Too many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want to impress people they don’t like. —Will Rogers
When you stroll the internet, it can be easy to think you need money to be successful. After all, online courses, productivity software, and books all cost money. On top of that, many people think being successful means being wealthy. So to review, it seems that you need to spend your money to be successful, but you also need to have it to be successful.
Confusing, isn’t it? Well, fortunately, money isn’t as involved as we think it is.
While we all need money to cover the essentials, some people use it as a way to measure success. Happiness, well-being, quality of health, relationships and amount of daily energy are all other measurements that can be used to measure success. While people can use all of these or a blend of different ones, money doesn’t have to be part of the equation. There are people who have tons of money, yet are lacking in their health, happiness, and relationships. That doesn’t sound like a description of a successful life either.
Success is a journey, and as cliche as that sounds, stick with me here. Whether you pay for the tools on your journey or not is completely up to you. Love reading books? Go to a library and borrow them. I’ve been doing that for months, and it’s a great way to get access to a huge variety of books without paying a dime. Plus, many libraries offer digital copies of their books, so what’s not to like? If you fall in love with the book or decide to buy it later you still have that option too.
Free tools don’t end at books. Want to hear advice from your self-help rockstars? Chances are, they have a free podcast that you can listen to and take notes on. They also have a website where they upload a bunch of free content, take advantage of it. If you’re willing to provide your email address to them, many will also provide a couple exclusive freebies your way.
But let’s not forget about all the fancy productivity software that’s available in the market. While it’s helpful to an extent, I believe it’s misleading. Switching to the hottest to-do list isn’t going to get your to-do’s done any faster. Getting the top-rated email app isn’t going to make all your pesky emails to vanish forever – that’s what the unsubscribe button is for. Find a free app you like, and stick with it. Don’t let the apps and software get you carried away. Remember to focus on what’s important. If you are really in a bind for an incredible free productivity app, check out Errands or Habitica which are my personal favorites. But by all means, don’t feel obligated to try them. Being productive depends on you, not an app.
Want more energy? Exercise by going outside and running around or going on a hike. Spend more time sleeping so you’ll wake up feeling refreshed.
Want to improve your attention span? Sit and meditate. There are plenty of free resources online, but the truth is, you don’t even need those. Meditation was around long before any of these fancy tools were even thought of. People have been able to meditate without it, and so can you.
If you find a course that you can afford and are truly interested in, go for it. There are a lot of great teachers out there and I’m glad people are able to spread their message. But don’t feel like you need money in order to be successful.
You have what you need to achieve what you want. Now go and make it happen.
Very good post Andrew!
Thank you, Dee! 🙂