WIIIFM

WIISFM

"How different our lives are when we really know what is deeply
important to us, and keeping that picture in mind, we manage
ourselves each day to be and to do what really matters most."

Stephen Covey

What Is In It For Me (or "you" in this case)?

Well, it all depends on what you want? Have you ever really thought about what you want long term? Financial, personal, charitable etc.?

Below I have listed several areas that may help focus your thought pattern. In each case the examples that are given are just that. You may have a different idea about that subject and level of income and that is fine. The examples are intended to be general, you can add the specific items yourself.

Below are some examples of situations for people in different annual income levels: (these are only examples and there could be large differences of opinion)

Financially Poor < $25,000/yr	Financially Secure ~$100,000/yr	Financially Comfortable ~$500,000/yr	Financially Free ( i.e. Wealthy) ~$1,000,000/yr
Money ends before end of month	Easily pay monthly bills	Monthly bills no real issue	Accountant pays monthly bills
No real assets to mention	Numerous "static" assets (House, Cars, other "toys", stocks, 401K, IRA, bonds)	Assets, including Income Generating Assets (House, Cars, other "toys", stocks, bonds, 401K, IRA, businesses and other IGAs)	Multiple assets, Multiple Income Generating Assets (Houses, Cars, many "toys", stocks, bonds, 401K, IRA, multiple businesses and other IGAs)
Credit Card Debt	Pay CC debt monthly	Pay CC debt monthly	Pay CC debt monthly
Unexpected expenses cannot be dealt with. College expenses difficult	Unexpected expenses dealt with fairly easily: Large expenses difficult (e.g. nursing care) Private college expenses difficult.	Unexpected expense easily dealt with (long term nursing care difficult to afford) Private college expenses no problem	Unexpected expense easily dealt with (even long term nursing care) Multiple private college expenses no problem
High stress because of finances, causing major negative effect on family relationship	Low stress of finances and minor financial effect on family relationship	Very low (if any) stress of finances. No financial effect on relationship. Financial advisors	No real financial stress. No financial effect on relationship. Multiple financial advisors
No real vacations. Difficult to get of work to attend children's activities.	1-2 vacations per year. Fairly easy to attend children's activities, harder during daytime.	2-3 long vacations per year. Easy to attend children's activities during anytime.	Vacation with whole family when and where they like: US, Europe etc. No problems attending children's activities, anytime.
Difficult if any charitable contributions	Charitable contributions (modest size)	Fairly large charitable contributions.	Large charitable contributions. Several scholarships at various universities. Possible endowments established.

Again these are examples (many other attributes are possible).

Pick one "Financial Level" that you want to have. I mean really "want" to have not just a "wish." There is a difference.

The people on the "Right" side of the above table will generally agree with the next statement and the people on the "Left" side of the table will probably strongly disagree:

To move from the "left" side to the "Right" side (the reverse is also possible) is mainly doing the same simple things over and over!

Another statement is:

Delayed gratification (i.e. pay now and play later) is a key to long-term success

What does this really mean. Becoming financially poor or wealthy comes from doing a series of activities over and over and continually changing your situation and accepting that payment may not be immediate but will come.

Then why isn't everyone wealthy? The answer is reasonably simple: They don't want to be wealthy. If they did they would do what wealthy people do to get wealthy and not what the other financial groups do. Also, the wealthy appear to have a greater desire to become wealthy and do not give up when the going gets tough (which it is bound to do).

For example: If you ask advice about a potential "opportunity" (not unlike the one being presented here) what do you do? Most people ask friends, relatives etc. that are in the same basic economic condition (why don't you ask someone that is financially successful instead). And what is likely to be your friends, relatives etc. answer or advice.

	Oh you can't do that
	That's to risky
	Why do you want to be wealthy, you will lose your friends
	That's to good to be true
	You'll loose everything

While they may be well-meaning the reality is your "friends" are trying to keep you close to them. They obviously don't want you to be hurt but they really don't want you to "fail." However, you can't succeed long-term without some failure - it will happen.

You ultimately have to make the decision: do I stay where I am or do I change and advance. Simple, really it is but it can be somewhat scary.

However, look at financial advancement like most anything else. For example: in you current job. Was it somewhat "scary" when you first started it? Probably yes but you slowly learned to master it. Was taking your first long trip scary? probably yes. But you accomplished it. Maybe you got lost a time or two but you eventually succeeded. Was asking someone out on a date for the first time "scary." Probably yes but you survived and the second time it probably became easier. Does a person become an Olympic athlete overnight? No, it takes continual, incremental improvements over time.

The same is true about most everything. Initially it is a bit scary but if you break it down into small parts and "attack" each part, then eventually to whole problem is solved.

If you are on the Left side of the table it may be very difficult to visualize making 5-10 times more money. However, I am certain that if you doubled your current income then you could visualize an even higher income and continue the process to the level you feel comfortable and then you may choose to stop.

That is what I am offering you here. A way to slowly (or quickly) change your financial condition by following a simple approach. The choice is yours. Go to the Action Plan section.

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