There is one distinct belief that separates people who build real, lasting wealth and people who spend, spend, spend. It’s that they treat money as a river, not a pond. Don’t get me wrong; I love the water and taking a swim on a hot Texas day. But at the pond near my house, water that is stagnant and not cared for attracts mosquitoes. It forms an unattractive film on top and begins to develop a stench. Many people think of money the same way. It’s in a contained source, only to be found by the rich people who own big companies. It’s dirty and smelly.
Real wealth builders imagine money as a continuously flowing river, rather than a standing pond of water. There’s not a limited supply. Money flows where value goes. It is meant to be in motion, so in my world, money is pure, clean, and refreshing.
Instead of imagining it sitting in a pond, waiting to be used as crud forms on top, think of it, used wisely, as a continuously flowing river that can be diverted to feed multiple crops—yourself, your family, others you love, and those you want to help.
I often hear from people who feel like they’re off track and they’ll never catch up. No. If you take away one message from this chapter, from this book, it’s that you have choices. It’s in your power to change your financial reality, to earn more, save more, and give more. When you start believing that money is a river that flows where value is, the ways you can earn more are endless, which brings us to this third lever.
Remember the number you wrote down when we walked through the Good Money Framework? It might be 25 percent or 50 percent higher than your current income. Earning more looks different for everyone, but I want to share some Good Money Moves you can start implementing today:
Option 1: Treat Your Job as if You Were an Entrepreneur
Remember that feeling you get on Sunday about 4:00 p.m.? You’re having a great day, but suddenly, “Oh, tomorrow’s Monday and I’ve got to start this treadmill all over again.” Instead, start thinking of your job like you’re a business owner. When you do, you’ll learn skills that will prepare you to create your own venture or side hustle, or even propel you higher at the company you work for right now. As an employee, you should always be asking yourself, “How can I increase sales, boost productivity, or innovate to make a product or service better?”
I think of Kelsey, who, after six years working for a local insurance company, felt the door closing on any advancement opportunities. While the lead sales representative worked with clients face-to-face, Kelsey was known for how well she supported customers. In a performance evaluation, her boss shared some aggressive growth goals and asked for her feedback on ways they could serve more clients. Kelsey quickly recognized an opportunity to both help the business flourish and grow her paycheck. She understood these clients, and who better to work with them than her? A few days later, she presented a thoughtful proposal to her boss. She asked him to pay her to get licensed, then transition 25 percent of his clients to her as their sales rep, which would free up her boss to bring in more business. She asked for an incentive based on new business opportunities that she identified. Her boss loved the idea! She was thinking like a business owner while working inside someone else’s company. No matter your job, there are always ways to make your products, services, processes, and customer experience better. Empower yourself in the job you’re in right now and think about new ways to make your current job better.
