The Secret to Financial Success…in Only Five Words

One day, I was glancing at the Wall Street Journal, when 5 words leapt off the page—”The survival of the focused.

I knew those five words carried a powerful message. A message High Earners understand very well. But one Underearners have failed to grasp.

Financial Success belongs to the focused.

Without focus, it’s easy to get sidetracked by multiple distractions fighting for your attention. But with focus, conflicting objectives cease to control you, making it easier (and less stressful) to take decisive action without second guessing.

What’s the trick to getting focused? Prioritize. Put your attention exclusively on your priorities. All else goes on the back burner.

Sadly, most of us don’t know what our true priorities are. We carry around lengthy to-do lists, then criticize ourselves harshly when we don’t cross everything off. Which is a sure-fire recipe for failure.

What if, instead, you take everything on your list, all those items you simply must do, and narrow them down to 5 items—the 5 tasks that are really truly essential, that reflect your most cherished values, what’s most important to you.

Those 5 are your priorities. They take precedence when scheduling your timeIf it’s not a priority, it’s a distraction. Each time you cross one task off, you can add another.

Does watering your plants or cleaning the kitchen carry the same weight as working out at the gym or playing with the kids? Is writing your book as important as posting on Instagram?

There’s no one right answer, only the most truthful one. What would look different in your life if you got focused? Leave me a comment below.

Comments & Feedback

  • Lisa

    I prioritize meeting up with friends face-to-face a couple of times a month. Our lives are so full with careers, self care (making healthy meals, getting sleep, exercising) family, education, errands, and chores, so our time together is limited and precious.

    Some of my friends who have kids, prioritize getting stuff out of the way like kid’s homework and prep for the week, before we meet up. This is a very special break for them that they look forward to, so I don’t want to cancel on them unless it’s an unavoidable emergency.

    When we’re together, I create space to focus only on them and having a good time and forget the rest of my life for just a few hours. I want to relax. I want to laugh! I try not to get into heavy conversation topics unless someone is really hurting.

    If someone is being a diva, constantly trying to change the plans and time or chaotically changing their mind all the time about what they want to do just to suit them, it’s usually a sign 🪧 that they don’t really care about my time, or anyone else’s time. They want to be the boss, the center of the universe and to feel important and in charge.

    I can’t get my time back! If someone says they’re going to contact me very soon, but they never do, because their husband who was ignoring them is now talking to them again or they want to have a friendship with me where they can call me whenever their husband is not emotionally available, I can’t always do that. I’m never sitting on the couch bored eating potato chips. I’m making plans, thinking about life, solving problems, achieving my goals and doing things, so I usually need to make plans to spend time with others. It might sound really boring and structured to some, but it makes me happy and I get so much more out of my life!

    I guess I’m more focused now on people who prioritize me as much as I prioritize them. Next week I’m taking my friends sailing ⛵️ on my boat for a bit of what I call “country club time”. I’m so grateful I have the funds to do this, and can give my hard working friends who have supported me, a fun, memorable time! 🙏

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Meet Barbara Huson

When a devastating financial crisis rocked her world, Barbara Huson knew she had to get smart about money… and she did. Now, she wants to empower every women to take charge of their money and take charge of their lives! She’s doing just that with her best-selling books, life changing retreats and private financial coaching.

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