Why I’m Done Making Money Goals, and What I’m Doing Instead
When you target $10,000 a month, that’s all you can see.
When you target $10,000 a month, that’s all you can see.
In 2021, I had a goal of making $10,000 per month from my writing projects.
When I didn’t meet it by December, I realized this money-based goal was actually hindering my progress.
How? This article is all about that (and why money-centered goals don’t always work for every self-employed person).
If you’ve ever felt frustrated that you aren’t earning as much as you should be, read on. This article is for you.
The Job Switch: Before and After
I used to have a government job in a reputed Indian institute before I quit it to become a full-time writer in 2021.
All my life, I was used to thinking small, often, not dreaming at all. The Indian middle-class society is centered around limits: when you’re another cog in the wheel, your life is bound by the restrictions imposed by the world around you.
If the unwritten rules told me I couldn’t achieve something, there was no way I could go against that rule set in stone. Even in my job, if there wasn’t a clause in the official rule book about my particular situation, it was unattainable. I couldn’t imagine the authorities would bend the rules for me.
But now, after being self-employed for four months, my life has taken a drastic turn. There are no rules now, no restrictions to hold me back.
But even then, for a large part of the past four months, I felt caged by so many factors. The $10,000 per month goal was the biggest of them all.
When you’ve been programmed to think in limits for 10 years, it’s very hard to get out of the scarcity mindset and embrace abundance. But now, I *might* have found an alternative that would change my life’s trajectory.
When you’re another cog in the wheel, your life is bound by the restrictions imposed by the world around you.
How The Money-Based Goal Became A Limiting Belief
As I mentioned before, my goal in 2021 was to earn $10,000 a month.
But, a destination defined by money stopped me from going beyond that.
If I think of making $10,000 a month, that’s all I’ll be able to see. My vision would be limited by these five digits, and I’d never be able to dream beyond. The goal of $10,000 would be stuck in my mind like a cage, and that’s all my spirit and soul would be able to reach out for.
But in 2022, I decided not to limit my dreams by money.
I’m going to put in massive effort and not limit myself to a dream of a five-figure monthly income.
I’m dreaming BIG this year — in terms of the impact I create, the number of lives I reach, and the legacy I build.
I don’t know yet where this will take me, but I am zooming out on every opportunity I get to see how it serves me in the long run. If I see a project that I know will pay me $20,000 now but nothing a month later, I won’t put my precious time and energy into it.
I would rather focus on creating value and investing in clients and projects that would keep yielding value as the years pass.
I would only take up projects that will keep adding value to my life in the long term — whether in terms of paying money or building my resume.
A destination defined by money stopped me from going beyond that.
My Non-Money Centered 2022 Goals
I’m not going to dream of a particular income in 2022. I’m going to put in massive effort and see where it takes me twelve months down the line.
This is my theme for 2022, and it has helped me immensely so far.
I’m no longer blindly chasing after clients and writing soul-sucking articles that make me hate the reason I made the career switch.
I don’t know how this mindset’s going to work out, but my gut feeling is telling me that 2022 is going to be awesome. A few days back, I got an idea that has the potential of making 100x the amount I had dreamed of in 2021. Maybe not right away, but it’s possible a few years down the line if I keep working on it.
With my money-centered goals of 2021, I wouldn’t have ever dreamed of something so audacious, so incredibly brave. The very idea would have scared me, and I’d have scurried back into the comfort of writing for freelance clients and knowing I’ll get some amount in my bank by month-end.
In 2022, I’m going to put in massive effort and see where it takes me twelve months down the line.
How You Can Apply This
When you have money-centered goals, you put just enough effort so you can reach that.
It’s almost like having a 9-to-5 job and working for a salary. You can’t dream of making more than that because it’s been so deeply ingrained in your brain that this is what you’ll earn and keep earning for the rest of your life.
But if you measure success in terms of impact and have no money goal holding you back, you can attain levels you hadn’t even thought of in your wildest dreams.
In 2022, I’m manifesting big success, massive impact, and a ridiculous amount of money. I’m not putting a cap there as I don’t want to risk limiting my dreams once again.
What are you manifesting in 2022 and how are your measuring success this yeat? Let me know in the comments.
When you have money-centered goals, you put just enough effort so you can reach that.
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