Wealth is not a function of what you make, it’s a function of what you save. Likewise, your ability to do what you want in this world is not a function of what comes to you, it’s what you create.
From a financial perspective, one of the main concepts in having a healthy financial portfolio is to pay yourself first. Whenever you get a paycheck, we all know that there are plenty of storefronts, creditors, friends and family that would gladly take that cash off of your hands. This is all too often what happens to people’s money and one of the contributing factors as to why American’s savings rates are negative, thus living paycheck to paycheck.
Therefore, whether you earn $10 or $10,000,000, one surefire remedy to avoid this is to pay yourself first. That is to say, the moment you get paid, take a portion and save it for yourself. This way, over time, you are sure to have the economic power to procure something more valuable than what a single paycheck can afford.
Many people are familiar with this concept from a financial perspective but what a lot of people don’t realize is that, in fact, it is the exact same principle that applies to your life direction. If you are living every moment of your life tied to your daily responsibilities, surely all you will reap is the equivalent of a paycheck’s portion of creative returns! You will be continually stuck in a pattern of reacting to your daily responsibilities vs building a future according to what you want. To change this, as with a financial plan, you must start creatively investing in yourself first. That is to say, carve out the space, carve out the time and give yourself the permission to do this.
In a financial context, putting yourself first may require that you have to make arrangements with a creditor to reduce your monthly obligation or not have as extravagant of a Christmas as you otherwise would have, etc. While these are not easy choices, if you want to get ahead financially, it is paramount that you make them.
Likewise with a creative investment, you must from time to time, tell your co-workers that you’re not available for a meeting or miss out on a movie with a friend, etc (I would highly suggest the former over the latter by the way). This is essential to provide you with the creative space you need to build your intentional life foundation through articulation of your true desire, or vision.
Over time, people consistently saving relatively small amounts of money are how retirement nest eggs are built. Little by little, their savings balance grows to the point that they, in fact, become their own primary income provider, their own financial pillar of strength that they lean on for the rest of their life.
The same thing is true with investing in yourself to build your vision on a consistent basis. At first it might be only a small peace of mind and some joy that you are actually are creating your own life direction based upon your true desires. Over time, however, the resulting vision will gain you personal power that, similar to a well invested retirement plan, will be a pillar of strength that is the source of your direction for the rest of your life.
This principle applies just as much to organizations as it does to your personal life. By engaging with teams to create a vision, you are not only influencing the future of the organization but also increasing motivation while building teams around a common, intentional identity. The alternative, of course, is to continue to solely respond to daily fires letting the chips fall where they may…
The Power of Vision 