What Is your economic Worth? 4 Ways To Reach Your Full Economic Potential.

Have you ever wondered whatever happened to all the people that you went to high school  or college with?  I don’t mean close friends I just mean folks in general that are not your friends on face book or social media.  School was great for me because it was a time of big dreams.  It was a protected environment, I could sit and journal what I wanted to do in the future.

I took an assessment of where former school mates were 10 years later and of course, there those that just took off, they seemed to have everything together, they were not necessarily rich, but they were really on the road to success and it showed.  And then, there was the other group, they hadn't quite figured out what they wanted, were not happy with where they were in life, and it also showed.

So what made the first group more successful than the 2^nd? Well it turns out there some basic universal truths and principles that, if employed, would allow everyone to reach their full economic potential no matter what profession or career or business they choose.

Principle of Hard work

My mother must said this to me over and over until she was blue in the face, “You have to work hard G (my middle name) , in this life, if you want anything, you have to work for it”. The older I get the more true this principle becomes.  It’s usually not talent or education that makes you successful, its hard work.  Hard work is more than showing up to work and working harder or longer than anyone else, it’s about the quality of work. 

Quality hard work requires more from you, it requires bettering yourself, it requires thinking about your company or department and thinking of way to increase production, or save the company money or think of ways the company can make more money.  Quality hard work requires  not just showing up physically, but being fully engaged, those employees are quality employees and are deeply valued by the companies they work for, they are also rare so it doesn't take long to be noticed and promoted which leads to more money.

Principle of social skills and communication skills

Having good social skills is important because people want to be around people they like, being personable makes you memorable, in a good way.  I used to have a real problem with this principle because I thought people I worked with, who socialized with their managers were really fake and were basically kissing their (you know what) to get ahead.  But as time has progressed, I have started to think differently about having good social skills at work along with great communication skills together.

 Good social skills opens doors for you.  Building social bonds by being positive and pleasant becomes valuable when you have to ask for a raise, or a promotion or want to pitch a new Idea or product to clients or managers, the social skills gets you a seat at the table, a face to face meeting and coupled with good communication skills, it puts you in a position to sell yourself and your skills and leverage them for more money.

Principle of Discipline and self control

Every one of us has to work even though we don’t feel like it.  We have to get to work on time, we have to execute tasks.  Work is not always exciting or sexy; it can be monotonous and mundane.  

There is a really dangerous message out on the blogs, TV and magazines telling people to “live your dream/passion” and “work does not feel like work if it’s your passion”.  The problem I have with this “live your passion” movement is, that it is very emotional, and emotions are temporary. What happens when this passionate job becomes like all jobs, which is monotonous and mundane? Does that mean you are doing the wrong thing?  Should you move on to your next passion?  Unfortunately most people just move on to the next thing that interests them. This jumping around from career to career means, you never really get good at one thing, and therefore never maximize your earnings in any one career, it also means, you are always starting over and everyone knows, you make the least money, when you are new to a career or starting a new business,  So stay disciplined and stick and, it will pay off eventually.

Principle of good Partnerships

This is the part where most people do not want to talk about, because it involves making a choice with heart and your head simultaneously.  What am I talking about?  Personal relationships, spouses and significant others, who do you surround yourself with?  In an Ideal world, you want a spouse or significant other who shares the same values, and belief system around money and hard work, in simpler terms, a saver should hook up with a saver and a spender should hook up with a spender.  Likewise a hardworking person should hook up with another hardworking person. 

When you work hard, keep opening doors for yourself using those great social skills and communication skills and maintain discipline and self control, you will make money, you will maximize your earnings, but it is pointless to make the money if you cannot retain it, and having a partner who does not share your goals or is not supportive, can erode all your hard work, and all your great potential.  I have come to realize again, over time, that actions speak much louder than words and talk is dirt cheap.  Look at a person’s habits before making any long term commitments, a lazy person will never tell you they are lazy, but you can tell from their actions, a spender’s actions will reveal who they are, without them ever speaking a word.  So align yourself with those people whose habits will allow you to be your most successful version of yourself in order to maximize your earnings over your lifetime, and stay far away from those who will minimize your efforts.

Maximizing your earnings sounds easy in theory, but it is a difficult task to execute.  It requires making a serious decision to be the most successful you that you can be, and then recommitting to that decision every single day.  It is not impossible though, and can be done; all you have to do is make that decision to, for lack of better words, “Be all you can be”.

What other principles do you think can increase your economic potential? Share in your comment below, I would love to know what you think, and we can all learn from one another.

Blessings

Bernice

Photo Credit: Google Images