Trying to save money isn’t always the reason you don’t have enough. After taxes, living expenses, retirement, savings and the little splurges to stay mentally healthy (even with a good percentage set aside for saving/investing), the latter number is still disappointing for many people. Why?

The answer always lies in the math – to save more, you need to earn more. It’s easy to see that 10% of a $100,000 income is $10,000 and 10% of a $200,000 income is $20,000, so you save more when you earn more. Now you could indeed save 20% of $100,000 to set aside $20,000, but saving 20% ​​isn’t always feasible, depending on spending, inflation, and factors beyond your control. So we’re going to focus on what’s in your control, and that’s your income.

The first thing many employees think about is how to get their current employer to pay more. But that doesn’t always work, because companies want low overheads so that their profits can be higher. Making more money means taking matters into your own hands.

Related: See yourself as a company rather than an employee

1. First focus on what you like and what you are passionate about

A good starting point is to see what lucrative opportunities there are in spaces that you are interested in or are passionate about. Here are four steps to do this:

• Explore the opportunities that exist in these spaces (listen to podcasts, interview people who have done it before, do your market research, understand the revenue model, etc.).
• Document your ideas and how you’re going to make them happen (schedules of dates, the money you need to set aside to invest, people you need to work with, and the time you spend on them).
• Be realistic about what you find, because you have no control over supply or demand in the market.
• Don’t be afraid to try something, stop and then recalibrate. It’s good to be steadfast, but there has to be a balance between rediscovering and building on what you’ve discovered.

2. Understand where you are considered good enough

Notice I didn’t say the best, but good enough. If you have years of experience and some form of formal education or training, you should take advantage of the fact that you are not just an employee, but a subject matter expert with knowledge and history.

• Understand the maximum you can earn working for any company, then go make it. Feeling comfortable for 8 hours in a role that makes you uncomfortable the other 16 hours of your day is not optimizing how much money you make. Start applying for new roles.
• Explore all the additional options available in the room you were trained in:
  • Applying for part-time and project work works well for those who have the time to do more of what they already do, such as advising or coaching.
  • Setting up passive income streams, such as posting pre-recorded videos explaining what you do with new hires
  • Identify whether you could set up a small business offering your services to individuals or businesses (remote or local)

3. Understand the type of person you are

How many times have you heard someone say “all you have to do is” or “this is what I did”? This may sound great, but it doesn’t mean it will work for you. A good example is if someone asks you if you are willing to take out a $400,000 loan and invest it to potentially make money. Those who say “no” may have a low financial risk tolerance and should not be involved in real estate, for example. Maybe they should consider something with low startup costs. You could go to 10 real estate seminars and read 18 books on the subject, but if you’ve never thought about walking into the bank to start the process, it could conflict with who you are.

The same goes for getting up early, staying up late, working more hours, doing something without talking to people, not going back for a new study, etc. If it conflicts with who you are, it can affect what you do and how you do it. Find things that will work for you.

Related: Make Yourself a Money Magnet With This Fun and Easy Exercise

4. Understand the type of person you want to be

Sometimes making financial progress means adjusting your personality.

• Manage your personal growth with schedules and organizational tools, as accountability has better control with measurements, visibility and structure.
• Hire a life coach if necessary and ensure consistency with your attendance.
• Document all your goals and make sure to link the dependencies to understand where you’re holding yourself back.
• Discover what new possibilities there are with the enhanced version of you.

Related: How to Unleash Your Creativity and Transform Your Marketing Strategy

5. Look for the most lucrative new areas that don’t conflict with number 3 or 4

There is a lot of objectively correct and solid information advising on ways to make money: real estate, stock market, supply chain and technology to name a few.

But if you want to make more money, it should work for you. Attempting to perform without understanding who you are and how to do it can be the biggest barrier to your success. Therefore, patience is needed to thoroughly define numbers three and four so that the discovery process seamlessly aligns with identifying what will not work and what will.

Related: How to Create a Mindset That Drives Your Growth and Gets What You Want