In this week’s episode I am reviewing Barbara Stanny’s book “Secrets of Six-Figure Women” where we are focusing on the tips and tricks that the most abundant and successful women implement in their lives to get to where they need to get. This is hands down one of my favourite reads for a number of reasons. Not only is it great to get inside the minds of women who are achieving success, wealth and abundance in their lives but on a deeper level this book is about self-love, value, self-worth, self-belief: things that we could all use a bit more of.
Get your copy of Barbara Stanny’s book on AMAZON here.
So below I have laid out the secrets, personality traits along with the contrasting qualities of under earners to help you along your journey to wealth and abundance in your life:
SECRET 1 – Financial success is possible in almost any field and lack of education doesn’t have to hold you back.
SECRET 2 – Working hard doesn’t mean working all the time.
SECRET 3 – Focus on fulfilling your values rather than your financial gain.
SECRET 4 – Loving what you do is much more important than what you do.
SECRET 5 – Feel the fear, have the doubts, go for it anyway.
SECRET 6 – Think of it in terms of ‘trade-offs’ not sacrifices to find a workable equilibrium
SECRET 7 – Sometimes you just have to shrug it off and have a good laugh.
SECRET 8 – Appreciate abundance.
The common strand that ran between these successful high earners was a SECRET as follows:
FOCUS ON FULFILLING YOUR VALUES RATHER THAN ECONOMIC/FINANCIAL GAIN
Each one had a vision for her life based on cherished values like recognition, security, challenge or independence. These intangible goals more than the cash provided the fuel for their financial success.
Money became the by-product of their value based ambition and simultaneously gave them more opportunities to live out their authentic values. – Money was not a goal. I was driven to be ‘self-sufficient’. I saw her dependency on the next relationship for her livelihood. I never wanted to do that.
LOVE Rules. No one was chasing the dollars, but what was important was to make sure you are doing something you love. “Follow your heart”. Unanimous agreement that being passionate about your work played a much more significant role in a woman’s success than any other credential or high flying career.
One of the most valuable secrets – loving what you do is much more important than what you do. If you are not passionate, you shouldn’t be doing it. Passion is more important than what field you are in. More important than hard work.
“I love what I do. It doesn’t feel like work. It feels like fun. Play. Inspiration.”
“When I work in the zone and it is flowing out of me I can hardly believe that people pay me to do this.“
6 FIGURE TRAITS
Every single woman in her study had 4 attributes that her lower paid peers visibly lacked. These 4 traits are essential if a woman is going to effectively and permanently change financial lanes:
THE MUST HAVE’s
A profit motive. Money per say may not be their driving force, but 6 figure women absolutely expect to be well compensated for their work. They want to make money. They feel good about making money. They enjoy what money gives them.
Audacity. Every woman came to a point where she had to step outside her comfort zone and do something she wasn’t completely sure she could do. It was rarely an experience she relished, nor did she always succeed, but she worked up the to make the effort.
Resilience. They all had the ability to get back up and keep going when they didn’t succeed or experienced set backs.
Encouragement. 6 Figure women have tremendously encouraging and nurturing relationships with one or more people who believe in them, support them, continually root for them and sometimes prod them along.
Some but not all had encouraging parents. Every one of them have remarkable friendships. And for those in a committed relationship a supportive husband or partner is invariably sited as an essential for their success.
Additionally, 3 qualities for financial success: –
THE BIG HELPERS
Self-awareness. They strive to know who they are and what they want. Their goals, values, priorities, skills and talents.
Non-attachment. They are willing to let go of what doesn’t work or holds them back.
Financial know-how. The most successful women understand and follow the rules of money. You don’t need any special qualifications, all you need is a desire to change and the determination to do so.
Establish a profit motive, gather encouragement, acquire self-awareness, learn about finances, and practice audacity, non-attachment and resilience. They will show you how to foster and fortify each trait by doing the inner work along with the outer work.
In contrast the traits of success are the core traits of an underearner:
Ask yourself these questions:- “am i stressed about money? Or am I at peace with money?” An honest response could be your first clue as to whether under-earning could be an issue.
Quiz: Am I an underearner?
If you agreed with more statements between 1-15 you are probably an under earner.
If you agreed statements 16-29 apply to you, you’re likely in the upper income brackets of your profession or industry.
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