Income Ranges
Income can range from very low to very high. So, where do you want to be in that range?
It is my hope that you can learn to earn more as you learn to build a better mindset for money.
The Job Market
What will be your value in the Job Market? Can you increase your value over time? The answer is simple: Yes, you can!
Jim Rohn, a well-known speaker that I often quote, was given this sage advice by his mentor, Earl Schoaff, “Work harder on yourself than you do your job.”
As you learn new skills and add to your body of knowledge, you will raise your value as an employee to some company looking for those skills and working knowledge.
Change Jobs as Needed
A job is not your career or your legacy. A company operates independently of you. So, look for work that you can find fulfilling. Keep earning a paycheck and define what you are looking for if that job is not satisfying to you. Write down what you want from your employment and be alert for better opportunities. You will find what you are looking for.
As you increase your base of skills, not all employers will be prepared to give recognition to that process or what you have learned. Management may not have an opening that will justify your progress, even though they may see it.
So, keep your options open. Be actively looking for work opportunities that will give you a better paycheck or a better working environment. You do not have to accept every job offer you get. Try to have a list of what you want with a new job or new employer. By making a list on paper you will solidify your thinking and be able to keep it available for review before each interview.
Remember: It is much easier to find a job when you are employed.
Learn to Use a Resume
You will work many jobs over your lifetime. It would be wise to keep a file related to each one.
Why? Because every interview has questions about your past work experience. What did you do? How much did they pay you? What skills did you use to do that job? What did you accomplish? What did you learn?
Keep a recap of those jobs, your education, and people you can use to vouch for your skills and your character.
This information will be the basis for your resume. Do not count on being able to recall those facts and names over time.
Having goals for your career will help. However, I do not have a magic formula for a great resume. Read books on the subject or watch a YouTube video. And, if you are willing to pay, there are resume writers that can make you sound spectacular!
Show Your Best
Your best may not be perfect. However, just trying to do your best will help you learn to do better.
That is part of our growth process, striving to learn and thinking about what we have learned. That will eventually reveal itself in our actions.
Make Observations but Don’t Be Jealous
I enjoy driving through the country. And, whether it is in certain parts of town or some big scene in the country where buildings are impressive and the grounds well kept, there appears to be evidence of wealth. Of course, if their mindset for money is well-placed, they will be able to keep it during hard times.
Please observe, but do not be jealous. Those people may have a successful business, a professional job, or they invested well.
I can guarantee that a high percentage of those homes are owned by some common folk who worked very hard to learn what it took to make the money to buy or build that home.
You can get there too!
Jackpots Are Few
Some have the tendency to think that they can gamble and take the short cut to riches. However, that is a fast track to the poor house! When the odds are against you, only the house (gambling house) will win.
With odds like that, I would suggest another path to learn about. The stock market is only one of many other investment options that have much better odds of winning. And, with increasing knowledge of the process and the rules, you can increase your chances of winning.
A big part of learning to invest includes learning whose advice to follow. Seek out more than just one source of advice and sort out the good from the bad. Good advice is a real treasure and will help you to build your own treasure.
Do your homework. Read on the subject you want to pursue. Stocks and bonds, rental property, storage rentals, equipment rentals, small business opportunities, etc. are all potential investments. However, make sure that you keep cash on hand for emergencies, including a job loss. Then, seek out ways to make your extra savings grow.
Wealth, or financial independence, depending on how you would define it, comes from a long-term accumulation process. Keep that in mind when you are tempted to spend your savings on foolish things that will lose value quickly.
Decide for Yourself
You can stay where you are. Limit what you can earn by just getting by. No one really cares if you do.
But, if you care about what you eat, what you drive, and where you live, then, you might want to open yourself up for change.
Changes will come. The question is, do you want to have some control over changes in your life and your financial future?
It is your decision. But each decision comes with a requirement for action.
Over Time
You can get to a comfortable place financially by consistent effort. Live on less than you make. Invest your extra savings. Expect ups and downs.
Eventually, your money will grow. Time is on your side. And, though you may not be accomplished, your accumulation can make you feel wealthy!