5 Proven Ways to Work Less & Make More Money

I used to think the harder I worked, the more money I’d make.

If I worked more hours, made more calls, and took on more assignments, the money I wanted would follow.

What a wake-up call I had.

Hard work is essential, yes. However, it’s like riding a unicycle. Sure, you could get to your destination. But wouldn’t it be easier if you rode a bike with a second wheel?

Working hard is critical. But you can run your butt off on a treadmill and never physically move anywhere.

You must work hard and be smart. Otherwise, you may not acquire the payoff you seek.

What if you could make more money by working less?

It may sound too good to be true if you're like most people. I can understand that.

Remember that Warren Buffet reads roughly 5-6 hours daily and makes around three yearly decisions. And his current net worth is $138.6 billion.

Are you interested to learn more? Let’s break it down.

Find the Right Room

Many moons ago, I used to be a performer.

At one point, I was singing on a cruise ship.

It was a great gig. I got paid for performing while seeing the world. I loved it.

However, the cruise line I worked for didn’t pay well–around $700/week.

Yes, I was banking all the money, not having to pay rent or food, but I still wished I was making more.

When I planned on returning for a second contract, I asked for a raise. The cruise line said I was already at their pay limit.

So, I went and auditioned for another cruise line. I got into another audition room.

The next cruise line offered me $1,400/week. It had the same hours and better ports of call.

The point I’m making is that I had the exact same skillset, with no new skills or classes, and yet I started making double what I was making only two months prior.

If you can’t get what you want from the room you’re in, leave and knock on another door.

Where will your skills reap the greatest return so you’re not working for less than you’re worth?

Find the answer and go there.

It sounds simple, yet many don’t shop around for other employers who will pay them what they’re worth.

The “Steve Jobs” Rule

When Steve Jobs returned to Apple, the company was struggling financially.

The first thing he did was identify where 80% of the profit was coming from, and he cut the rest of the products out of production.

For a long time, Apple’s products consisted of the iPad, the iPhone, and the iMac.

Otherwise known as the Pareto Principle, Jobs used the concept that 20% of the cause produces 80% of the results. The reverse is also true.

Now, it won’t always be exactly 20% and 80%. The ratios may vary.

For example, YouTube channels will get 80% of their views, likes, and subscribers from around 20% of their content.

This knowledge is powerful because the data can show you what to focus on, allowing you to make more money working less.

Do as Steve Jobs did: focus on your skills/products, which will bring the majority of the results. Cut out the other stuff.

Align your day to the projects and habits that pay the most, and then move on to your business's other projects.

Set a Clear Achievement Date

I’m the type of person who spends ages trying to make sure I understand every single detail before proceeding when I plan something new.

And that I have a plan for every possible outcome before I start.

However, while this concept may seem wise, I’ve learned it’s far from ideal.

To make more money and work less, we must avoid staying too long in the planning and preparation phase.

As John Wooden says,

“Don’t mistake activity for achievement.”

Too much “prep time” feels like work, but it’s not progress.

What I’ll do now is set an action date.

Without action, nothing happens.

And often, lack of action means fear keeps us from doing the things that actually move the needle forward for progress.

This behavior puts people in a perpetual state of “on the way” to making money but never actually making any.

So, if you plan to launch a business or become an influencer, pick an action date first, then reverse engineer.

Make the date non-negotiable. It has to be go time when that day comes.

Knowing that you have something you’re working towards will help you get out of your own head, overcome your fears, and get to the results quicker.

Otherwise, you’re working for free.

Focus On Value Over Hours

Read this quote by James Clear:

“To escape the time-for-money trap, you need to create scalable and automated income that is not directly tied to your time.”

For most in day jobs, we think of working longer hours or increasing the value of your existing role to increase your salary.

This was also my thinking for many years.

The issue with this is that it comes with limitations: You can only sell so much of your time. There are only so many hours in a day.

Personal trainers are a great example of this.

Even if every hour of the day was booked, that’s only 24 clients. And let’s face it, no personal trainer trains people 24 hours a day–more like 12 hours, if they’re lucky.

That means their income is capped. There’s a limit on how much they can make.

However, when they go online, they learn to “systemize” the process of training others. They make their program automatic so that it can accommodate many more clients, which means more money.

Yes, there’s no guarantee it’ll work out (pun intended), but the rewards are much greater.

If you want to make more money by working less and escaping the rat race, you must change your perception of work to selling your time for money.

Think of a skill you have that can add value to the most people possible. Then, consider using that skill to positively impact others and the biggest problem you can solve.

Be the Captain

I’m going to let this tweet from Naval sum this point up:

“What you choose to work on, and who you choose to work with, are far more important than how hard you work.”

That tells you everything you need to know about working “smart.”

It doesn’t matter how hard you work if you’re not working on the right thing.

And even if you are working on the right thing, you’ll always get to a point where you’ll need to take it further. When that point comes, if you’re not around the right people, you’re screwed.

There’s a saying:

“The captain commands, and the rowers steer.”

They all work together to ensure the boat sails in the right direction.

In the same way, if you get bogged down in the day-to-day tasks–rowing–you won’t be able to see the bigger picture and know whether or not your ship is sailing in the right direction.

A way to make more money without doubling your time or working harder is by working on the business.

Spend your time working on the business while you get the support of others–who are more skilled than you are in different areas–to work in the business.

The BMM Takeaway

Working hard is great.

We’re big fans of it over here at Big Money Methods.

However, if all you do is work hard without innovating, you could be cutting yourself short.

You must work “smart” and hard to be effective and hit the financial goals you seek.

Many people work hard. If hard work alone were enough to get rich, then janitors and construction workers would be on the Forbes list–not business owners and CEOs.

There’s clearly more to the equation.

Start applying and implementing the tips above to save time and grow your wealth.