Author: cbarney.45

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” – 1 Timothy 6:10

Remember why you work. Remember why you spend your life energy working 40+ hours/week. Find your purpose, your life goal, and make sure that what you’re working for is in alignment with it. Don’t work just for money. Money is a means to an end, but it is not the end goal. It is what money can do for you (giving you the freedom to do what you want) that should be the focus.

Don’t work just for status. You got a promotion; you got a demotion…Whatever. Your life is more than your job title.

If you only work to get more than you currently have (more money, more status, more things), you’ll eventually realize that “more” is never enough. You can think, “once I get to X amount saved,” or “once I make Y amount per year” THEN I’ll be happy. But that’s not how it works. That achievement will come and go. And you’ll become so used to what you have acquired that it loses its luster, leaving you hungry for more.

Keep the big picture in mind. In a recent Afford Anything podcast with Paula Pant and Joe Saul-Sehy, Joe made a comment that really resonated with me. He said, “How can I get more life out of my money? Money is a fuel, not the end game.” And THAT is the big picture. That’s exactly how we should treat money. Use money as a tool to experience your best life – whether that means going on trips with family, relaxing by yourself, etc. That is up to you.

My main focus is to provide the best life for my family. How can I do this? By supporting them financially (earning a living in a career that gives me fulfillment), emotionally (spending as much quality time with loved ones as possible), physically (I have to be physically present to provide the most impact), and spiritually (leading by example in accordance to our faith).

What is your purpose in life? What is your why? How will you get more life out of your money? Whatever your answer, don’t waste it chasing the wrong things.

“A thousand words will not leave so deep an impression as one deed.” – Henrik Isben

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what you say, it matters what you do. You can say you’re all about family, religion, work ethic, etc., but if your actions don’t align with your words then you lose credibility. Make sure you can back up your words.

“The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.” – Henry Ward Beecher

Happiness is all about your perception, your attitude, and your gratitude. Happiness is a choice. For some people it comes more naturally than for others, but you get to choose to see the good in every situation, even the difficult ones. It is how you frame the situation in your mind.

Having a plan for your life includes having a plan for your death.

Make sure that you’re living responsibly so that if you die tomorrow that your family is taken care of. Life can be taken from us at any moment. If yours is taken from you, will your spouse be ok financially? Will your children (if they’re minors)?

Live within your means, invest only in what you understand, and make sure that you have enough life insurance to cover 10x your annual income (if you still have dependents). That way if you are taken from this world prematurely, while your family may not be ok mentally with your passing, at least they’ll be ok financially.

In addition to setting up life insurance, make sure that you also set up your estate documents. You should have your Last Will & Testament, Medical Power of Attorney, Financial Power of Attorney, and Living Will completed. This will leave no room for interpretation and will tell your loved ones what you want done when you are incapable of making decisions. This should help to minimize any tension between family members who have different ideas about what should happen with your money, your kids, etc. It will provide clarity to them. And, if you know that something may not align with someone’s ideals, try to address it with them while you’re still around. Don’t make your spouse do it.

“The price of greatness is responsibility.” – Winston Churchill

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” – Luke 12:48

You can’t expect to be given power, fame, success, or greatness without paying the price. That price comes in the form of added responsibilities – including your time and your energy. There is a trade off for everything in life, and the trade off for greatness is responsibility and hard work.

If you truly want to be great, you have to take ownership of everything that happens in your life. This means that you don’t only get to take credit when things go right (and, by the way, you should always point to your team when things are going well). It also means that when things don’t go as planned, you have to take responsibility for it. Did somebody not buy from you? It’s your fault for not demonstrating the value of your product/company. Did a trade not complete the work correctly? It’s your fault for not making sure that what needed to be done is clear to them. Or, if you did make it clear, maybe you should have vetted them better. Did a tenant from a rental property not pay you on time? Maybe you didn’t set clear expectations of when the rent is due. Or maybe you didn’t screen them well enough by running a credit report, checking their employment history, and talking with previous landlords.

There are examples everywhere. If you truly want to be great, it requires you to take responsibility of your actions and of the actions of those around you. Once you can accept this, then you can move forward towards your path to greatness.