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Under-earners create a terrible fate for themselves. I know because I use to be one of them.
We come in all shapes and sizes, but the one thing that seems to be true is an incredibly high tolerance for low pay.
Even when I was making six figures I was still a under-earner so you know there ‘s more to the story than just the dollar amount you’re making. And, you can make far less and not be considered an under earner. So how do you know if you’re one or not?
Here’s four traits of under-earners that make you part of the tribe:
1. Bye Bye Power
[tweetthis]Under-earners give their power away. [/tweetthis]
They blame their conditions and circumstances on everything and everyone. Worse, they wait for their circumstances to change; that their lottery ticket will be the winner or the knight in shining armor will arrive and rescue them from the mess.
Because they project their power outward and not inward, they fail to realize they have control over their circumstances; that the answer lies within them. As long as the under-earner believes control is outside of them, any attempts to fix the issue will be futile.
I had so many internal conversations with myself over the years that projected my circumstances outward instead of looking at what I was doing that contributed to my problem of under-earning. Once I got clear that I could take control and had power over my circumstances, my under-earning began to shift.
2. Hello Chaos
[tweetthis]Under-earners live in financial chaos.[/tweetthis]
You know the kind I mean; it looks something like this:
- Living paycheck to paycheck
- Incurring debt
- Bills strewn about your home or office
- Steady stream of late and shut off notices
- Overdrafts in your checking account
- Not paying your bills on time or with any regularity.
- And the list goes on and on…one financial mess after another
When I was under-earning, I lived in financial chaos. In fact, when I wrote these points, I got them from my own experiences.
Some under-earners mistakenly believe if they make more money, their life will be less complicated. But, that’s simply not true. Under-earners typically work incredibly hard racking up 10-12 or more hours working one or more jobs a day.
I know plenty of people who make multiple six figures who are inundated with financial chaos.
3. Hello I’m A Saboteur
[tweetthis]Under-earners sabotage themselves at every turn. [/tweetthis]
They not only undermine their worth, but their success as well, making sure they do things to screw up their success. They job hop, procrastinate, take on too much, are distracted and scattered, rationalize and much more.
I’ve met women who do some of the craziest things to sabotage themselves. Giving your money away to others who you perceive need it, at the expense of taking care of your needs and bills is one I see over and over again. Or the woman who is owed a lot of money by her clients and instead of requesting to be paid, ignores the fact and is left unpaid for her work.
4. Fear Has Me By the …
[tweetthis]In a word, under-earners are afraid of everything. [/tweetthis]
They’re afraid to fail, to succeed, of being judged and rejected because of money. They’re afraid to look at their finances but also afraid of ignoring it. It’s the dichotomy of issues.
The problem is they have to be willing to face their fears if they are going to change their circumstance and stop being a under-earner.
These four traits (and, by the way there are other traits I didn’t list) have one thing in common – they are all self-imposed.
The good news is we have the power to change it all. We can change our behaviors, thoughts and inaction and move towards a healthier relationship with money.
We can take back our power and move away from under-earning.
I’m a professional cleaner with over 13 years of hands-on experience cleaning homes, a published writer, certified money specialist, and the founder of A Mess Free Life. After paying off over $50,000 in debt, I dedicated myself to helping others master their homes and their money — proving that a clean, organized, stress-free life is possible no matter where you’re starting from. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me cooking, playing bocce, sipping an extra dirty martini, or enjoying the ocean with my cats nearby. I’m also a proud mom and grandma who cares deeply for my mother at home.
