Welcome to another episode.  We are diving into the topic of “earning it” this month.  When I say “earning it” I am defining that as a believe that an action must be performed to not only receive a reward but more importantly, feel as though we are worthy of that reward.

Did you do your homework from last week?  Did you think about your current mindset and the association you have between your actions and mindset?

If yes, good for you. If not, take a moment now to navigate this concept.  

Because today, we are diving into the next phase of this discussion.  We must understand WHERE this mindset comes from. Surely the majority of us didn't just come up with it on our own.

So where did this come from?

While there are many pathways for this mindset, there is a common one that I will share with you today.

Transparently, for most of us, this mindset originates from our family. It comes from being raised in a middle-class household.

Now look, this is not an attack on the middle class.  I grew up in a middle-class family and I'm grateful for it.

The middle class is a hardworking class of individuals and is the largest class in the US. 

Let’s think about the characteristics of the middle class.

• Hardworking

• Independent

• Doesn’t ask for handouts

• Not everyone gets a trophy

• Hard work results in money earned and money earned pays for the car, the house, the food, and the clothes that I have

In other words, the middle class “earns it.”  They put in the effort to get the results.  They have consistently learned through personal experience that if I work this job and show up in this capacity, I will earn my paycheck.  When I earn my paycheck, I can purchase these other items.

Think about your family.  I watched my parents work hard, sacrifice, give, serve, and “do what needed to be done.”

There was no ability to question why it had to be that way or why it was that way, it simply was.

So when you went to school, did you expect to just show up and be given an A?  No, you earned that A.

You earned that degree.

You earned that paycheck.

You earned the money to buy your first car, house, vacation, etc.

You learned to do that from your family and the way you were raised.

What I’m trying to say is that for most of us, this “earning it” mindset has been ingrained in us as a way of life.

If we want to be successful in this world. The only way that will happen is with an “earning it” mentality.

While that can be great in some areas of our lives, it can be detrimental in others.

If I only feel like I am worthy of the raise or the promotion or the bonus if I “earn it,” and earning it means I sacrifice, I miss out on my family time, and I have to give to be worthy of receiving, then the work-life balance is going to suffer.

If I feel like I have given everything above and beyond and am not rewarded for it, I’m going to feel resentful and maybe even disrespected.

We are going to talk about the impacts of this mindset over the next few weeks.  What I want you to walk away with today is understanding that for the majority of us, we didn’t sit down and think to ourselves, “OK, I want to have an earning it mindset.”

We simply learned it by watching our parents, by being taught how to be successful in this world through conversations with parents and mentors, etc.  And they all taught us the “earning it” mindset because it’s what they know and it is what has worked for them.

Now that you understand what it is and where it came from, you have the power to change it.  The question is, do you want to change it?

Join me next week when we talk through how this mindset has served us at various times throughout our careers.

Do you have questions or want additional training?

Send me an email: [email protected] and let's talk.

Be Legendary!