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Path to success: Talent or hard work?

Each and every single one of us has a lot of hopes and dreams for the future. We dream that we could someday retire to an exotic location. We hope that we will be able to pay for our children's college free and clear. We desire to have our homes one-hundred percent paid for. There are a lot of different things that we would do if we just had the money to do so. A lot of people imagine what they would do if they had won the lottery. They think about the things that they would buy, the charities that they would give to, and the like. Dreaming isn't enough, and you're not going to win the lottery, but don't worry these goals are still within the realm of possibility.

In order to accomplish all of these different goals we need to have some more money. Of course it's not that easy, extra money doesn't fall out of the sky. There are really only two options: work harder, or spend less. In the end a mix of both will do very well for you. It seems that most Americans are stuck on their expensive lifestyles and are unwilling to depart with any of their luxury items. So the only option is to make more money. Sometimes we just need to make more money. By working extra, we can accomplish all of those goals that the money was just not there before.

I'm a young guy, and have some rather lofty financial goals. I'm going to want to go to graduate school, buy a new vehicle and perhaps a home in the next five to ten years, so why not work as much as I can while I'm here? It allows me to live on a fraction of my income and save the rest for my financial goals.

Right now I work about 60 hours a week as an undergraduate with a full-time load. I do 11 hours a week of computer support, 6 hours of tutoring, 5 hours managing the school's newspaper, 10 hours of freelance writing, 10 hours working at forensics tournaments, another 10 hours doing web design work, and a good 8-10 hours a week of homework. It's a lot of different obligations, but I guarantee that I'm the most well paid student at the university I attend.

Does this mean that I never have any fun, work all the time, and have no time to spend with my fianc? Of course not! I have plenty of time to rest, relax, sleep, and have quality time with my fianc. There are only so many hours in a week, but if you manage them properly, you can still do everything you want and more. The beauty is that most of my work can be done just about whenever I please. Only about 20 hours of the work that I do I have to be at a specific place at a specific time. All of the rest is either done as I have time to do it.

I'm able to fit this all in because of my excellent time management skills. Every Monday I make a list of everything that I need to get done that week, and then separate it down by the day. Each morning I start on that day's list of tasks, and work until I get them completed. It's pretty rare that I'm not doing by 5:00 PM, giving me plenty of time to spend with friends and plenty of time to relax. I work hard, don't get distracted, and get the job done. That's about all there is to it.

I'm making some very excellent income for where I'm at in life, and have plenty of time to go around. You can work 60 hours a week just fine if you manage your time well. Look for extra work that's flexible and can be done as you please, but you have to keep yourself motivated to work! It might not be the easiest thing to do right now, but in five years or so, your hard work will definitely pay off and you will be much further along than your peers financially.

Learn more about this author, JQ Adams.
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