How is it that some people, who don't necessarily earn a great deal of money, always seem to have money to spend? On the other hand, there are plenty of people who earn a lot of money, yet they are constantly in debt. So clearly, it's more than a simple question of the level of a person's income.
It's to do with your financial jigsaw. It's all the underlying thoughts, attitudes, beliefs and pre-conceived ideas that someone has about money. It's the total sum of everything you picked up as a child - from hearing and watching your parents' attitude to money; from your friends at school, and observing their parents, through your first job, and your colleagues' attitude towards their income; right up to the present day.
Here's an exercise for you: Take 2 minutes to write down the first thoughts that come into your mind about money.
Have you done it? OK, so what sort of things came up for you?
A lot of people are familiar with the adage: "Money doesn't grow on trees." or "Save it for a rainy day." Whereas other people might come up with "Money is for spending, you can't take it with you."
Can you see how these simple thoughts about money have a huge influence on your attitude towards saving and spending? Debt in our society is at an all time high. And worryingly, it is now teenagers who are adopting some reckless spending and debt habits. They are bombarded by a constant stream of advertising messages, and are encouraged to spend on the latest fashions, accessories and gadgets.
One of my friends' daughters recently asked her mum for a new toy. When her mother said they couldn't afford it, the daughter went off and came back with her mother's cheque-book. "Look, Mum," she said, "There's still lots of cheques in here..!"
Now that could be a child's simple misunderstanding, and it's a funny story. But that's how an addiction to debt begins. So if you need help to get out of debt, you need to find someone who can look further than simply balancing your cheque-book. You need to start examining your deeper beliefs and attitudes about money.
Here's another exercise for you: When you see an expensive car, what is your first reaction? Do you make some instant derogatory comment about the driver? Or do you silently congratulate the driver for being financially astute enough to be able to afford such a luxury? Please be honest with yourself. Or if you can't think of the reaction you would have, then notice what it is next time you see a really expensive car.
So a final thought for you. In the above example, if you have a somewhat negative reaction to seeing an expensive car, for instance, you think, "What a jerk!" yet on the other hand, you hold a desire for yourself to own such a car. What does that mean? By your own admission, it means that you have to be a jerk before you can own a car like that! And I can guarantee that most people would prefer to suffer the indignity of driving an old banger, rather than admit to being a jerk!
Once upon a time, there was a young man who very much wanted to be in show business, or more specifically, making movies. He attended one of the best film schools in the world, while there discovered the joys of writing and producing and everyone around him had high expectations about his career. Yet for more years than he cares to admit, that career was stalled.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that young man was me. And this article is for everyone who, like me, has visions of having their name up on the big screen as a writer. It’s all about the importance of getting a balance of what I call “macro training."
Over the years, I’ve invested tens of thousands of dollars in classes, seminars, books and retreats all intended to teach me to be a better writer. Don’t get me wrong. Many of these classes were well worth the money when it came to teaching me about the CRAFT of screenwriting. I absolutely learned a lot. But talent and craft by themselves are not enough to make you a regularly working professional screenwriter.
I learned through painful experience that if you want to succeed as a professional artist in show business, whether it’s as a writer, actor, director or any other craft that’s employed by the networks and studios, you have to treat your career as a small business with yourself as the CEO. As countless people have said to me over the years, it’s called Show “Business" for a reason.
Eureka! This was the missing piece. When it finally registered with me the importance of treating my artistic endeavors like an entrepreneurial small business, I began to see things in an entirely different light. I call myself a writer and producer – and those are accurate titles – but the business I’m in is really manufacturing, sales and distribution. Huh?
Think about it. As a professional writer, you’re manufacturing a product – the things you write. In order to get paid for that product, you also have to have a sales, marketing and distribution mechanism in place so that the scripts you write can generate money for you.
Of course you have to have the talent and skills to consistently deliver quality scripts and do so on time. But talent and skill alone don’t hack it. If you want to be a successful, consistently and steadily working writer, you have to understand that you’re in the business of creating and selling products. Your products are your scripts.
Like any manufacturer, in addition to dedicating part of your business to developing and creating products, you also need to address the sales, marketing and distribution of those products (scripts) along with the business affairs aspect (contracts, accounting, etc.) of working with your customers (studios, production companies and/or networks). You don’t have to do it all by yourself, but you do need to make sure these aspects of your business as a professional writer are handled. Just by making that shift in the way you see yourself and your career, you’ll immediately transform from would-be writer to an entrepreneurial professional well on the road to success.
Both Heather Allen & are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Heather Allen has sinced written about articles on various topics from Debts Loans, Personal Finance. Heather Allen is a mentor and entrepreneur. As well as teaching personal development, she writes on a wide range of topics, including helping people