give you a different number, somewhere between the two extremes, possibly.

The cost of chasing money:

We all need money, and we all want a decent standard of living.

However, always remember that there is a cost to chasing money. And that cost, among other things, is the impact it has on your time.

We can get more money, but we can never get more time. We all get 168 hours each week, and that’s it.

So, there comes a point where there might be a better way to spend your time than to chase more money.

And you’ll never know if you’ve reached that point if you don’t define it.

Achieving happiness:

Studies have shown that happiness doesn’t increase beyond an income of around $70-80k per year.

That might seem modest, but it’s probably a comfortable living in most parts of the country.

However, it’s not enough to drive a new Mercedes every three years and vacation in Europe with the family every summer.

It would be tough to send your child to Harvard on a $70,000 salary.

So, ask yourself, How much is enough?

The answer is that it all depends on you and your circumstances.

Factors to consider:

To consider how much you need to live fully, think about the following:

1. Age

How old are you?

How much longer can you reasonably expect to live?

If you’re 90, you probably require less money for the rest of your life than people in their 20s and 30s.

There are actuarial tables that can tell you how much longer you’re expected to live. However, you should plan to live longer than expected!

You will find an example of actuarial tables HERE and you might find this useful.

2. Expenses

How much are your monthly expenses?

What would your expenses be if you were living the life of your dreams?

Let your imagination run wild. What expenses would you have?

A new bowling ball each year or a second house in Vail, Colorado? A housekeeper? A thoroughbred racehorse?

It’s your life. Determine how much it would take to finance what you think is your ideal life.

3. Dependents

Who are you responsible for?

Do you have three children who will attend college in the next 10 years?

Do you have a spouse who doesn’t work?

Do you care for an ageing parent or parents?

For how long do you expect to have responsibility for financially providing for others?

Ultimately, you must consider every potential demand on your wallet or purse.

4. Debt

What is your current debt situation?

Do you have 20 years left on a mortgage hanging over your head?

Significant medical bills?

Credit card debt to repay?

Debt must be financed, and repayments must be made. So, you can’t ignore debt.

5. Retirement

None of us can go on forever. At some point, we must all take life at a slower pace.

So, when would you like to retire, and how much do you need each month to live comfortably?

How would you like to spend your retirement?

Do you want to travel regularly?

Play golf every day?

How much would a typical month in your ideal lifestyle retirement cost?

6. Lifestyle

What toys do you want to own? And by that, I mean serious toys.

A plane? A Porsche? A boat? A holiday home in Aspen or Tuscany? Swimming pool? Motorcycle?

If they give you pleasure, then it’s reasonable to work towards owning them

Then again, maybe you value your free time above all else and would be happy living a simple life with a Labrador retriever and a large vegetable garden, reading books all afternoon.

The choice is yours. Equally, you can go as far as your imagination will take you.

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For everyone, it’s different:

There are no right or wrong answers to the question, “How much money is enough?“

Everything depends on your desires and circumstances.

The number for you might be quite small or very high.

It’s just your number. It’s personal, that’s all.

If you’ve never considered how much money you need, then take the time to think about it.

Money in perspective:

Having money and financial freedom is great for a couple of things, in particular solving problems and providing choices.

However, beyond that, it has limited value.

Certainly, it’s a mistake to use money to establish status. Worrying about impressing your peer group should be left to teenagers.

Needing money for the wrong things is limiting. It requires working longer and harder than necessary.

You could be doing other things with your limited time on Earth.

Conclusion:

Think long and hard about what is most important to you.

Ensure that you develop an income, savings, and net worth to acquire the possessions and freedom that will allow you to live your life the way you desire.

Spend time addressing this important issue, and you might be able to quit working sooner than you think.

However, have money in your head but never in your heart.

And never let your pursuit of money prevent you from spending time with family and friends.

A lonely old age would be a heavy price to pay for wealth creation.

There is little point in being the richest person in the graveyard with no one to mark your passing.

And never, ever forget to spend at least some of your time enjoying yourself. As we say where I come from, you’ll be a long time dead!

About the author:

Roy Sutton

Roy Sutton is an experienced blogger whose main website has generated more than 350,000 page views per month. Before becoming a blogger, he was a businessman and CEO of a national telecom operator and had a professional background in telecom systems and information technology.

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How to turn enterprise into money and riches

01/28/2024 by

How to turn Enterprise into Money and RichesBeing poor is sh*t. ~Bob Geldof

The media personality and former rock star Bob Geldof’s communication style tends to be blunt and to the point. He’s not a man to sugarcoat his words, or so it seems. However, he does make an important point here.

People may tell you that money isn’t important, but next to oxygen, it’s essential for a life worth living. You couldn’t live long without it today.

Exactly how much money you need depends on your preferred lifestyle, of course. However, even for a fairly basic lifestyle, a reasonable income is necessary.

None of us want to be poor, of course. Fortunately, we don’t have to be. It’s possible to turn enterprise into money, and money into wealth and riches.

And what do I mean by enterprise? I mean your energy, your resourcefulness, your imagination, your know-how and skills, your ambition, and your determination to make life better for you and your loved ones.

Essentially, you can make your life better simply by making it better for other people.

What is work?

The key message today is that you don’t need to be employed by a commercial enterprise or corporation to earn money.

While being employed is one way to earn money, it’s also perfectly feasible to establish your own business and earn your living by being self-employed.

And in the age of the Internet, it’s never been easier to start a business, even if you have very little money to invest.

Remember also that you can start a business initially as a part-time side hustle while being employed until it’s generating enough income for that business to become your primary means of making a living.

And never forget, for most people, the only way you’ll ever get seriously rich is through your own business.

Certainly, unless you’re a Wall Street investment banker or a lawyer, you’re unlikely to get seriously rich being someone’s employee, trading your time for money.

The key to success in business

The key to success in your own business is to find a way to solve problems for people for profit. That’s the way to turn your enterprise into money. And it’s a lot easier than you might imagine.

Let’s face it, there’ll always be plenty of customers for products and services, some of which are yet to be invented.

People will always have problems, and they’ll always need solutions to those problems.

Remember, every product sold by a company is a solution to a problem, or at least it should be.

Turn enterprise into money

Quotes about workIf you continually educate yourself on skills and know-how, then you can create wealth by seeking out customers for whom you can deliver solutions to their problems and/or provide them with services for which they have a need.

If you can satisfy those customers, then you’ll make money, and quite possibly a lot of money, if you can scale up that business as your customer base grows.

Manage your money wisely, and you can build your wealth too.

Determination, hard work, and an eye for problems to be solved are the main ingredients for business success. Your enterprise really can lead you to great wealth.

You don’t have to be poor

You don’t have to be poor unless you’ve given up and you’re just accepting that being poor is your lot in life. It’s not, and nor should it be.

You’re perfectly capable of generating your income, dear reader.

You just need to do stuff for other people and find a way to add value to their lives. In this case, adding value means solving problems or making their lives easier and/or better in some way.

Help yourself by helping others get what they need

It all comes down to your willingness to find a way to serve others. Simple!

There are opportunities there for you to take every single day of the week if you’re enterprising and ready to solve problems for other people. However, you do need to be fleet-footed.

The best time to start a business might have been last year, but the next best time is right now.

And age is no barrier to starting a business either. Remember, Colonel Sanders was 65 years old when he started KFC, and Ray Kroc was 52 when he started building the business we know as McDonald’s.

It can be done, and people do. Why not you? Go on, just go for it! Real riches can be yours.

Good luck!

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How to improve your life quality and have much more

01/26/2024 by

How-to-improve-your-life-qualityHow to improve your life quality? That’s a question we often ask ourselves when life does not quite meet our expectations.

Embarrassed by circumstances

Have you ever been embarrassed by your limited circumstances?

Consider a situation. Perhaps all your friends were going on a night out, but you couldn’t join them because you simply didn’t have the money.

You wanted to join them, of course, but wealth and financial freedom were nothing but a distant dream for you at the time.

Maybe you’ve not had that particular experience but something similar, possibly? The actual situation for you may have been different, but your sense of embarrassment will not have been any less painful and hard to bear, I’m sure.

In one of his audio programs, the late Jim Rohn tells a story about an event that drove him to take a very close look at his life.

A Girl Scout called at Jim’s house one day to sell Girl Scout Cookies as part of an annual fundraiser. In exchange for the cookies, all she asked for was just two dollars.

This was many years ago, of course, but even then, this was not a huge sum of money.

However, Jim’s problem at the time was that he didn’t even have two dollars to spare, so he was reduced to lying to the poor girl. At this point, wealth was something Jim had yet to encounter.

Money does matter

Now some people will tell you that money doesn’t matter, but it does. In our world today, you can’t live without money any longer than you can live without oxygen or water.

Exactly how much money you need depends on your preferred lifestyle, of course. If you don’t want much out of life, then you’ll get by on very little money.

However, most of us do want more out of life; hence, having at least a degree of wealth does matter.

Wealth and financial freedom

Put simply, wealth means financial freedom.

Financial freedom, in turn, means you can do what you want whenever you want without feeling constrained by your circumstances.

A worthy aim, therefore, is to decide what you want out of life and then start working towards building your wealth.

It all starts with change

Have you ever thought to yourself, I don’t want to live like this anymore?

Perhaps you’ve said to yourself, I want more out of life.

You want more, but the problem is that you have no idea how to change your circumstances, right? If you need a little help, then don’t worry, dear reader; you’re not alone.

However, one thing you must accept is that unless you change, nothing will change.

You must increase your value

Perhaps you look at your salary each month and think, How can I start building wealth when this is all the company pays?

If that’s how you think, then you’ll need to change your philosophy or the way you look at things.

The salary you get may be all the company pays you, but it’s for the value of the contribution you make.

There will be other people who are paid a lot more than you. They’re paid more than you quite simply because they’re considered to be more valuable than you to the company.

I’m not suggesting that you’re not valuable. You are valuable as a father, a mother, a brother, a sister, a friend, or even a colleague.

However, my point reflects your economic value to your employer.

It’s a fact that if you’re in a low-skilled job where there’s an oversupply of potential replacements for your services, then you won’t earn much. That’s simply the economics of supply and demand.

However, just because you’re not more valuable now doesn’t mean you can’t become more valuable.

You can increase your skills with a little effort on your part, and you can become more valuable. Become more valuable, and your income will rise.

So while your circumstances may be limited right now, they don’t have to remain that way.

You can work on yourself and improve yourself. It’s all about self-improvement and personal development.

Success can be yours

Success doesn’t just happen to people. No one just gets lucky.

If you asked the CEO of a multi-national corporation how he or she got to where he or she is today, the response is unlikely to be, “Well, I just showed up for work each day, and they just kept promoting me.”

No, people have worked very hard to get to a lofty position in life. You don’t get anywhere without hard work.

However, you attract success by the person you become, and you really can become more than you are now.

Jim Rohn suggested that profits are better than wages, and he had a point.

Every rags-to-riches story I’ve ever heard always involves someone’s own business. They started their own business, worked very hard, and one day they became very rich.

Build a business

Now you’re probably thinking, I don’t have the money to start my own business, and I can’t afford to give up my job on a whim.

That’s all true, I’m sure, but some people keep their job initially and start their own business as a part-time enterprise.

Jim Rohn himself built his success that way.

Jim began life in modest circumstances, but he went on to become a millionaire and one of the most influential thinkers of our time. And in case you’re wondering, no, he didn’t go to university.

It can be done; people do, and you can too.

Just make up your mind to start working on yourself.

Increase your value and look for opportunities to solve problems for people.

Solving problems is the basis for any business. Every product should solve a problem for consumers.

The psychology of wealth

There’s psychology linked to building wealth, and you would be wise to understand it.

In the embedded video included here, the late Jim Rohn explains the psychology of wealth and provides a lot of sensible advice.

Jim was a successful man by any measure, and it’s always worth listening to people who’ve achieved success. They know what they’re talking about because they’ve been there and done it.

He offers simple messages that are thought-provoking and powerful.

This video is well worth your time, and I recommend it to you. Watch it now while you have the chance.

Recommendations for your library

I think Jim Rohn was one of the best motivational speakers I’ve ever heard, and he’s been a big influence on me, that’s for sure.

He’s produced many books, videos, and audio programs over the years, and all of them would add real value to your library.

Two I can strongly recommend you add to your personal reference library are:

Book: Seven Strategies for Wealth & Happiness by Jim Rohn

Audio Program: The Art of Exceptional Living by Jim Rohn

I purchased both of these some time ago, and I still use them constantly as sources of inspiration and motivation.

The audio program is particularly useful, as I listen to it while driving. This means I can use my travel time profitably. Why listen to the radio when you could be listening and learning while you drive?

Purchasing these items represented money well spent for me, and I’ve found them enormously useful. I strongly recommend them to you.

Click on the links and check them out.

Even if you don’t buy them, they’re certainly worth considering. Go check out Jim Rohn’s books and audio programs now while they’re fresh in your mind.

Should you make a purchase, you will not regret buying them. I’m very confident in that.

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How to develop effective time management skills

01/07/2024 by

Time Management SkillsTime Management Skills:

Developing effective time management skills is an essential ingredient for success, and I’m sure you’ll agree. You can’t add real value without making the best use of your time.

However, making the best use of it is not always easy in practice, is it?

So, how good are you, dear reader, at managing your time?

Do you have a reputation for being ruthlessly efficient and productive, or are you someone who’s always struggling to keep up?

When someone asks you to do something in the office, do you accept their request without question and simply add the task to your ‘To Do’ list? If you do, you’re not alone. Many people will do that, in my experience.

Alternatively, perhaps you’re the type who thinks carefully relative to your priorities before you accept such a request. Now be honest. We’d all like to think we’re the latter, when in fact far too many people are the former I think.

Productivity is what matters:

In the world of work, it’s easy to confuse being busy with being productive, but these two concepts are not the same thing at all, are they?

For instance, you can be busy doing things that don’t need doing at all. Whereas being genuinely productive means delivering real results from high-value tasks, which can only be done by someone with your skills.

And let’s face it, reputations are built by being productive, not merely by being busy. It’s the results you deliver, not the energy you expend, that matter most.

Time is your most precious resource:

How often do you hear someone say, “Oh, I would love to do that, if only I had the time.“

And yet we all have the same amount of time, i.e. 168 hours per week.

Time is simply a resource like money, although it’s more important than money. I say that because you can get more money, but you can’t get more time. None of us can do that, can we?

So you must learn to use your time wisely. Time is your most precious resource, so you must develop effective time management skills.

High-value tasks must take precedence:

Modern pressures mean it’s easy for us to try to do too many things. We can all be a bit like that, including me, dear reader.

Our lives are cluttered with too many activities, too many objectives, too many distractions, and far too many demands on our time.

The result is that we tend to lose focus on what matters most and in the end we don’t do anything as well as we should have done.

In my experience, in most jobs, you’ll find that 90% of productivity is down to completing the top three or four major activities within that job. What I call high-value tasks.

If you take the top three major activities – the high-value tasks – associated with your job and focus on those to the exclusion of just about everything else you’ll almost certainly maximise your productivity and efficiency.

Most common time management mistake:

The problem is, when we’re working, we seem to find it easier to focus on minor tasks and random actions requested by other people.

We feel obliged to accept requests from others. It’s a common mistake of which we can all be guilty.

Now, while tidying up all those minor tasks might make us feel like we’re achieving some quick wins, we’re usually fooling ourselves.

By the end of the day, we’re usually left with a sense that we haven’t done all we should have done, and that leaves us feeling stressed.

And that’s when we start to think about how we might improve our time management.

We can’t do everything, nor should we try:

We must recognise that we can’t do everything, but we can be selective about what we choose to do.

And if we’re going to get those major tasks of higher value completed, then they must take precedence over those low-value, minor tasks, which can always wait if necessary.

High-value tasks should always take precedence over low-value tasks.

Work smarter:

People often think of time management as a skill that would allow them to work faster. Well, let me tell you this: that’s not the idea at all.

Effective time management skills allow us to work smarter rather than harder.

Instead of getting lost in the minutiae of everyday life, with effective time management skills, we focus on and prioritise those things that will add the most value to our productivity. In other words, we focus on high-value activity.

The law of three:

So. if time management is an issue for you, dear reader, start by taking a good, hard look at your list of daily activities and asking yourself these three questions:

  1. What single task can only I do and, when completed by me, will add the most value to the business?
  2. What’s the second task on my list that only I can do, and when I’ve completed it, will allow me to add the most value to the business?
  3. What is the third task on my list that only I can do and that, when completed by me, will add the most value to the business?

Once you’ve identified your list of three major, high-value tasks, that’s where your focus should be each day before you touch any other minor tasks or accept random requests from other people.

Most powerful time management tool:

The point of work is to deliver results. You’ll deliver the best results if you concentrate on your top three major tasks first.

And never forget that you’ll be judged by the results you deliver. No one cares what you have to do for someone else, they only care about the results they expect from you.

Your time is your time, and you must decide how it is to be used most effectively.

Just because someone asks for a piece of your time doesn’t mean you’re obliged to give it to them at the expense of your productivity. Never be afraid to deploy the most effective time management tool of them all.

And what is the most effective time-management tool? It’s the word NO.

Think of the word NO as a baseball bat.

Whenever someone requests that you do something, NO is how you can whack that request right out of the ballpark.

Be in control of your time, at all times:

You’re not obliged to agree to a request even if someone asks nicely. It’s reasonable to be working to your priorities.

All too often we feel obliged to do things for other people when we should have just said politely, “No, I’m sorry, but I can’t do that right now for you because I have to deliver this by 5 pm and it’s a priority.”

If our productivity matters to us, and it should, then our focus should always be on our major, high-value deliverables.

Unfortunately, we allow ourselves to be driven by the agendas of other people.

However that’s not good for our productivity, nor is it good for our well-being or stress levels.

People will take everything you’re prepared to give:

I can tell you from experience that other people will take everything you’re prepared to give and a bit more besides. That’s the nature of people.

However, if you fail to deliver what you’re being paid to deliver, then no list of incidental work completed for other people will be accepted as an adequate plea in your defence when your boss wants to know why you’ve failed to deliver your high-value results.

If you’re painting my house, I’ll measure you on the quality and timeliness of your work, not the amount of help you gave to my neighbour by, say, looking after her dog.

What you do for other people is irrelevant to me, should you fail to deliver what I’m paying you to deliver.

Focus on your priorities:

In reality, if your colleagues can’t get something done by you, they’ll simply ask someone else. So let them.

Why worry? Just be very polite when faced with a random request, but say NO firmly. I can tell you this: you’ll have to be disciplined, but it’s a habit worth developing.

We can all be guilty of expending far too much of our energy helping other people achieve their aims, to the detriment of our interests and our ability to deliver high-value results.

To achieve anything of significance in life, we must be focused on our major activities.

We must concentrate on completing our big three major high-value deliverables daily and focus relentlessly on working towards achieving our own goals generally.

The need for balance:

If you’re asked to do something, then it’s perfectly reasonable to say NO, if doing otherwise would prevent you from delivering the results you’re being paid to deliver on time.

Yes, of course, occasionally there will be tasks you’re obliged to accept for whatever reason.

However, mostly being firm in declining such a request is a sign that you’re assertive and in control of delivering as much value as possible.

Another polite but firm response to a request might be something like, “Sorry, I would love to help you with that, but I cannot right now because I have my hands full with the deadline for this project.”

As with everything, there is a balance to be struck, of course.

Sometimes it’s in your interest to do someone a favour because one day you might need them to return that favour. That’s reasonable, provided you always retain a primary focus on keeping your main things the main things.

Conclusion:

You should always ensure that you’re making progress towards achieving your big three deliverables and your own goals generally.

It’s perfectly reasonable to have your agenda and a desire to achieve your own goals and add the greatest value only you can add.

If you want to make a difference, focus on your three major activities.

Those activities that only you can do.

And to ensure that you’re doing that, don’t be afraid to use the most effective time management tool of them all whenever necessary. Use the word NO politely but firmly.

Always keep the main things the main things.

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Time Management SkillsDid you find this article interesting and useful?

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What makes a great idea and why you should keep a journal

12/22/2023 by

What makes a great idea.What makes a great idea? Now, that’s an interesting question, in my opinion.

How is it that one idea can be successful and another idea less so?

Why has the iPhone been so successful, yet once-popular smartphones like the Blackberry have disappeared?

How do you know when one of your ideas might make a big difference?

The importance of timing

A key ingredient for a great idea is timing. Ideas are a dime a dozen. The trick is to know when one of your inspired thoughts is right for its time and, therefore, how hard to push it.

If you’re too far ahead of other people’s thinking, that inspired thought you believed was a great idea will only be ignored because it won’t resonate with people.

If you’re too far behind, then it will be ignored because they’ve seen it all before or something else is already doing it better.

However, if you can hit that sweet spot between the two extremes, then you can generate value from your idea because it will solve a problem or capture the imagination of the people who are ready for it.

An idea whose time has come is a truly great idea. Though coming up with one is not so easy, of course.

Good ideas are valuable

Great ideas are rare, so they become very valuable. And that value is why it’s worthwhile to constantly seek out great ideas.

Should you decide the world is not quite ready for your inspired thinking, don’t worry. The world not being ready now doesn’t mean the world will never be ready.

Keep a journal and make a note of all those flashes of inspiration. And add your journals to your library. Never throw your journals away. Go through them occasionally and see what ideas you’ve had for which the time might now be right.

Keep a journal

The real message today is: KEEP A JOURNAL.

Your journals could be a source of pure gold in the future, so make sure you buy quality notebooks that you can add to your library as you fill them with your thoughts and inspiration.

By keeping journals, you’re creating value. Value starts with a good-quality notebook, so it’s worth investing in quality.

And never, ever dismiss your ideas. They may not work today, but one day they may make you a fortune.

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Warren Buffett’s Top 10 Rules for Success to Inspire You

12/09/2023 by

Warren Buffett Top 10 Rules for SuccessToday I offer you Warren Buffett’s Top 10 Rules for Success, dear reader.

If you want success, then it would be wise to listen to people who have already achieved some success.

Identify what they did to achieve their success and copy it.

If it worked for them, then it will probably work for you.

Now, there are few people more successful in their chosen field than Warren Buffett.

He offers you his ‘Top 10 Rules for Success’ in the video embedded here, and it’s worth your time to listen to him.

They are his top tips and I recommend them to you.

Warren Buffett’s Top 10 Rules For Success:

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Why you should make a difference in life

12/03/2023 by

Make A DifferenceWhere are you going? What is it you want to achieve in life? Would you like to make a difference while still on Planet Earth?

If you’re anything like me, dear reader, you’ll be asking yourself questions like these quite frequently.

However, any vision you have for your life should not just involve some notion of what you want to achieve, surely?

In looking to the future, your vision should also include something you would like to leave behind, don’t you think?

I’m talking about your legacy.

In other words, what will you leave behind for future generations?

Fundamental question:

If you’re to leave a lasting legacy, there’s a more fundamental question you should be asking yourself, and that is, “For what do I want to be remembered?“

Developing a clear idea of what you want your legacy to be will focus your attention on what you need to do to achieve it.

This will involve more than just establishing priorities. It requires you to consider what matters to you.

Once you know what truly matters to you, you’ll know where to focus all your energy.

If you can connect with your highest values, then this will have a profound effect on your behaviour.

That, in turn, should provide you with the motivation and drive to pursue your life’s purpose. Your raison d’etre.

A price must be paid:

However, you should recognise this fact too. If your life’s purpose is to be achieved, then there’s a price to be paid. There’s nothing for free in this life, that’s for sure. And that’s why you’ll need to be driven.

This leads us to the next question: How do you turn your vision into reality?

Like every journey, it starts with the first step.

You think about what needs to be done, but not for too long, and then you start doing it, and you keep going until you get to where you want to be.

The best time is now:

Like many people, you may be thinking that you have to have everything ‘just right’ before you can begin to achieve your aims. That’s not so, dear reader.

If you wait for everything to be perfect, then it’ll never happen. So the best time to start is right now. A year ago may have been better, of course, but failing that right now is best.

The danger with waiting for everything to be perfect is that you delay and delay and never get any traction on moving things closer to where you want to be.

Your life’s purpose will only become clearer as you experience life and gradually adjust your direction based on your experiences.

Every successful person goes through many experiences before they find the thing that will allow them to truly make a difference.

Make A DifferenceThe importance of incremental change:

This is a process of incremental change that gradually takes you in the direction that is most appropriate for you.  And if you’re heading in that direction, you’re almost certainly reinforcing what works for you.

If you just keep moving in the right direction, you will achieve your goals. It may take longer than you’d like, and it may not be as dramatic as you thought it would be, but you will get there.

The keyword is perseverance.

Keep going until you achieve what you want to achieve.

Achievement is a confidence-builder.

The more you achieve, the more you believe you can achieve. With confidence and self-belief, you can achieve anything you want to achieve.

You’ll find, dear reader, if you haven’t already, that achievement and success change your experience of being alive.

Not only does it make you feel good about yourself, but as a natural consequence, it also produces what will become your legacy, which will make your life worth living and a life well-lived.

So make a difference while you still have the energy and the desire.

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Why you must earn before you spend

11/05/2023 by

WHY YOU MUST EARN BEFORE YOU SPENDEarn it before you spend it. ~Author Unknown

If you want to build wealth, then developing good money habits is essential, dear reader. And if you’re a parent, then it’s a good idea to encourage your children to develop good money habits too.

In fact, if you can only give your children one piece of financial advice, then the best piece of advice is included in the quote above. Earn before you spend.

Far too many people today do the exact opposite.

People spend money they don’t have to impress people they probably don’t even like. The result is a burden of debt from which it can be very hard to escape.

Occasionally, we all want to buy those big-ticket items. A nice television; nice furniture; a nice personal computer, tablet, or smartphone; et cetera. Naturally, these are things we all want. The question is, does it make sense to incur debt in order to own these things?

My advice is to save the money first and then buy the thing you really want.

Financing arrangements are there to make other people rich. And by using finance, that almost always means you’ll pay a lot more for items acquired using credit.

The ‘buy now, pay later’ deal usually comes with a high interest rate added. So inevitably, if you go down this road, you’ll end up paying a lot more than you would otherwise.

Yes, you’ll get the item quicker; that’s true. However, you’ll enrich someone else at your own expense. In what way does that make sense?

Now be honest with yourself; there really are very few things in life we couldn’t live without if we really had to, surely?

Look after your own interests rather than lining the pockets of other people while impoverishing yourself and your family in the process. That is today’s life tip.

Financial education matters, and the sooner you get one, the better.

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How to love your job when you hate it

10/29/2023 by

How to love your job when you hate itHow to love your job when you hate it? A question I’ve been asked numerous times. My response is always the same. The best way to appreciate the job you have is to imagine your life without it.

That starts with taking a closer look at what’s good about it.

Life’s too short to hate your job:

Do you hate your job, dear reader?

Do you tell everyone, at every opportunity, that you hate your job?

By telling everyone you hate your job, do you imagine they’ll be impressed or, in some way, feel sympathy for you?

Maybe you think that by doing this, your fellow workers will regard you as someone unafraid to speak their mind.

Perhaps you think that in the eyes of your fellow workers, this approach will make you look good.

Hold that thought, and then consider this question. How do you feel about working with someone else who’s always moaning about how unhappy they are at their job?

Do you admire that person?

Do they impress you with their negativity?

I guess that your response to my question will be negative. I’m sure you’ll be unimpressed with such people. After all, most of us are.

Everyone hates a moaner:

If you imagined that moaning about how unhappy you are was the best way to get people on your side, then seriously, you need to think again. Everyone hates a moaner, whatever indications you’ve heard to the contrary. Let me tell you this: no one’s impressed.

Your colleagues may not say so, but they’ll find your negativity irritating at the very least. It’s probably driving them all nuts.

Life’s short, and it’s hard enough for most people. So having some moaning Minnie constantly bringing them down just makes life harder.

Constant negativity is just a pain in the rear for most people.

Imagine your life without your job:

If your current mindset means you hate your job right now, then the first thing to do is start changing that mindset. Start by looking at your job differently.

How?

Well, imagine your life without your current job. What would that be like? Think about that question carefully, and be honest with yourself.

Without your job, you’d have nothing to do; no reason to get out of bed; nowhere to go; no sense of purpose; nothing to challenge you; no money; and you’d be without the camaraderie of your fellow workers. You’d probably feel lonely and lack any real social life too.

How would that make you feel?

Would you feel better about yourself without those things?

I’m sure if you’re honest with yourself, you’ll realise that work gives us far more than we realise. I don’t think you’d be happy without all those things mentioned above.

So the best way to begin appreciating your job is to imagine your life without it.

No job is perfect:

Most jobs come with an element of frustration and a spoonful of tedium. That’s life.

No job is perfect, but no job is all bad either.

It’s just a matter of how you choose to look at things.

If you focus on the bad things, then everything will seem bad. However, if you focus on the good bits, then your job can begin to look very different, and you’ll start to feel more positive about your work.

The fact is, we all need to do something with our time, surely?

Even millionaires need something to fill their time.

There are only so many holidays you can take and so much shopping you can do.

Eventually, everyone needs a sense of purpose, and we all want to feel that we’re making a contribution to the world around us.

Life’s a short movie:

Life’s far too short to be unhappy.

So if you hate your job, then you have two choices:

  1. You find another job, or
  2. You start looking differently at your current job.

And before you start searching the vacancy columns or the job websites, think carefully about what you might be throwing away should you leave your current job.

Moving to another job doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be any happier.

Neither will it guarantee that you’ll find the perfect job for you.

So it’s worth thinking seriously about your current job first. At least it’s the devil you know.

Can you begin to look at your current job differently? Perhaps you need a little help.

I really hate my job:

Here’s a great motivational speech from the one and only Zig Ziglar that you might find very useful.

It’s full of great advice and well worth a few minutes of your time.

If you don’t like your job right now, then you really should watch it.

Even if you do like your job, watch it anyway. I found it truly inspirational. So take a look at it now.

Further Listening:

I’m a huge fan of Zig Ziglar but I recognize that he had an evangelical presentation style that’s not to everyone’s taste.

However, if you can get beyond that presentation style, then his words are inspirational and informative.

I particularly like his audiobooks, which I listen to constantly when I’m driving.

One audiobook I can recommend is:

The Born to Win Seminar

Listen to this, and I promise you it will help you discover your untapped greatness and guide you towards greater success in life.

I bought my own copy of this audio program for my own personal library, and it was well worth the price. I listen to it over and over again, and I always find something new in his words.

You can check this audio program if you just CLICK HERE.

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Did you find this article and the video interesting and useful dear reader?

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How to find and do work you love, now and forever

10/15/2023 by

How to find and do work you loveHow to find and do work you love? A great question for all you very intelligent readers to contemplate today.

Now not everyone will find the answer of course but most people frequently ask this question in my experience.

Job satisfaction:

How many people would say they get job satisfaction from their work, in percentage terms?

Apparently, it’s only around 20%.

That would suggest that 80% of all people hate their jobs.

If true, I think that matters and it’s especially relevant to society if you think about it. Why?

Quite simply because it suggests that most people will not be quite as productive as they might otherwise be. Let’s face it, you can’t really be at your most productive if you’re not happy in your job.

A sense of purpose:

So dear reader, which side are you on?

Does your workplace you in the 20% who enjoy job satisfaction or are you one of the 80%?

Essentially job satisfaction comes as a result of doing work that gives us a sense of purpose.

If we have a genuine sense of purpose, we’ll have a strong desire to do our work well. And we can only do it to the best of our ability if it really matters to us.

Doing our work well matters because that’s how we make a difference.

Hence that’s how we make a contribution and leave a legacy behind us.

So in that sense job satisfaction certainly matters.

Consider your work:

Does your work really matter to you?

And does it give you a sense of purpose? Perhaps it’s simply the means for paying your bills?

Do you get out of bed each morning looking forward to the day ahead?

No job is ever perfect but, given work takes up a third of our lives, it’s essential that we enjoy what we do and derive at least some job satisfaction from it.

Maybe there’ll be some elements of a given job we dislike but mostly we should enjoy our work because that way we’re better placed to do it well.

In the inspirational TEDx Talk video embedded below, Scott Dinsmore explains how in the early part of his career he was encouraged to do any job just to build up his resumé.

However, he very quickly realized that this approach was unwise and resulted in no job satisfaction.

He makes his point with an excellent quote from Warren Buffett who said, “Taking any job just to build your resumé is like putting off sex until your old age.”

Now, why would that make sense?

Experience is important of course but work should not just be about building your resumé.

Work should be about adding value and making a meaningful contribution to society.

It should be about using your skills and natural talent to make a difference to the lives of others.

So, if success is your aim then the work you do must matter to you.

If you find work you enjoy then job satisfaction will follow.

Put simply, if you like the work you do you’ll do it well. And if you do it well people will notice. And once people begin to notice you then you’re on your way to achieving real success.

Knowledge required:

The trick is to find work that you can’t not do.

Something you’d happily do for nothing if you couldn’t find someone to pay you to do it.

That’s the basis for real job satisfaction.

All of this is more easily said than done of course.

Perhaps you’ve no idea about what matters to you in terms of work.

If you’re relatively young and new to the world of work how could you possibly know? In that case, you need to start improving your basic knowledge and awareness.

1. Know yourself:

A good starting point for improving your knowledge is becoming a self-expert. Knowing just what you have in your arsenal.

  • What are your unique strengths?
  • What are your weaknesses?
  • What fills you with enthusiasm?
  • What fills you with dread?
  • What do you love to do?
  • What do you hate doing?

If I asked someone you knew well to tell me what you’re good at what would they say?

  • For what activity do they regard you as the ‘go to’ person?
  • What do they regularly thank you for?
  • What would you do for fun if you couldn’t do it for a living?
  • On what activity can you lose yourself for hours at a time?

By answering these questions and others like them you’ll get a better idea of what you’re looking for. And let’s face it, if you don’t know what you’re looking for you’ll never find it.

2. Know your values:

What do you regard as your set of values? What moral framework matters to you when you’re making decisions?

What would you not do simply because you wouldn’t want to disappoint your family? What would make you feel proud if you were to tell your family that’s what you’re doing?

Anything you choose to do should be congruent with your own set of values.

3. Know your experiences:

The most powerful lessons in life come from the mistakes we make. The lessons we learn from our own mistakes and the things we’ve done are collectively known as experience. And experience is a valuable commodity.

Pay attention to your experience. Think about the things you’ve done right. Think about the things you’ve done wrong.

When have you felt completely in control of a situation regardless of the challenges you face?

When have you felt completely out of your depth?

Think about the things you’ve enjoyed doing. Think about those activities you really hated.

4. Know what matters to you:

In crude but simple language the underlying question here is, “What is it that you actually DO ‘give a shit’ about?”

We tend to do stuff because other people suggest it’s what we should be doing. However, it really should be about what actually matters to us.

Identify what it is that makes you come alive and makes you feel energized.

John Lennon’s Aunt Mimi famously said, “Playing the guitar is all very well John but you’ll never make a living at it.”

Fortunately, John didn’t listen to her and his guitar helped him to make a very lucrative living because he really enjoyed writing songs and playing music.

In fact, his creative output continues to generate millions of dollars for his estate 40 years after his death.

John Lennon did well because he did something he enjoyed doing and he didn’t allow himself to be influenced by those who thought he should pursue a different line of work.

Confidence compounds:

By working to your strengths your confidence will grow.

Each success you have will improve your confidence. And as your confidence grows, one success will lead to another. It’s a virtuous circle.

Environment matters too:

Jim Rohn once said, “You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

Personally, I think this is true.

The people around you really do matter.

They influence you and their attitude rubs off on you.

Human beings are social animals and we exist within groups. We also have to fit into the group otherwise we’re very quickly ostracized by other group members.

Hang around with people who inspire possibility. People who lift you up and not pull you down. Mix with people who will influence you in a positive way. Find role models from whom you can learn.

How to find and do work you love:

Scott Dinsmore’s mission is to change the world by helping people find what excites them and build a career around the work only they are capable of doing.

If you can find the work you are compelled to do then you can add real value to your fellow human beings.

Discover what you’re really meant to do and you’ll be on to a winner.

You’ll also get maximum job satisfaction.

Therefore in conclusion, if you’ve yet to find what you’re looking for then keep looking until you do.

In the meantime, I recommend that you watch the video. It is thought-provoking and compelling and it will be a good use of your time.

Recommended Reading:

There are plenty of good books that will help you identify your true strengths, as well as help you home in on the work you should be doing.

In the video, Scott Dinsmore suggests Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath as a good book to help you in your quest.

Certainly, it is worth your time, it’s very useful and I have a copy of it in my own personal reference library.

However, allow me to recommend another three excellent texts you might also consider. They are as follows:-

The Life You Were Born to Live: A Guide to Finding Your Life Purpose Dan Millman

The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success by Nicholas Lore

Find what you were born for: Discover your strengths, forge your own path and live the life you want by Zoe McKey

I have all of these books in my personal library and I’ve found them all extremely useful and helpful and I use them as reference texts all the time.

You can check them out by clicking on the links.

I strongly recommend you take a closer look at them all. You won’t regret it if you do decide to buy your own copies. Check them out now whilst it’s all fresh in your mind.

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This website is an Amazon affiliate. Should you click on any of the links included in the text above and then make a purchase, you should be aware that this website will receive a small commission. However, there will be no additional charge to you for making that purchase. Nevertheless, these commissions do serve to cover the cost of maintaining this site, so you’ll be helping to ensure that this resource can remain available free of charge to readers. Your understanding is truly appreciated, dear reader. Thank you.

Please share this post with your friends:

Did you find this article and video interesting and useful dear reader?

If so, then please share it on social media with your friends. When you share, everyone wins.

So please share it now. If you do I’ll be ever so grateful and you’ll be helping a keen blogger reach a wider audience.

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