Saturday Success: avoiding traps, emergency funds & 4 soft skills for the future
Making life & money work for you.
Welcome back to the Saturday Success Series email!
This week we have:
Master Yourself: Avoid these 2 traps for success
Master Your Money: Emergency funds
The Weekly Special: 4 soft skills that’ll 10x your future
The goal here is maximum value, so let’s get to it.
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Master Yourself
Success is as much about avoidance as it is about action.
So, let’s learn what to avoid.
Everyone wants to be successful.
Our versions of success all look different, but the desire is universal.
And we have two main mindset issues that create barriers to success.
The “are we there yet?” dilemma
We want things to come quick & easy and it’s not always possible.
In fact, more often than not, it’s not going to be quick nor easy.
Anything worth building, takes time.
All the hacks in the world, while they may speed things up, won’t remove the time barrier.
Every role model you have, has worked their ass off for years.
The time is passing either way, may as well get to work.
The “I suck” syndrome
Not to be confused with imposter syndrome, which is similar and also insidious.
But “I suck” is where we compare ourselves to people who have been doing something for years.
How can you live up to someone else’s success when they’ve put in 10 years and you’ve put in 30 days?
You can’t.
So stop trying.
If you’re seeing someone with success you don’t have, they’re doing things you’re not doing. And they’re doing it a lot. And they’ve been doing it longer.
Stop comparing and get to work.
Your only goal should be being better than you last week, last month, last year.
Master Your Money
Simple wisdom from a Reddit user (certifiedfluffernut):
If you aren't budgeting in monthly payments to an emergency savings account you are setting yourself up for future, sudden debt.
Whatever you can, even $10, pay yourself in an emergency account that you don't use.
And then remember your bills, groceries, etc are not emergencies so don't pay that out the emergency account.
If you have to sell plasma or junk around the house. Get a second job.
Whatever income you make beyond bills and budgeted expenses needs to be earmarked to earn you more income by way of interest on savings or investments.
Weekly Special
The 4 Soft Skills That Will 10x Your Career
Hard skills are great. We need people who code and design. We need people who construct buildings.
But we also need more people in business with these soft skills.
Hard skills can be taught with relative ease. Soft skills? Not so much.
But you can absolutely improve.
Skill 1: Engagement
Why is it important?
If you’re not engaged, you’re not really living. You’re just sort of existing. And I don’t want to float through life. I want to actively partake.
When I first started my job, I hated it. Soon enough I realized the problem was me. So I decided to engage. 12 years later and I’ve built a career I enjoy.
How to Increase it:
Solve problems within your scope. Don’t be a complainer.
Look for ways to improve the company. Every role can have leadership built into it.
Partake in events, sign up for committees, take lead on a presentation.
Skill 2: Leadership
Why is it important?
Without leaders, nothing gets done. But leaders aren’t built via title, they’re built via character.
Leadership should improve efficiency and help achieve goals. It’s also about making the mission bigger than yourself.
How to Increase it:
Understand you are a servant of your people.
Take time to care about people and get to know them.
Seek to understand psychology, philosophy and the building of systems. Good systems lead to good outcomes.
Skill 3: Communication
Why is it important?
You don’t exist in a bubble. You accomplish nothing of significant value without others’ help.
Even writing on Medium- feels like a ‘Me’ job. But I didn’t create the platform. I didn’t get better at writing without reading other writers. And without an audience I’m just writing into the abyss.
And if I want you to keep reading? I need to communicate my ideas clearly.
How to Increase it:
Practice listening, everywhere.
Speak in front of others whenever you can.
Write & speak using simple words. Don’t try to be a showoff.
Skill 4: Positive Attitude
Why is it important?
Your attitude dictates pretty much your entire life.
Life is a series of events and the only thing that gives it meaning is our attitude toward those events.
A positive attitude doesn’t just feel better, it also gets more done.
How to Increase it:
Practice seeing the positive aspect of everything.
Wake up and go to bed with gratitude.
Look for good things to say about people. Then tell them.
Thanks for reading! If you found this valuable, please share with someone who could use it. See you next Saturday!
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