Congratulations! You've successfully completed the "recruit" and "novice" ranks; you're slowly but surely getting on the right path for a more fulfilled life, but it only gets harder from now on. Buckle up. The next 10 tasks won’t be easy, but you're now at the "hustler" rank, so you're determined to actually change for the better. I'm glad for you. Just a friendly reminder to make sure you've incorporated everything you've learned thus far; otherwise, you're not ready for the hustler rank! Alright, let's get right into it. The following tasks will focus on money and budgeting. Not too long ago, there was a time in my life when I had little to no money in my bank account. I had about 10 dollars, but I still managed to live a healthy lifestyle because I didn’t only think about what I wanted but also how I'd get it. It's self-explanatory; if you want a new car, you know what you need is enough money to buy the car, and you also know how to get there by earning money. The problem with modern society is that people are lazy, expect things to happen without putting in the right amount of energy, and have little to no work ethic. I want you to imagine yourself on an island with no food or shelter. Humans will naturally fight for survival by gathering food, harvesting plants, collecting water, finding and harvesting wood, and trying to survive under those conditions because our human instincts kick in and our brain goes into survival mode. The sad reality is that people, especially men, are getting way too comfortable because our brains are overstimulated by social media, movies, video games, etc. Think of something that you really want to have in your life; it could be a watch, a car, expensive shoes—pretty much anything. Now think about how you'll get there and start taking action now. NOT tomorrow, NOT next week, now. People who drive expensive cars don't sit around all day doing nothing; they've earned it. Their goods are a reflection of the work that they have put in. Strategize on how you'll achieve what you so much desire, plan it through, and then immediately take action. No one’s waiting for you to take the first step; you need to do that yourself, and the sooner you accept that fact, the sooner you will have what you so desire.
Before we go any further, it's very important to create a budget. Right down the line, all of your monthly expenses and your total income on a monthly basis. That way, you can see where the money is coming in and where it’s going out. Based on what you wrote down, you can now start eliminating or reducing expenses that are not very important. If you don't know where your money is going, it’s hard to actually start saving. It’s a very simple step, but a lot of people don't do it.
The third task is quite simple, but many people struggle with it. It’s about managing your money; spend money on things that make sense and that you need. Ask yourself if the things you're buying actually benefit you or your future self. Most people mindlessly spend their money on things they don't even need at all. That's the problem with modern consumerism: people are so brainwashed that they spend their hard-earned money on things they don't even need or benefit from. Think about that for a second. It’s quite disturbing; you too might fall into that category, but that's what you're here for. Take a step back and think about whether what you're spending your money on is actually beneficial for you; if not, then DON'T waste your money on it.
Generally, a good rule that I live by is to put 1/3 of your monthly income aside and not do anything with it; withdraw it and lock it away if you have to. Start saving money that way. If you can't make an effort to put 1/3 to the side due to various reasons, put 1/4 to the side. The most important thing is that you start putting money aside. By doing that, you not only start saving money, but you'll also get better at managing it due to not having access to the full amount of your money. It was then and there that I learned to better manage my money, even if you don't have too much to work with.
The next few quests will focus on debt and how I managed to eliminate it effectively. Keep in mind that I'm NOT a financial advisor, but the following things helped me better pay off debts:If you're like me, you had some sort of debt before, or maybe multiple debts. At first, I had trouble with debts; I owed people money, and I didn’t really know how to pay them back or in which order you might have loan debt, credit card debt, etc. Generally speaking, the bigger the debt, the more" important" it is to pay back, but that’s not the most" efficient" way to actually eliminate debts. Take a look at your debts and don't sort them by most to least, but actually by the interest rate. Start paying off your highest interest rates with the lowest interest rates.
So far, so good. An effective way to pay off debts that I've learned from experience is by taking all the debts you have and adding them together. You now have an amount in front of you, and it’s going to be bigger for some than others. Set yourself a time frame in which you're going to pay off the debts you have. If you set yourself a realistic timeframe, divide your debts by the time frame that you've set. The number you're now looking at is the amount that you should pay back monthly. Example: 8000 dollars of debt divided by 10 months equals 800 dollars a month.
Now that we’ve talked about eliminating debt, this task is about decreasing your expenses. There is not that much you can do, but there are little things that I’ve done that I've benefited from. For example, take a look at the subscriptions you have; maybe you don't actually use some of them if you don't cut them out, or instead of going to the restaurant twice a week, go once or not at all. It's small things like these that help you reach your goal of eliminating your debt or saving up more money.
This task is for specific people who have trouble paying for shelter. If you have trouble paying for shelter, the "best" thing you can do is get a roommate and cut the monthly bills in half. You could also consider renting out a room in your home through something like Airbnb. If none of the listed things are options for you, you should consider cutting down on utility costs such as electricity or Wi-Fi. Look for a different provider if the one you're using isn't best suited for you, for example.
Alright, second-to-last task already, you're moving fast. This task is interesting because it blends into the last task. I need you to do two things first: complete a Myers-Briggs personality test, which you can easily find on the internet. Secondly, watch the Iman Gadzhi video titled "The 3 Best Paths to Make 10,000". Before you say that you don't want to waste your time on a YouTube video, I get you, but this video gives you a good insight into the last task.
You have reached the last task of the hustler rank. Impressive, I have to say. The last task will be about making your own money with a side hustle or even main hustle for some. There are hundreds of side/main hustles you can do. Look up all the options you'd have and pick out three that you would consider. After writing down the pros and cons of each of the three side hustles you've picked, based on your pros and cons, pick one of the three side hustles and stick to it. This might be the hardest task yet for some people, but the fact is that if you earn more money, you can save up more money and invest more money. Having a side hustle could be anything from uploading YouTube shorts to drop-shipping, to sales or even copywriting, the options are pretty much endless. Look at it like picking a skill in an MMO video game. When picking a side/main hustle, ask yourself if it's future-oriented and if you could stick with it for at least 3 months, day in and day out. I created REAL LiFE 101 and shortly after started a webdesign agency called "MRE MEDIAWEALTH" if you need a Website for your business, we create stunning SEO websites. You need to be obsessed with the side hustle you're going to pick and invest the money you have at your disposal in books that you can learn from or in seminars or coaching that teach about your side/main hustle. Learn from people who are experts in your niche and learn from their mistakes; consume their content; research your niche; and don't think of it as something you have to do, but something you need and want to do. This is the fastest shortcut you can take in order to be successful in your niche, invest your money in yourself, in your knowledge, and in your future. This task proves how much you really want to make money. Remember the gras always grows were you water it. Put what you've learned to use, and I will talk to you in the next rank. Farewell!