Success Consists Of...

Want. Work. Get.

05 June 2012 by Laddie F. Hutar

This is our little angular friend. It’s like a pyramid, but not quite. So what is it? It’s a reminder. It’s something to work for. It’s something you can print off and use to keep yourself on target.

It’s a ladder of sorts, only the base is the goal. If you haven’t read the previous post, now would be a good time to familiarize yourself with the concept.

There are many examples of people who exhibit Want-Work-Get. You might even be able to think of a few in your industry. Perhaps competitors. Maybe people you’ve read about. What keeps these people going? If you answered ‘passion for what they do,’ you would be correct.

Achieve Your Goal
Some people do their job to get through the day only so they have a reason to relax at night. They accomplish their goal- they get through the day, and relax at night. Those who really have a passion for what they do certainly have loftier goals than that.

What are your goals?
What are you actually trying to achieve?
What is your OSP?
What the heck is an OSP?

An OSP stands for Outstanding Success Plan. This is different than an ordinary, run-of-the-mill Success Plan. Anyone can have a Success Plan. Maybe you define success by surviving your day. Maybe it means you completed your project the day it was due. Doesn’t sound very Outstanding does it? What you need to do is go above and beyond if you want to succeed above and beyond. This won’t be easy, but if you have passion for what you do, and a clear vision of where you want to be, it is doable, and even exciting. It’s one of the first steps to accomplishing what you want to accomplish.

Questions for Reflection:
Do you have passion for what you do?
Are you willing to drop your average, run-of-the-mill Success Plan?
What will you change to make it Outstanding?

Working To Get What You Want, Part II

22 May 2012 by Laddie F. Hutar

If you read Part I, you know that you now receive money in exchange for the services you render for someone else. You have traded this money for your needs, and can start to spend money on wants. 

What Are Your Wants?
Do you enjoy movies? You now have a little extra money to see a movie or two. Do you enjoy music? Purchase an album. Spend a little more on a meal you like. Go ahead and buy that new iPhone.

It may go without saying that money is a limited resource– that means you only have a specific amount to spend. The good news is that you can get more money!

Everyone Wants Your Vegetables
Remember two weeks ago, when I told you you grew vegetables, and they were the best around? Many times, people are willing to pay more for better quality. Your high quality vegetables have a higher demand than someone else’s lower quality vegetables. People that have a bit more money are willing to pay more for higher quality items, including your vegetables. Goods or services that are more in demand generally have a higher worth on the market than services that are in less demand.

Other People Will Compete With You
What happens if your services in today’s market aren’t as in-demand as you hope? There are two solutions- increase your skills, or increase the time you spend selling your services; both of these mean you should make more money.

There’s a catch- this applies to other people as well. If one of your competitors increases his gardening skills, they may eventually have better quality vegetables than you, people will demand the higher quality vegetables, and the value of your goods may go down. This is is why it is important to keep your skills high, and put in the work it requires to create high-quality goods and services.

Congratulations!
You’ve now learned the nuts and bolts of an economy, and how you fit in! If you WORK, you can pay for what you NEED, and what you WANT. Work is the foundation of getting what you need and want. Your work helps you accumulate wealth and possessions. Since you have money, other people sell you things and accumulate their own wealth and possessions. You are an integral part of how the world works. Find something you want to do, become good at it, work hard, and you will be rewarded.

What will you do now?
How will you increase your skills to compete?
What is this graphic about, and how will it help me?
Find this all out, and more next time…. on Hutar Growth Tuesday!

Working To Get What You Want, Part I

08 May 2012 by Laddie F. Hutar

We all know we need to “work for a living.” Why is that? What does it get us? Let’s
break it down to the basics today, from the beginning:

The Olden Days
Back before formal currency like dollars, euros, or yen, people bartered goods and services in exchange for other goods and services. This proved popular for a long time, but what if the good or service you were willing to sell was not something the other party wanted or needed? Let’s illustrate this with an example. You grow vegetables in
your vegetable garden. Your veggies are the talk of the town, and everyone wants them with their dinner. I raise chickens. People love my chickens, and also enjoy them once in a while for dinner. Since I concentrate on the chicken industry, I do not grow vegetables as well as you do, but I would like to have them with my dinner. I am willing to trade two of my chickens for five pounds of your spinach, carrots, and sprouts. This way, you have some chicken, and I have some veggies. No problem.

Bartering with Multiple People
But there is one problem- you’re a vegetarian! You don’t eat chicken!
In the bartering system, this means I’m stuck. You don’t want what I offer, so I can’t get any vegetables. At the least, it makes my job harder; I must barter with someone else that wants chicken, and they might give me fruit. I then trade this fruit to you for vegetables. I get what I want, but I must trade with multiple people to get it.

Modern Day
With modern currency, I don’t have to engage in direct trade with you.
Someone has decided that my service (or my chickens) are worth a certain amount to
them. If I agree on this price, they trade their money for my service. Since this money is
universal, I can then trade it for other goods or services. I don’t have to worry whether or not you like my service, since I can trade a universal currency that everyone accepts. We have now defined my job- trading my service (or chickens) for money. Money I can use to buy other goods and services from people.

Dollars And Sense
Great! So I have money! Why is that so important?
Unless you live on the street with no possessions and don’t eat, you need something to
trade to others for their goods and services- including shelter, clothing, food, and
medicine. These are your needs, and they are not free. Just as you may be providing
services for others to enjoy for money, they are providing these things to you for money. The more money you make, the more goods and services you are able to
trade for. The more your services are in demand, the more money people are willing to
give to you for them. As demand for your services increase, and your needs are met, you
can start spending your money on wants.

What kind of things can you buy?
Are your vegetables really the talk of the town?
Find out next time in Part II….. on Hutar Growth Tuesday!