Think Unlock, Not Make
Hi friends, this blogletter’s about money — the thing we all want more of and the thing that consumes way too much of our time trying to unlock. If you missed last week’s, read it here (Don’t Give Up Yet) afterwards. Oh, and you’re really going to love this week’s YouTube video.
I’m sending today’s blogletter to 922 super subscribers. I hope you find some value in what I have to say this week.
You might have heard of the technique that involves slightly shifting our dialogue to better our outlook on life. For example, shifting from “I have to do this” to “I get to do this” can make us realise how privileged our lives are and how much of it we take for granted. The chances are if you’re reading this newsletter, it’s on a digital device, and you too my friend fall into this category of privilege.
But, what if we applied the same logic to other aspects of life, such as money. We often say “I need to make X money so I can do Y things” or “I need to make more money”. What if we changed make to unlock? I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, particularly as I’m about to start my first-ever full-time job, and I realised no one is making money. We’re all just unlocking it. We unlock money depending on the value we provide, sometimes this is a direct exchange for our time, at other time’s it’s a little bit more passive than that. But, at the core of it, we unlock money, not make it.
This changes everything. Rather than thinking about how can I make more money, we can think about how can I unlock more money. Therefore, how can I better exchange my value to unlock more money? If you’re a software engineer this might involve shifting from contract-based roles to creating content or courses that might unlock more money, independently of your initial time investment.
Like this, I’ve been thinking a lot about how I can more effectively leverage the skills and qualifications I have to unlock money. Ultimately, money is just a store of value, and it’s already ample available. So, you don’t need to ‘make’ money. it’s just a case of figuring out how we can each use our abilities to most effectively unlock money.
Now to destroy everything I’ve written, remember money is personal. What enough means to me might be different to you, so please don’t think that we all need to unlock more money, if you’re happy with what you have then you’ve already won!
One Quote 🧠
“Be so good they can’t ignore you.” If you just focus on getting really good, Martin says, people will come to you. I happen to agree: You don’t really find an audience for your work; they find you. — Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon
One Recommendation 🚀
Tech ☕️ — Ember Coffee Mug
If you work for prolonged periods of time at a desk/office, consider this fancy but functional (af!) smart coffee mug that lets you keep your beverage warm for longer periods of time. And yes, you can dial the perfect temperature using the presets mobile app depending on whether you’re drinking a cheeky latte or a cuppa tea (I didn’t even know that different beverages taste best at different temperatures).
This Week on YouTube 🎥
My Desk Setup - Aesthetic & Minimal Workspace!
Let’s keep growing! 🚀
If you’re new to the family, welcome aboard! 👋🏾
Gained value? Share it with one other friend who might also enjoy it. 💌
That’s all for this week — be safe, be happy!