Work Wealthy

I'm too busy, I don't have enough time, it was a busy day. It almost sounds whiney. I hear these phrases all the time. I used to SAY these phrases all the time!!

Over the years as I have become an entrepreneur and through my self-development I came to an understanding:

Busy just means Occupied. I can be busy staring a computer screen, scrolling through Facebook, watching TV.

ORRRR.

I can be productive.

Productive means Results. Now, of course, if you ask Google or Webster, they'll probably give you different meanings. But it's my world and therefore, my interpretation. (hence the princess in me, ha!)

Busy = Occupied.

Productive = Results.

I was on the hamster wheel getting nothing done and going nowhere fast. My business wasn't increasing revenue or size. Yet everyday, I was working 12-16 hours.... man, I was busy! One day, a peer of mine asked me; "What are you doing all day? You say you work all these hours and yet your cash flow sucks, your team is small and you're struggling. What exactly are you doing?" I am forever grateful for that slap in the face. He made me start thinking and evaluating, what exactly AM I doing all day?! The answer wasn't pretty. I had to have a come to Jesus meeting with myself and said; sister if you're going to make this work, you have to work. So I went to work harder...

Working harder meant that I was still spending countless hours a day alternating being busy and productive. I was still dropping the habit of just being busy for busy sake. But I was making progress and becoming more productive. I was focused on the right activity, which for me, meant that I was also developing some new 'muscles' of my business. I couldn't hide behind the curtain and still be successful. I had to put myself out there. Thankfully, at the same time, a new recognition program rolled out and I clung on to it like it was my lifeline... because in reality it was.

I needed to have small wins and create more consistency in my business and this initiative was just the thing to launch me towards that. Along with one of my favorite books, "The 12 week Year" by Brian Moran (I highly, strongly, you must read this book, if you are in any leadership position and especially as an entrepreneur!!!) I was able to catapult my business and was now being recognized and giving talks to our local division. It was amazing!!

I was feeling much better about things and since it was working so well, what did I naturally do? I stopped working so hard. ..... Aaannndd... then it all crashed. again.

Have you ever heard the phrase; work smarter not harder?

I thought, that's my problem, I'm not working smarter... So I set out to work smarter. First off, what does that even mean?! Work smarter... hmph. ok. I'm pretty smart as it is. Not sure what more I can do. As I understand it, working smarter, is more about focusing on the activities that will produce results. In my world, that means families helped and cash in the bank. So I read another great, must read book, "The One Thing" by Gary Keller -you know, the real estate mogul who developed Re-Max- he might know a thing or two about building a successful empire. Which is my ultimate goal here, so I thought I'd listen to what he had to say.

KEY NOTE: It is not enough to just read and listen to successful people. YOU MUST IMPLEMENT!! without execution, you're done for... is that an oxymoron? anyway, side ramble. The skill, the HARD WORK comes in the form of executing your daily activities consistently over a long enough period to experience long lasting results. Often times people, (i.e. ME) do something long enough to see a result and then stop. I don't know why, I don't understand it myself. But what I can say from experience is that, the uncomfortable part for me, was to keep going on the same, seemingly small activities on a daily basis even though I was getting good results.

So back to working smarter....

Work Smarter not Harder.

Truth be told, I actually think it's a total bullshit line - The right way to work is to work WEALTHY.

W-E-A-L-T-H-Y

Why do you want to be wealthy?

Engage & Execute

Activities (the right ones)

Long enough

To

Have

Years of Wealth

I'm going to pause here and tell a short story of when I was a little girl. I was probably eight years old and it was a game-changer for me. I was with my G-ma (she's gansta like that), I was staying with them and helping build their house. So we had to go to the laundry mat to clean our clothes. Two things happened that day. One, I was prospected by Nikki Taylor's agent to become a model when I was old enough, he gave my Grandma a card to call him. What a huge boost to my confidence! I never thought I was all that pretty growing up. I had wild hair, bushy eyebrows, hairy arms and big thighs... at least in my mind (self-image, that will be another blog ). Secondly, more importantly to me, the guy at the counter who overhead the entire conversation said to me.

"Little girl, when you go off to become a model, remember this. There is a difference between being wealthy and rich. You will always be rich. You have a family that loves you, food to eat, education, and a desire to help others. Wealth is only money and it will come and go. You can have all the money in the world and never be rich. You can have no money and be the richest person"

-random guy at the laundry mat

I have always remembered what he told me and have always kept it close to my heart. The truth is, I want to have both. I live in the world of "And" and "Yes". I believe you can have it all! I am rich now. I want to be both rich and wealthy. And that's how I changed the phrase from work smarter not harder to "work wealthy"

The most important part of working wealth is to know why you want to be wealthy in the first place. What does the money do for you? Why is that important? If you don't know or understand WHY you want the money then you will never do the things necessary to obtain it.

It's hard to become wealthy and it's hard being broke. Chose your hard.

Next, is two parts. #1 be engaged. You have to be "all-in" or you'll be all out. There is no 99% when it comes to success. If you're not going to give 100% you might as well not do it at all. I speak from experience when I say, it's a harder, longer road when you give 99% then if you would submit and give it everything you had. Part 2 - execute in the right activities. The money making activities for you and your goals and dreams. What is the ONE thing you need to do daily to move your business forward and make sure you are executing it. Every. Single. Day.

Lastly, give it time... I'm not saying it has to take forever but it does need to time to incubate and you will continually improve everyday. We have a couple sayings on my team; "Fail, forward. Just do it faster. " and "Just do it, even if you suck". in the beginning you're going to suck. You're learning something new. We often expect ourselves to be perfect right out the gate. Well, I don't know about you but when I first learned to walk, I was terrible at it! I fell down all the time, ran into things, etc. Be a little patient with yourself and by default you will get better and better the more you do it.

Have a goal to improve by 1% everyday. At the end of the year you will have improved by 365%!! Small steps or actions taken daily will have a compounding effect. My favorite thing in the world; compounding. I'm going to name my Yacht after it!!

Combine those steps together and you will have years of wealth! Read your goals everyday, implement and execute the actives long enough to have long lasting results.

Now for the bad news....

You can only achieve this wealth doing something or working somewhere that has the horsepower to achieve it. In my past career, there was simply no opportunity regardless how hard I worked. And believe me, I worked my ass off! All that work only to plateau in my career before I was 30 years old, earning about $50,000 gross income working 60-70 hours a WEEK on average.

How did I know I couldn't do it where I was? I looked around. Was anyone else doing it? Were the people who had been there for decades achieving high six or seven figure incomes? if so, how long did it take them. Was it something I could duplicate or were they special? Would they teach and mentor me to do it as well or was I seen as a threat and competition to them?

For me, all of the answers were a definite NO. NO ONE was earning the kind of income I wanted AANNNDD had the lifestyle I wanted. Sure I could have gone back to school again, gave it another 10-15 years before making it to a C-level position where I might start making a multiple six figure income if I was able to beat out all the other candidates and land the position. There were a lot of variables and things that were, for most part, out of my control. After I interviewed my future self, I knew something had to change or I would never achieve the life I dreamt of. I would have to make the change.

I had to find another vehicle. Oddly, it wasn't where I ever expected. I was fortunate that I was introduced to a company that said yes to my dreams and no to limitations. All my questions and so many more have been answered YES!

Could I have unlimited income? make multiple six and seven figure income? Would I continually grow both personally and professionally? Was I helping people. Were they doing good things for the community? Did they work with charitable organizations and donate time and money to the less fortunate? Did they care about each other? Was there leadership opportunity? Would I be mentored? Would I be compensated equally? Would I be able to move up the ladder easily and fairly?

I am beyond grateful for the chance to live my dream life. Does everyone do it? No. Has it always been easy? Of course not! But has it been worth it? Every drop of blood, sweat and tears have been worth all of it! To have a chance, a shot at making my dreams come true.

All I can say is I'm not there yet, but I'm well on my way!! Working Wealthy.

XOXO

Money Duchess

***Bonus***

To have passive, residual wealth you need to find an opportunity that is easily & quickly duplicated which solves a big problem.

Two of my other favorite words...

leverage

systematize

5 must do's to achieve your dream life.

1. Be disciplined

2. Take action immediately, daily and consistently

3. Have a big ass vision

4. Surround yourself with mentors and people who've already been there

5. Have a vehicle that solves a big problem