The Big Wins Manifesto

What do {After all} by Big Wins? Compare {two different people} {looking to get} {an advantage} in life.

John, 28, earns $62,000/year as a project manager. He used {to possess} $8,200 in {personal credit card debt} from overspending, but he’s been slowly paying it down {during the last} two years {and today} it’s at $6,400. How? He tried {all of the} typical personal-finance advice: He {setup|create} a budget, he tried {to lessen} on his daily lattes, and he {ensured} {to create a|to produce a} {set of} goals he {wished to} achieve. Yet {the other day}, he took {a genuine} look at his life and realized he’s still treading water. Despite {paying down} {section of} his debt, he still has years {before} being {with debt} – plus no real savings, no investment, {then one} always {arises}, causing him to yo-yo {backwards and forwards} on his goals.

Chris, 32, earns approximately $120,000. Four {years back}, Chris was making about $60,000/year but he was barely getting by – {he previously} $50,000 of student-loan debt and, most days, would eat the free snack bars at his office {rather than} buying lunch. Yet within 4 years, Chris {paid} $50,000 of debt, amassed a {checking account} of {thousands of} dollars, {and much more} than doubled his salary. {To get this done}, he {setup|create} automated systems {to repay} his debt. He turned his skills {right into a} side income to earn over $1,000/month {privately}. He knew he was slightly socially awkward, so he spent time joining courses {to boost} his social skills and {finished up} negotiating multiple salary increases – including over a $50,000 raise {8 weeks} ago.

The difference {between your} {two different people}?

John {centered on} tiny, meaningless tactics that experts told him he “should” do. Chris, the successful student with the dramatic results, {centered on} {performing a} few {considerations}, and mastering them. He {centered on} Big Wins.

Chris is, {actually}, {a genuine} person – {the only real} student who has joined {every one} of my courses.

A national reporter also wrote about Chris in {a recently available} 6-page Fortune profile of my teachings.

There’s {grounds} why {a lot of} my IWT students have results like Chris – results {offering} earning {thousands of} dollars more {each year}, {paying down} $50,000 {with debt}, and leapfrogging their peers to land their Dream Job {within their} 20s – while so {a great many other} {folks are} stuck {reducing} on $3 lattes {without} discernible results and a side of soul-crushing guilt.

IWT students {concentrate on} Big Wins {rather than} minutiae.

IWT students don’t {be worried about} saving $2 or $3 on lattes, {realizing that|understanding that} in the grand scheme of things, that money {is basically} meaningless – plus, as cognitive misers, {we’ve} limited cognition and attention, so each additional thing we {make an effort to} {concentrate on} means {a standard} {reduction of} willpower and attention.

If {you’d} {to utilize} your limited willpower {to lessen} on $2 {each day} of something {you like}, versus learning {how exactly to} negotiate a $10,000 salary increase, {which may} you rather do?

Minutiae-focused people {make an effort to} {concentrate on} everything, rarely prioritizing. They obsess over their monthly spending {just as much as} turning the oven light off, never understanding the futility of {attempting to} trick human nature. They use phrases like “{I simply} need to…” and “Yeah, {I must say i} should…” and “{EASILY} just try harder this month, {I will} {have the ability} to…”

True masters of human behavior understand our shortcomings, and use systems, automation, and a judicious {usage of} our limited willpower to tackle {things that} really matter – while ignoring {the others}.

Once you adopt this frame, you’ll {view it} everywhere. You’ll see people dutifully {attempting to} {scale back on} small daily expenditures, then getting frustrated when it {results in} very little…and they yo-yo {back} {with their} former behavior. You’ll see them sporadically jumping from expert to expert, like others jump from diet to diet, {looking for} {the main one} “{magic pill}” {that may|which will} solve {almost all their} problems – {even while}, never understanding the mechanics of what {really works}.

Ironically, {in the event that you} {claim that} they {concentrate on} {performing a} few Big Wins (e.g., learning {how exactly to} negotiate their salary, or {make money} {privately}), {the same} people will claim they’re “too busy” {to achieve that}. Indeed.

This {is really a} fascinating wrinkle in human behavior. People will {continue steadily to} {take action} – even if it doesn’t work – {rather than} potentially trying {a thing that} {could actually} work but is novel ({and for that reason} scary) {in their mind}.

• Even if their closest friend has used these strategies and {ways to} pay off {thousands of} dollars of debt
• Even {should they} see {types of} people just like them {who’ve} changed their lives
• Even {should they} trust that the techniques {work with} other people, {a lot of us} {use} barriers like “Well, {that may} for HIM…but {I’ve} [INSERT SEEMING UNIQUE SITUATION {THAT’S NOT} REALLY UNIQUE AT ALL]

I find this human tendency totally astonishing. {For this reason|That is why} you see {individuals who have|those who have} been {training} for {three years} but haven’t lost much weight at all. Yet {once you} suggest they try {obtaining a} {fitness expert} – even for {weekly} – {they state}, “{I possibly could} never {do this}! It’s {very costly}.” Same with diets. And money. And relationships.

Today, {a brief} primer on the difference {between your} “{I’LL} {EDUCATE YOU ON} To Be Rich” approach {and several} others’ approaches.

BIG WINS: {AN INTEGRAL} DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IWT {ALONG WITH OTHER} “EXPERT” ADVICE

There {certainly are a} few Big Wins in life where – {in the event that you} simply {have them} right – you {hardly ever} have to {be worried about} {the tiny} things. {When you can} {concentrate on} the 5-10 Big Wins, {instead of} 50 little things, {you could have} an insurmountable edge in life.

The {I’LL} {EDUCATE YOU ON} To Be Rich philosophy {is definitely} {to spotlight} the long-term, {also to} {concentrate on} big wins that matter. {In the event that you} start investing early, {select a} sensible asset allocation with low-cost funds, save for big events {within the next} {a decade} (wedding, {deposit} on {a residence}, kids, vacations…), {concentrate on} having great credit, and {spend less} mercilessly on {the items} you don’t {value}. Do {these exact things} and you’ll be {before} 99% of {other folks}.

Here are several {types of} typical advice you’ll read in magazines, newspapers, and blogs…contrasted with my teachings that I’ve tested with over 1 million students.

THEY SAY: “Keep a budget! {How will you} cut your spending {in the event that you} don’t know where {your cash} {is certainly going}?”

I SAY: Nice {theoretically}, but it {hardly ever} works. Nobody {really wants to} keep a budget ({it creates} people feel bad about themselves), {and when} you study {individuals who} {grab} personal-finance books, {and then} {discover the} first chapter saying “Let’s {develop a} budget,” you’ll predictably see {those individuals} shut the book and put it {back} on the shelf. Ironically, “experts” who {advise that} others keep a budget rarely keep one themselves. Had they tested this worthless advice with even 10 people, {they might} {note that} 10/10 would {neglect to} maintain a budget past 2 months, a laughably terrible result. Their natural exhortation, {as long as they} ever {opt to} test their terrible lifelong advice? “{These folks} should try harder.” Sigh.

***

THEY SAY: “No, you can’t buy those jeans. No, you can’t afford those shoes. No, you can’t take that trip. No, no, no.”

I SAY: {Who would like to} be told {everything you} CAN’T do {together with your} money? For {too much time}, money experts {have already been} telling {people} {the items} we’re {prohibited} to do, {rather than} telling us what {we are able to} do. {Do you know what}? {I wish to|I would like to} live a rich life. {I wish to|I would like to} buy nice things. {I wish to|I would like to} {happen to be} Vegas, or {SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA}, or LA, {to go to} my friends and {venture out}. {I wish to|I would like to} {purchase a} round of drinks for my friends or send {a good} gift to {my children}. {If you} {need it} $300 jeans, {or perhaps a} $1,000 weekend in Vegas, great! {Rather than} judging you and {causing you to} feel guilty, I’ll show {how exactly to} {take action} – {how exactly to} live a rich life by spending EXTRAVAGANTLY on {the items} you love, {so long as you} {spend less} mercilessly on {the items} you don’t – {exactly like} {my pal} who spends $21,000/year {venturing out}.

***

THEY SAY: “Stop {shelling out for} X, Y, and Z. Oh, {you would like to|you need to|you wish to} {find out about} earning more? [Crickets]”

I SAY: There’s {grounds} why most personal-finance experts {reveal} {reducing} and constant frugality, yet they don’t {reveal} earning more:

They don’t {understand how}.

Now, {reducing} relentlessly on {the items} you don’t love {can be an} important {section of} living a rich life. But earning more {reaches} least as important.

It’s why I’ve raised my hourly rate from $20/hour to $3,000/hour in {a couple of years}. It’s why I’ve taught {a large number of} students {how exactly to} earn {a large number of} dollars/month {privately} via {among} my flagship courses, Earn1K.

There’s a limit to {just how much} {it is possible to} save – {however, not} to {just how much} {you can generate}. You can’t outfrugal {the right path} to being rich.

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THEY SAY: “{You need to} {look at different companies} for {the proper} accounts. {You need to} call banks and {make an effort to} bargain. {And become} sure to negotiate your salary {a while|time}!”

I SAY: {You know} {everything you} “should” do – yet {handful of} us {take action}. Instead, I {supply the} exact word-for-word scripts, {telephone numbers}, and exact accounts {I take advantage of} {and that means you|which means you} don’t {need to} think. {It is possible to} simply open {the proper} accounts, negotiate your salary, automate {your cash}, {and obtain} on {together with your} life.

Exact scripts for:

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THEY SAY: “{Do that}. {Do this}. Not that!!”

I SAY: Read {just about any} money or career advice, and you’ll {visit a} laundry {set of} tactics. The funniest examples are (1) where books/columns {make an effort to} teach you {concerning the} difference between corporate and municipal bonds. Who cares?? What person ever woke up {each morning} and said, “YEAH!! {I MUST SAY I} {SHOULD TRY TO LEARN} THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STOCKS AND FIXED-INCOME STRATEGIES!!” and (2) raw lists of ideas of so-called “businesses” {you might start} {privately}: Plumber, freelance writer, freelance nurse, freelance nanny, freelance cardiothoracic surgeon.

Are you seriously kidding me? {As though} people simply {require a} {set of} ideas? Yes, {That’s} what’s holding me back! Ahh! {Just what a} great idea!! {Given that} I see this 2-word IDEA, {I understand} exactly how {to show} that into side income, including marketing, positioning, targeting, referral strategies, pricing, and {to generate leads} and qualification!

These {are} tactics that assume people {have to be} “educated” – a belief that’s so deeply held, it’s become {a low profile} script. “Ah, if we just educate these {the indegent} and {suggest to them} a compound-interest chart, they’ll {awaken} from their spending stupor and realize the critical {need for} financial management!”

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

As Clotaire Rapaille wrote in his terrific book, The Culture Code,

“{Years back}, Tufts University invited me to lecture {throughout a} symposium on obesity…

Lecturer after lecturer offered solutions for America’s obesity problem, {which} revolved around education. Americans {will be} thinner {only if} they knew about good nutrition and {the advantages of} exercise, they told us. {Shedding pounds} {the complete} country was possible {via an} aggressive public awareness campaign…

When {it had been} my turn to speak, I couldn’t help {you start with} an observation.

“{I believe} {it really is} fascinating that {another} speakers today have suggested that education {may be the} {response to} our country’s obesity problem,” I said. I slowly gestured {round the} room.

“If education {may be the} answer, then why hasn’t it helped more of you?”

There were audible gasps in the auditorium when I said this, {a number of|several} snickers, and five times {as much} sneers. Unsurprisingly, Tufts never invited me to lecture again.’”

We already “know” {we have to} exercise more, eat healthier, control our spending, {and keep maintaining} our relationships better. {Why} don’t we?

That nexus -the difference between what we CLAIM and what we {do} – is where I’ve spent 10+ years studying {from the} psychological and persuasive basis.

Short answer: {With regards to} changing human behavior, education alone {isn’t} enough.

7 BIG WINS

If {you merely} get these Big Wins right, you’ll {hardly ever} need to {be worried about} minutiae like “{MAY I} afford this appetizer?” or “{MUST I} spend $2.50 {with this} mocha?”

The beautiful part about Big Wins is you do {the task} {in advance} – {plus they} pay rewards for {the others} {of one’s} life. {For instance}, one $5,000 salary negotiation in your 20s {could be} worth over $1m over {your daily life}. {Just how many} lattes is that worth?

1. Automate your finances
2. Start investing early
3. Improve your credit score
4. Land your Dream Job
5. Negotiate a raise
6. Earn money on the side

Next time you hear {the same kind of} tired advice of keeping a budget, or {reducing} on $2 lattes, {consider}: Has {that basically} worked for the {thousands of people} who’ve tried it? Are they really not “trying hard enough”? Or {will there be} perhaps a systemic problem urging {visitors to} waste their limited cognition on near-meaningless tasks with little reward…and should we instead focus them on high-leverage areas {that may|which will} {bring about} massive payoffs?

Put another way – {how do} we {concentrate on} using Big Wins so {we are able to} have {an advantage} in life…and {can get on} with doing {the items} we truly love?

That’s my philosophy at IWT, one I’ve {distributed to} {an incredible number of} readers. I cover {the precise} action steps {in my own} {NY} Times best-selling book (automating finances), my Earn1K course ({making profits} {privately}), my Find Your Dream Job course – plus {around} this site {going back} 8+ years. {I am hoping} {it can help} you, too.