How To Make More Money: 6 Brain-Training Methods
Share this content :
Warren Buffett once said that the best kind of investment you can make is in anything that improves you. There are many ways you can take this. For instance, you can learn how to grow your talents in several fields. However, what if you could go further than that? With the right mindset, you could train your brain to learn how to make more money. By unlocking your mental prowess, you can turn your mind into a generator of success. Here’s what you need to know about how to make more money with your brain!
What does it mean to train my brain to make more money?
To learn how to make more money, you must understand why you need to train your brain. You see, the mind is one of the most powerful assets a human has. It can come up with answers and ideas in seconds, faster than any supercomputer we’ve built so far. Plus, whereas a computer needs thousands of volts to function, we only need good nutrition and air to get to work.
So, what does it mean to train your brain? Simply put, it’s about teaching your mind the right skills and measures to be the most effective machine. Like any good engine, your brain needs the right tools and care to work at its best. Imagine if you could finish all the tasks you set out every day.
Let’s take the example of writing a self-help book to illustrate this concept. While it may seem overwhelming at first, breaking it down into steps can make it more manageable. For instance, you start by brainstorming the book’s purpose and content. Then, you outline chapters and detail the importance of each part. After that, you start writing a handful of pages daily. With the right dedication and discipline, you can get this book done within a month. If you can turn that discipline to learn how to make more money, you’ll be on the road to success!
How can I train my brain to make more money?
If training your brain can teach you how to make more money, then what do you need to do? As a self-made millionaire, I can tell you that it’s not an easy path. The brain can be stubborn; if left alone, it can derail your financial and personal goals. Thankfully, years of training and observation taught me a few tricks that you can use to train your mind. Here are six ways you can improve yourself to learn how to make more money.
1. Learn to live without your phone.
What it means:
A study by Zippia showed that 66% of American workers use their phones while on the job. It also revealed that the average employee spends almost EIGHT hours per week on the phone, doing non-work-related things. In other words, you might spend a lot more time on your phone than on the job. All those messages and social media updates can take your mind off work. Worse yet, it can take a while for you to mentally refocus on your original task. The solution to all this? Detox your mind by unplugging it from your phone, even for a couple of hours. Doing so will optimize your brain and show you how to make more money faster!
Why it can help:
It’s crazy to think that at the start of the century, phones didn’t seem as vital as they do now. You’ll meet all kinds of people who can’t seem to live without their phones. However, that lifestyle is not as great as imagined. Research has shown that smartphones make it harder for people to distance themselves from work. Furthermore, electronic devices cast a blue light that tricks your brain into thinking it’s daytime. That makes it harder to sleep, especially at night. Without proper sleep, learning how to make more money will seem like a pipe dream.
That’s why unplugging for a short amount of time can do wonders for your mind. By unplugging your phone and hiding it away for the time being, you’ll find it easier to concentrate. Your mind won’t constantly jump between tasks, which greatly improves your attention span. The more you can concentrate on one thing, the easier it will be to do that task. Plus, by shutting off your devices an hour before bedtime, you give your brain enough time to wind down and sleep. With better rest, you can reorganize your mind and learn how to make more money effectively.
How you can start:
To get started, set a time in your day to be device-free. One hour without your phone won’t kill you. To make it easier, turn your phone off or set it on silent at least an hour before sleep. By making this a daily habit, your brain gets used to being without a phone for a short time. While it might feel impossible, it’s only a matter of patience. Give yourself time to do something offline. For example, you can meditate or walk around or read a book. You don’t your phone to be at your side every single second. Once you understand that, you’ll understand how to make more money safely!
2. Avoid overstimulating your brain by accepting boredom.
What it means:
According to a TED Talk by Chris Bailey, which you can find here, our brains have become accustomed to constant stimulation and crave novelty. This makes it harder to focus even for short periods of time. Because the brain is overstimulated, it’s hard to concentrate on a single task or objective. To understand how to make more money, you need to bring your mind to the right condition. But how can that be done?
Surprisingly, embracing boredom can be the key! By engaging in simple and unstimulating tasks, our minds have the opportunity to relax and recharge. This opens up our mental capacity to work more effectively. If you give your mind a fresh start, it’ll be easier to learn how to make more money.
Why it can help:
Contrary to popular belief, boredom isn’t so bad. The Journal Academy of Management Discoveries conducted a test where one group was tasked with sorting a bowl of beans by color. Once this boring task was done, they were asked to come up with excuses for tardiness. Another group, this one full of artists, was given the same task but did not do the boring chore. Surprisingly, results showed that the bored group had more ideas and were more creative than the artists!
In other words, boredom can lead to great things. The study above suggests that boredom could spark creativity in people. It also helps them in fulfilling tasks more effectively. In addition, Dr. Sandi Mann, a senior psychologist, suggested that boredom is a great way to give your mind rest. By feeling bored for a time, especially when overstimulated, you allow your mind space and room to relax and unwind. With the right amount of rest, you can refocus your mental energy on something productive, like discovering how to make more money!
How you can start:
While sleep is one of the best ways to rest, it’s not always the go-to option for overstimulation. According to Dr. Mann, one way of relaxing the mind is by doing something that requires little effort or thought. It also helps to avoid distractions, like a phone or a TV screen. One way of achieving boredom while learning how to make more money is through chores. Things like washing dishes or gardening don’t have to consume a lot of brain power. However, by doing them, you cover a bunch of tasks that need to be met. You both take care of yourself and give your brain space to breathe. You can also do something healthy, like walking around the park.
3. Set boundaries for your time and focus.
What it means:
Relaxing your mind is just as important as maximizing its powers. Like any good car engine, you can’t push it too hard or it will overheat. The problem is that many people find it hard to shut off. Some people find it difficult to enjoy their time at home. Others might not even want to rest because they’re afraid of wasting time.
To understand how to make more money, you also have to understand the value of time. Contrary to popular belief, the most successful people don’t spend their days working tirelessly. For example, Gary V sets aside his weekends for his family. While he works as hard as possible during the weekday, he makes sure to unwind and be with his loved ones when it’s time. Take a page from Gary’s book and learn to set the right boundaries between work and rest. Otherwise, it won’t matter if you know how to make more money because you wouldn’t get to enjoy it!
Why it can help:
If you made a graph of how your mind works, it would look like a series of peaks and valleys. Ideally, there should be periods of concentrated effort and attention. After that, however, you need to give your mind a chance to rebuild. If you don’t, you only push your mind to a breaking point. Imagine trying to learn how to make more money when you’re still panicking over work!
To keep your mind at ease at the right times, you need boundaries in your work-life balance. Remember that you don’t have to be at the office to be productive. For instance, Bill Gates takes time to go to his cottage and read books to gain more knowledge. While it is productive, it doesn’t necessarily have to involve numbers or data. You can use your downtime to improve your health, enhance your focus, and make connections with mentors and experts. This way, you can discover how to make more money while enjoying yourself!
How you can start:
One of the best methods of setting boundaries is through time-blocking. Look at your daily schedule and set aside blocks of time, be it one hour or more, to do something you need to. For example, you can divide your work tasks into specific hours so that you cover your to-do list. Make sure to stick to the schedule, and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t finish it all on time. It can take a while to master time-blocking, but it’s a good way to set the boundaries you need.
4. Create a goal for each day.
What it means:
As corny as it sounds, every day is an opportunity. You have 24 hours each day that are under your control. However, there might be times when you feel lost or directionless. So, what should you do?
One way of fixing your dilemma is to set a goal each day. Make it a habit to set a plan or an objective that you have to do. It doesn’t have to be a grand scheme or an amazing gesture. If it’s something that matters, set a goal that pushes you to make it happen. For example, if you want to know how to make more money, start simple. Try saving one dollar each day of the week. Then, by next week, double it to two dollars per week. Sooner or later, you’ll find yourself saving a large amount of cash. The more consistent you are, the stronger your habit grows!
Why it can help:
By itself, goals are the driving force of people’s lives. Everyone has a goal in mind, however crazy or strange it seems. For example, I was inspired by my mother, who worked so hard to get us a house out of the projects. The joy I felt that day motivated me to do something that can give that same feeling to others. Lo and behold, I eventually made real estate my career. I also used those experiences to understand how to make more money and help others do the same!
In that same manner, you can find motivation in your life with a goal. When it comes to making more money, the right goals can lead you to a more productive and disciplined life. For example, you can make it a goal to cut down your expenses by $2. It might sound small, but that’s only at the start. With enough patience, you could set enough daily goals to save over $100. However, it all starts on the first day. If you want to learn how to make more money, start with small changes!
How you can start:
Learning how to make more money through daily goals means planning. You should know what kind of money goals you have in your life. For example, do you want to have a retirement plan? How about emergency funds? Or an investment portfolio?
Once you determine what the big goal is, that’s when you start breaking it down. The key to making goals is to make them SMART. That means a goal needs to be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. You have to do something each day that gets your steps toward the destination. Small changes matter and they become more important over time!
5. Think of money as a tool, not a gift.
What it means:
Do you think money is the root of all evil? In some ways, it could be a bad thing. However, I see money as a tool that we can use to make life better. Remember, I didn’t grow up with thousands of dollars. I grew up in the projects, with a mother who worked three jobs every week just to keep me and my brother fed. I watched her work so hard that she never took a day off. When she finally gained enough money, she got us that house and helped us enjoy a better life.
So, what does that mean? For me, that was a lesson about the power of money. It’s not about getting more or becoming rich. It’s about using money to make your life into something meaningful. For instance, I want to help others find a way to make money into a tool to empower them. It’s not just about knowing how to make more money; it’s about making it an asset for your plans.
Why it can help:
Some people are so desperate to get more money that they think it’s the only thing that matters. For them, it’s not about what you can do with cash, but how much is on your person. It might look like a badge of honor, but it’s not. Instead, think of it this way: what can money do to improve your life?
In my opinion, money is the key to making opportunities happen. When you know how to make more money, you can unlock the doors to new beginnings and changes. And it’s not even the type of job you have that matters. I know of millionaires who made their fortune as bus drivers and janitors. They didn’t use their money to splurge on what they wanted; they used it as a stepping stone to making a life for themselves and their families.
How you can start:
First, you need to remember that not everything good can be bought. Some of the most effective or useful things can be gained for free! For example, knowledge doesn’t have to be a diploma or a master’s degree. There are smart and wise people who spent more time in the library than in a classroom.
One day spent reading books about how to make more money can be more fruitful than a four-year economics degree!
Next, take some time to write down what you plan to do with your money. Savology once reported that over 70% of Americans don’t have a written financial plan. However, they also reported that 83% of people with set financial goals feel better about their money after a year. That’s because they took the time to set a purpose for their finances. So, before you start working on how to make more money, look at what you want to achieve first. In other words, give your plans a target.
Lastly, always remember that you are in control. Money may be a powerful tool, but it’s as useful as a hammer. It may seem special, but it’s worthless without you in command. So, don’t ever assume that your money is your boss. Instead, make money your ally in achieving your goals. The more you focus on doing what you can, instead of earning what you want, the easier it will be to know how to make more money.
Takeaway:
- Training your brain is key to learning how to make more money.
- The mind is a powerful asset that can generate ideas faster than any supercomputer.
- Train your brain by teaching it the right skills and measures to be productive. That way, you can learn how to make more money effectively!
- Set daily goals to push yourself towards making more money.
- Learn to stop overstimulating your mind, such as turning off your phone. Doing so optimizes your brain’s concentration and productivity.
- Embrace boredom to allow your mind to relax and recharge.
- Set boundaries for your time and focus to maintain a work-life balance.
- Think of money as a tool to make life better and empower yourself.
- Create a financial plan and set specific goals to guide your money decisions.
- Remember that you are in control. Make money your ally in achieving your goals.
- Ali, M. (2022, August 26). This Is How Successful People Manage Their Time
- Ali, M. (2022, September 8). How I Train My Brain To Make More Money
- Bieber, C. (2022, May 7). Warren Buffett Says This Is the Best Investment You Can Make. The Motley Fool.
- Denning, T. (2021, September 4). Nine psychological tricks to quietly make more money.
- Ducharme, J. (2019, January 4). Being Bored Can Be Good for You—If You Do It Right. Here’s How.
- INTEGRIS Health. (2019, June 19). The Benefits of Unplugging From Your Smartphone.
- Kolmar, C. (2022, October 20). 25 Trending Cell Phones In The Workplace Statistics [2023]: Cell Phone Use In The Workplace – Zippia. Zippia.
- Singju, P. (2020, April 10). How to Get Your Brain to Focus: Chris Bailey (Full Transcript). The Singju Post.
- Treece, D. (2023, February 22). How Much Time Are Your Employees Wasting on Their Phones? Business News Daily.
- YEC Council. (2021, September 15). Three Ways To Use Time Blocking For Better Time Management. Forbes.
Share this content :
