I told Aridni that I didn’t know anything about getting wealthy. I didn’t know anything about money and finance and that stuff. They said that I did. I started writing article ideas over and over for today’s Aridni guest article, and that’s when I realized that maybe I do know something about money–that we all do. It’s all a matter of if we take time to recognize our money status and direction. And if we take time to keep learning more.

I set a goal for myself: I will make money while I sleep.

Not sure how to fully achieve this goal. I’m not good at the stock market. So I admit that, and I start researching. Some ways to make money while you sleep:

-Commissions
–Home ownership of an appreciating property
–Network marketing
-Royalties
-Marketing consulting or something where you get a percent of the revenues that come later

I commute to work every day and it drives me insane. When you work for someone else, you are only making money when you’re at work. You stop working at the end of the day, and you stop making money. I think that idea is silly. I’m tired of doing it. Almost everyone in America does it. Why do we do this? Well it’s easier. It’s less risk. And you know what? It’s stupid. Make money while you sleep. Now we’re talking. Then hire other people to work 9 to 5. Their work gives them a set pay. Everything above that is profit for your pocket.

Our guest writer this week is Alex the Great. Well Alex admits to not being great quite yet… but Alex is working toward greatness. Add Aridni to your resume, Alex! And if you know anyone who might be interested in writing for Aridni’s Saturday Strategy column, let us know.

Well I’m back to Montana right now, and on the three day drive, I learned a couple important things about traveling long distances alone. Some of it more useful knowledge than others, but still here they are.

Record your thoughts – While this is a good idea even if you aren’t driving across the country, this keeps them from evaporating. There are a limited number of ideas that your brain can hold before it clears them out for the newer ones you think up. So while it’s hard to write things down, perhaps you should get a voice recorder or do it at the next rest/gas stop.

Bring plenty of music – I had to listen to the same few cds the whole trip. While it was things I liked, but there is a limit to the number of times you can listen to anything. As Gnarls Barkley asked me plenty of times, “Does that make me craaaaaaazy?” The answer is yes.

Record your thoughts– You have no idea how fast you can lose your million dollar ideas if you don’t record them or write them down. No matter how brilliant, no matter how great the idea is, it is still floating around in your grey matter and is subject to the elements whatever they may be. See you already forgot that this was point one, too. Should’ve written it down.

Take the Scenic Route – Driving across the state of South Dakota on the I-90 is brutal. It’s boring as heck. It’s the worst 400 miles in the world. The only things you will find there are open plains and billboards.

Record your thoughts – Oh yeah–if you have to take the boring way, make some use out of the time by recording the ingenious things you think of on your way.

In case you couldn’t tell, I lost a couple great ideas on my journey. While they are still partially around in fragments, the grandiose portion is gone. Don’t let that happen to you!

My life-long, secret dream has always been to build my own company. I have the business idea. I’ve started the idea. And now I’m the deer in the headlights, and I can’t get past it.

Yes, I’m a world-class chicken, afraid of what many of you might think is the dumbest fear: I dread calling people and making decisions without consultation and afraid of answering the phone in fear that I can’t fulfill what the person needs done. How can I manage a business?

The truth: I can’t, not like this.

We all have weaknesses that deter us from our business dreams. No matter how petty, we first have to admit our hesitations. Then we have to jump onto those hot coals. Every day, I ask myself what I’m most fearful of doing… then I do it immediately. I make those dreaded phone calls.

1. Admit: what’s the thing you most fear doing?
2. Do it now: tackle your toughest task. (I’m calling the Simon Legree of my life right now…)

Confession: I go crazy whenever I discover another finance blog updating the world on that person’s net worth. All of the pie charts, ratios and data comparisons, and growing bars indicated dollars held’AHH!

Instead of counting the fluctuating pennies in our Coca Cola stocks, we should, as financial bloggers, be looking for a way to make investments toward the future. The greatest investments cannot be calculated TODAY’owning a successful and growing business, owning a home that’s in an under-valued market, buying stock in an undiscovered beast like WalMart in 1995, etc. But when you cash in on those investments in forty years at retirement, prepare for the specific $ sign in your net worth to leap upward. Some of that money exists TODAY, yet you cannot show it on a net worth statement. Well I guess you could spend $400 to get your property reappraised every month. Think that’s silly? Not if you’re counting your net worth to the penny’might as well be accurate.

We should be finding ways to establish money-generating avenues that can multiple for the future, not necessarily for today.

And yes, I do make a monthly net worth update that is nowhere near accurate because most of my money goes toward future expectations. I like to chart spending in our personal lives and investments to make sure we’re keeping on track . If you truly aim to be a successful $$ man, I don’t see how you can know your exact worth.

I think that showing the world my net worth updates every month online and throwing a virtual party when I’m up $500 is off the track. Yeah it all sounds cool… yet shouldn’t we be aiming for financial freedom not X dollars in the bank?