Why do you find it increasingly difficult to become wealthy the more you work hard?
John D. Rockefeller once said:
If you earn only $3000 per month, no matter how thrifty you are, you will ultimately only have $3000.
This sentence reveals a harsh but true fact:
Saving won't enable you to move across income brackets; only the structure of your income can do that.
Hard Work ≠ Wealth: The Misconception Most People Fall Into
We have been taught since childhood: Hard work leads to success.Diligence brings wealth.
But the reality is completely different.
Xiangzi in "Rickshaw Boy" is a typical case:
He pulled the cart with all his might, firmly believing that hard work could change his fate, but in the end, he was crushed by reality. Why?
Because he is merely engaging in "repetitive labor" rather than "leveraging up".
The true source of income disparity
Your current income depends on what you are selling:
1️⃣ Selling time (most people)
• Working at a job
• Doing odd jobs
The income limit = The time limit
2️⃣ Selling one's labor power
More demanding, but still has a limit.
3️⃣ "Making money through the system"
What a few people are doing is:
• Writing content (write once, earn multiple times)
• Building websites (traffic comes automatically)
• Engaging in affiliate marketing (can earn money without selling products)
👉 Income starts to be independent of time
The three ways I use to increase income
The three ways I use to increase income
Method 1: Content Assets (Writing + SEO)
The first thing I did was: Write content that can be found by search engines over a long period of time
For example, this article itself is an "asset".
A recommended introductory book for you: 👉 The Psychology of Money
Why recommend?
• Help you build "financial awareness"
• Understand long-termism
• Avoid common financial mistakes
Method 2: Build your own website (core asset)
If you only post on the platform: The traffic doesn't belong to you
But if you have your own website:
Content = Asset
Traffic = Accumulable
The one I'm currently using is: Shopify
(suitable for content + products + affiliate integration)
You can:
• Post book recommendations
• Create a collection of tools
• Write SEO articles
Method 3: Alliance Marketing (The easiest to start)
This is what I am currently focusing on:
No need for products
No need for inventory
All you need to do is:
• Share what you have used
• Write your real experience
• Insert the recommendation link
For example:
• Books
• Tools
• Software
Users click to purchase, and you get a commission
How ordinary people can start
If you are currently at a 0-level, you can start like this:
Step 1
Choose a long-term topic (such as: finance / personal growth)
Step 2
Write 1-2 articles per week (SEO-oriented)
Step 3
Each article is supplemented with: Recommended resources (books / tools)
Conclusion
This world never rewards the "most hardworking person", but rather rewards:
Those who use the right methods
While you are still working hard, someone has already been establishing an "automatic income-generating system".
The question is:
Should you keep "working harder", or start "earning money in a different way"?
From Munger to Dan Koe: The Practical Path for Ordinary People to Build Their Profiting Capabilities