For most of us, the financial equation is simple: TIME = MONEY. We get paid in proportion to how many hours we invest. Often, this system is easy; we can go home, forget about those hours, and continue with our own lives until the clock says we have to start up again.

The problem is that your income will always be restricted by the hours in the day. And on the other side, if you stop working, you won’t have money. Our parents followed the same model, as did their parents and their parents. No wonder we’re stuck in this cycling rut.

Luckily, I suspect that you spot the problem with this scenario. You don’t always want to follow this life model. I imagine that you’re reading books, blogs, and talking to like-minded people if you can find them’except for your entrepreneurial boss, of course. Every morning holds potential to transform your life into something more. Most people don’t even see your daily burning desire for the future. If they looked deeply, I think that they would. But no one looks deeply these days. Plus you might not want your boss to see this desire.

Having a job isn’t like it used to be. The best word that I can think of is slave. Few people stay in one job forever these days. Could you handle working in the place you’re at forever? I imagine that you, like me, feel guilty. It isn’t that you dislike your job; it’s that you feel capable of far more. My boss always says that things are too hard to explain to me once, so she would do it herself every month. Meanwhile, I have nothing to do. Maybe I should rejoice for the free time… but I want to reach further.

By investing in yourself, money follows. The more education you receive, the higher your position and salary. Why stop at college? Knowledge is power. Mold yourself into the person that you want to become. The best way to achieve this status is by thinking of the people you most admire. Take their successful traits and adapt them to your own life. Keep yourself in check, though. One of my heroes told me:
Sometimes, you spend so much time and energy in trying to fight devils that you become a devil yourself.

Invest your money in smart places, not more stuff. I can’t connect very well with people who buy only the best clothes and makeup in excess, finance $50,000 cars instead of buying a $20,000 car, or eat off of paper plates because the dishwasher is full. (List your own complaints here!) The reason is frugality. It’s a secret that you and I both know. Instead of buying the products, we’re buying the stock. We’re buying the company. We’re buying a piece of the profiting empire that caters to these abundant addictions. America’s most affluent invest and save 27-30% of their income’the most affluent being those who make over $225,000/year or own $3 million in assets. Hang onto 27-30%? That’s more than the 10% every personal finance book urges you to work toward. Then money starts working for you, which sounds far better than working for money. You’ve got to change your habits away from the high life or be happy with what you have. Simple as that.