The crowd stood up and cheered loudly applauding. The atmosphere in the room was exciting and everyone was full of enthusiasm. Finally, you have the information you need. You can do it as well. Their poster child did it in three months from rags to riches. You lived through the heart-rending story. The poverty-stricken family of seven, now laughing and frolicking on the lawn of the mansion with the Cadillac parked in the driveway. Happy smiling faces, he was earning a six-figure income. Anything is possible.
Why You Don’t Make Six-Figures
You are not in the right place at the right time with the right people.
The right place would be in a physical place with a job where you can learn from one of the best in the industry. You receive your initial training in this setting working on location. You get the ideal background for what you want to do. You would be an apprentice or an intern.
The right time is you are in an acceptable age group. The market yields an interest in you because you are in the prime time of earning income capabilities. Even though people tell you “it’s never too late to learn,” there is a hidden barrier against an older person for the job. Unless, you work in a new technology firm where the workplace is now an open space and there are no private offices.
The right people are individuals who see your potential and are willing to teach you what they know. This is a mentor. Today, you pay for such a service depending on their level of experience.
Which scenario do you fit?
The intern
The acceptable age group
The person needing a mentor
We don’t need statistics to tell us we can learn online. Courses, programs, communities all respond to the need regardless of your age group. The information is at your fingertips, all you have to do is make it happen. You too can be a six-figure earner. This is false advertising and you are the donkey chasing the carrot.
What you should learn from the start is what it really takes to earn six-figures. While this may sound like common sense, it is the most overlooked detail. This is why you come crashing down and don’t make six-figures.
When I was a child, my whole life was consumed with wanting to be a professional ballet dancer on the stage. The work and dedication required was strenuous, but I wanted to dance and therefore I had to put in the time and effort.
All through my training, no one ever romanced me with the beautiful life of a ballet dancer. Every teacher I had told me the opposite, the truth. The life of a dancer was hard work. In fact, there was nothing glamorous about it all.
My teachers made sure I understood what the art of ballet required. They never inflated my ego to sell me ballet lessons or told me anyone could be a ballet dancer. The mentoring from caring teachers motivated and prepared me for the hard work to achieve my dream. I danced professionally for six years before leaving the profession onto other things… but that is another story.
Why don’t you know the truth about making six-figures?
No one tells you up front. Sometimes there is a vague reference to earnings advertised are not typical. But this is drowned in the number crunching example of how much money you can make.
The truth is you will need time, patience, effort, and discipline to do the necessary work. Forget about how much money you can make.
We’ve all seen the nice pictures of the rich and famous on the beach, soaking in the sunlight while something else makes millions of dollars for you in passive income or, the excited person lying on a bed looking adoringly at the laptop screen or, a cross-legged happy person with their arms in the air. What you don’t see is the struggle and commitment to the work to achieve success.
The outrageous claims of money you can make are laughable. If it is so easy why aren’t there more multi-millionaires.
The six-figure income appeals to our vanity because we fail to understand what it takes to make that kind of money. In reality, you buy into the idea but you’re not in the place where you can achieve that level of income. This has nothing to do with your intelligence or ability but everything to do with the people you associate with on the way to making money.
The words in the headline of a book or ad don’t mean they translate into what they promise. An inflated idea of six figures is bait to get you to think you can achieve this income level if you buy the book or take the course.The amount of money you can earn should not be in front of you before you take on any kind of learning.
The six-figure sales trick isn’t going away
Advertisers will still use this idea because they know there are vain people out there that will fall for it. In the 1980’s the ideal sign of wealth and success was the American Dream a six-figure income meant you had “made it.” There isn’t anything wrong with a dream, but there is everything wrong with pushing the ideal income without knowing the truth about how this is achieved.
Today a six-figure salary means be careful with your money as the cost of living is higher than it was. When you do finally arrive at the six-figure income you have to live frugally. The whole concept of “rich” is going through a revision. Feeling rich is entirely different from your paycheck. The six-figure income earner today faces more financial problems rather than living the “good life.”
The romance of the lure of the six-figure income has moved online. The amount of money to be made is staggering as is the concept of reaching millions of people using the Web. Jobs have faded from existence and a new online workforce has come in its place.
Everything online requires learning a new skill. Nothing is easier and faster. No one can promise you a smooth ride about anything. So give up looking for it. You are vulnerable because you are worried about how you can pay your next bill.
The most ridiculous extreme is you can earn six-figures and more… or, you can work for $5. With each of these methods you are a donkey chasing a carrot.
Until you figure out that you’re not only about how much money you make.
Don’t pursue the money, pursue the work you like to do. Move on from have to, to want to do. Life will never give you the perfect happiness. Everything takes time and effort. The whole balance of the material and the life you lead has to regain its proportion.
Focus on the Process not the Outcome
- Find a source of material that gives you the benefit of experienced knowledge.
- Invest some money in the material but don’t go overboard.
- Never pay too much, never pay too little, and never for free.
- Develop the skills by working at them because you want to.
- Forget about fast and quick learning – no such thing.
- Recognize you are at the bottom and that is okay – no one starts at the top.
- Stay away from offers of; you need this information because you won’t succeed without it.
- Put in the time and be prepared to do the work.
The conversation you should be having is less about the money issue and more about the work you produce. It is a crisis. Are we just money machines, or the victims of other people’s machine to get us to believe we can do it too?
Money is an energy a means of exchange. It is time to respect the process instead of pushing the limits.
Take Action Work First Money Second
Did you know there is no secret or special learning? The insider information or exclusive membership only works when you trust the person because they showed you they are in the position to teach you.
Remember, no one has the right to always think you don’t know anything and you need what they have. Get to know someone before you invest your money. Who is the person behind the material? Are they reputable? If they are reputable you will find the collaboration of others participating. You won’t find phony testimonials, or inflated earnings, you’ll find the genuine when they offer the quality without the hefty fees. Do the work you want to do, but be willing to start out work first and money second.
Take it from a donkey that used to chase the carrot.
Tell me about your six-figure story.
As long as you trade time for money you will never be rich. You must trade time for creating assets that make money, like intellectual property, business systems, patents, rental property. Only this way can you make residual income. Only by having residual income can you become financially free. Being rich and not being free is the same as having a job. You are captive only in a golden cage. Only owners of working assets, owners of capital, and investors (owners of capital) are free.
Joan! It was so lovely to meet you this evening. We were meant to connect. I had been thinking of writing about this exact subject for a year, but was worried about offending certain people. TODAY I thought of it again and figured…I don’t care if I offend. What many “business coaches” are doing today is similar to network marketing and the mentality that goes along with that. It is for people to get sucked into thinking that they are helping others when really greed is the underlying motivator. Thanks for writing.
Melissa,
I am so glad we had the opportunity to meet in person. You bring up a good point the network marketing mentality of “business coaches” overreaches the quality they profess to offer. There are good coaches but before you buy into their services get to know them first. Anyone can say anything online these days.
Hi Joan, I like the advice you give. Especially the point, which is you are not about how much money you make. You need to be happy doing what you enjoy. That will keep you going. I also like the point that we need to focus on the process and not the outcome. Great article! Julie
Julie,
Thank you. Yes, we are not about how much money we make this is the wrong focus entirely. Money is important but if you’re too focused on money that’s when you’re chasing the carrots.