You may or may not be religious and, I have no intention of swaying you either way. Your beliefs are your own to choose and, live by. I respect your freedom to choose and live as you see fit. However, I do want to use a religious quote to make a point on the relationship between productivity and happiness.
One of the most misquoted pieces in history is the idea that the Bible says:
‘Money is the root of all evil.’
It doesn’t say that anywhere in the Bible. A more accurate translation is:
‘The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil’
And, there is an important difference there. Because there is nothing wrong with having money. There is nothing wrong with wanting to make more money and designing your life in a manner which allows you to increase your income/revenue.
Where the problem arises is when you have no particular reason for wanting the money. You just want to make more money for the sake of making money. I would always argue with my coaching clients that before they start chasing more money; they should identify the reasons why they want to make more money. How exactly do they hope to improve their lives as a result of the increase in income/revenue?
Before you aim at making a specific amount of money, you need to consider the following:
- Your purpose
- Your values
- Your goals
- Your knowledge, skills and attitude
These are just some of the most important things you need to consider.
Potential problems which may arise
When you are unclear as to why you want to make more money, the following problems can arise.
1. You don’t really know how much
If you are unclear as to what you want the money for; it is very hard to know how much money you actually need.
When you are trying to make more money, you often, though not always, have to make sacrifices. If you don’t know how much money you need, you can end up sacrificing things which bring happiness and joy to your life to make money that you don’t need.
This is why some people become unhappier as they get wealthier. Because they don’t really know what they hope to gain from the increased money; they end up giving up something which is more valuable to them e.g. time with their family.
2. You lack motivation
For all that we talk about money and our money related problems; money does not really motivate and inspire most people.
Think about a time when you slipped into a wonderful daydream. You were dreaming about how your life could be better. It is unlikely that you were dreaming about a specific amount of money.
It is far more likely that you were dreaming about an experience, event, activity or possession which you could enjoy. These are the types of things that you really want from life. It is these things (visualisinga and focusing on them) which will motivate you through difficult times. The money is just a means by which you can bring them into your life.
3. You can’t see all your options
When you focus on needing more money and, you don’t know why you really want it; you don’t see all your options for getting what you really want from life.
I am not sure that all the best things in life are free but many of them certainly are. There are also opportunities to swap/trade, to buy second hand; to ask for a favour from somebody able to help; and numerous other ways to improve your life in the best way.
When you are focused solely on the financial aspect, you don’t consider all the other options and; how could you? By thinking of the money first, you begin to see lack of money as the only problem and the acquisition of more money as the only solution.
Conclusion
When setting goals, many people start by thinking about how much money they need. But how could you know how much money you will need for your life if you don’t know what you need it for. It’s putting the cart before the horse. You will never feel that you have enough money. You will experience stress and feelings of failure because you can never consider yourself a success when your only focus is making more money i.e. you will never feel that you have enough.
Money is certainly not the root of all evil but obsession with money is not healthy. Instead, focus first on the person you want to be and what you want to do with your life. Identify the things you enjoy doing and the items you would like to have. When you know all the things you need money for, you will find it easier to calculate how much you will need. You can then make plans which will allow you to earn that money in the most effective way possible, while ensuring that you still have plenty of time to enjoy the life you really want. It is ok to make money but it is essential to love life.