So You Want To Make Money?

So you want to MAKE MONEY?
So you want to be FABULOUSLY RICH?
So you want to have so much to spend that nothing is a problem to you again except how to spend your money?

And you think the way to make the money is by lying on your bed and dreaming about it?
You think that the way to make money is by wishing for it?
You think that the best way to make money is by going for all night and asking God to do a miracle?
You think that the best way to make money is by pursuing every "man of God" that you hear of and receiving "anointing to make money"

hmmmmm
 
My dear, I am sorry to tell you today that NONE OF THESE CHANNELS would ever give you the money you need to be really rich.

While it is necessary to wish for money
While it is good to dream about money
While it makes a whole lot of sense to pray for money

but (and that's a big BUT) UNTIL YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT MAKING MONEY, the money that maketh rich and wealthy would never come!!!!! and that is the TRUTH

So you want to make money????

GO DO IT!!!!!!!

Chikena

Why Money Doesn't Solve Money Problems

The raise you are hoping to get is not going to fix your financial squeeze.

I mean even if you were making what your boss is making, it will not fix your financial squeeze.

There is a famous principle calledParkinson’s Law that essentially says that expenses rise to meet income, so if you are having a hard time paying your bills or making a dent in your mountain of debt, money is NOT your answer.

I know it may sound like this is bad news, but really this is great news.

This is because money problems (difficulty paying bills, paying off debt, getting into debt, difficulty saving) are often behavioral problems.

And behavioral problems can NOT be solved with money.

People seem to think that they can make their problems go away with more money, but really it just covers them up. This is apparent with all of the millionaires who file for bankruptcy.

They have more money than most people can dream of, yet they also have a spending problem that is far stronger than their income.

How do you fix behavioral problems? Well, you start by asking God for help and then begin just doing one small thing at a time. It is a lot easier to update your house by working on one room at a time than by tearing up every room all at once.

You can start by learning to not spend more than you make.

There are practical things that can be done to help out, but I think nothing will be more valuable than just taking a long hard look at where your money is going and asking yourself, “do I really need this?”.

We say we NEED all this stuff to survive and yet 100 years ago most of it didn’t even exist. I think when we are honest with ourselves, we can see that a lot of our NEEDS are really just screaming, yelling, panicky WANTS.

1 Timothy 6:8 is what I am striving for, how about you?

“6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”

Original Article:     Money Doesnt Solve Money Problems 

5 Ways to Dramatically Explode Your Income

Why do people settle for an extra few thousand dollars each year?

Mike gets excited when his boss gives him a raise from $70,000 per year to $75,000 per year. He immediately plans his 10-day vacation with his wife overseas. Total cost: $5,000. He's excited and delighted at this opportunity. After all, his wife has been begging him to go on a European tour for years--and this is the perfect time to please her since the kids just left for college.

However, the $5,000 promotion is not enough for Tom, who is looking to dramatically explode his income for him and his family. He'll take the extra $5,000, but will invest it in a project more worthwhile than self-indulgence. He knows he can become a millionaire if he works his side business on evenings and weekends, which will prepare him for a full-time launch within a matter of months.

Both men are given the same opportunity, yet they react differently. Mike goes on vacation with his wife, but worries the entire time about why and how his money has rapidly dissipated. Tom, on the other hand, continually grinds on his business, even using his vacation time to work on his business full-time.

Question: Who do you think will get further in the next 5-10 years? 

This kind of situation happens all the time: One man settling, while another man is pedalling. Abraham Lincoln once said, "It's not the years in the life that count, but the life in the years." While many people are relaxing and waiting for success to happen to them, others are pushing hard to create success in their life. 

Soon enough, the "relaxer" will start making excuses and go around preaching his blame list about why he couldn't succeed. Usually, this happens at the same time that the successful person speeds past them. Truthfully, if the "relaxer" could have committed himself to his dream early on, he would have realized that the world was already his. 

The old saying is true: Life doesn't happen TO you, it happens FOR you. 

How are you doing in the "success" department? Are you feeling inspired? Could you use a little boost of confidence? What about your income? Do you like where you stand financially? Money is the greatest way to measure your success. Therefore, let's discuss five ways to dramatically increase your income:

1. Give Voluntarily

Since the universe is always giving to us, it readily demands that we give. Those who do not give voluntarily will be forced to give involuntarily, whether they like it or not. By not giving of your time, money, and efforts, you're robbing other people, causing you much grief and despair in the process. 

For instance, Monica tells herself, "I can't give since I barely have anything." Because of this thought, the universe forces her to give her time, money, and energy to causes she didn't approve, such as working a job she doesn't like. However, the best time to give is when you don't feel like you can do it. When you constantly give, you constantly receive. 

2. Act Your Wage

I'm sure you'll agree with me that the majority of people wouldn't mind becoming millionaires. However, the problem is that they have a $100,000 work ethic. If your mindset is not allowing you to make your dream come to fruition, you need to act your wage, showing the world what kind of value you are ready to deliver.

This means that you're showing up every day willing and able to work at least 12 hours per day. However, that isn't enough. You need to take on tasks that give you the biggest profit. For example, it wouldn't make much sense to give up a $1,000,000 opportunity to fixate on a $100 idea. It might seem obvious, but people are constantly majoring on minors, failing to act their wage.

3. Visualize Your Success

All that you have envisioned will be given to you. Everything you've imagined for yourself can come alive once you visualize the result of what you want. The key to doing this is by writing out in clear details the exact picture you have in your mind. We think in pictures and your mind is the kingdom of your accomplishment. It conforms to what you want. 

However, many people focus on what they don't want. They think about losing their jobs, crashing their cars, or offending their friends. When they do this, they repel the success that they want, instead of attracting it. What kind of future do you see for yourself? Do you see poverty or do you see prosperity? You'll get whichever one you see in your mind.

Here is the secret to realizing all of your visions: When you see disharmony, see love. Where there is deficiency, see abundance. Where there is ill health, see wholeness. Where there is confusion, see peace. 

4. Receive Your Blessing

Many people have the habit of downplaying their blessings. They act modestly to appease the minds of their critics. However, this isn't the most abundant way to live. The truth is that your wealth is constantly awaiting you, seeking your recognition and appropriation. The main reason why people don't receive their wealth is because they don't even know it exists! 

Many people cannot receive their blessings because they're too busy condemning and belittling themselves. Self-condemnation causes more failure, poverty, and ill-health than anything else. You cheat yourself when you believe that you are worth less than you are. While most people believe it's an act of humility, it's actually an act of stupidity! In short, realize your blessings if you want to receive more of them.

5. Stop Settling

It's time to stop settling for your current position in life. To do this, you must solemnly declare that you want to change (and mean it!). Many times, you must change your old habits in order to supplant new ones. You need to also get rid of old people, places, and things if you want new and better ones.

Complacency is the biggest killer for those seeking to dramatically increase their income. Some people think they can quit when they have a little money in their pockets at the end of the month. This stops them from pursuing more success since they are "enjoying" themselves. While one person is at the movies for the night, another is reading an entire book! Never be complacent.

Dramatically increasing your income isn't hard at all. Just look at what the masses are doing and do the opposite. It will almost always guarantee your success. If you're willing to do the work and stay committed to your purpose, you can do anything you can imagine for yourself. When you pay the price of success, you'll have a lot more fun in the end!

5 Things Millionaires Do That Most People Don't

1. Millionaires work hard.

A lot of people think that winning the lottery is their ticket to success, but I’ve got bad news for you. Nearly 90 percent of lottery winners go through their winnings in five years or less, leaving them back in the same situation they were in before they won.

Millionaires know that there are no shortcuts to success. There’s only hard work executed relentlessly in pursuit of a goal.

I know that, in my case, I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t been willing to work hard. I didn’t have a mentor when I started trading stocks in high school. It was up to me to put in the hours needed to become successful. There were plenty of times I would have rather gone out with friends or played video games -- anything but sit in front of the computer and study stock charts for another hour.

But I did it. I put in the work upfront because I knew the results would be worth it, they’ve paid off. I’m living my dream lifestyle because I wasn’t afraid to work hard.

2. Millionaires are focused.

That said, it isn’t just about working hard. You have to be working hard on the right thing.

Have you ever known somebody who’s constantly jumping from one “million dollar idea” to another? We all want to be rich, but the people who can’t choose one path to focus on simply aren’t going to achieve it. It’s the people who dedicate themselves to a single pursuit that come out on top, whether that one path is penny stock trading, company building or something else.

3. Millionaires are careful about risk.

I happen to think that penny stock trading represents one of the best opportunities to build generational wealth. The barriers to entry are low and, if you follow the rules I’ve learned, your risk is relatively low.

But whatever wealth-building approach you take, you’ve got to keep your risk in check. It’s not that you shouldn’t take risks, but the risks you take should be calculated. One of the tools we use in trading is the “risk-reward ratio” -- basically, how much risk you’re willing to take on for how much potential reward.

You can apply this line of thinking to just about anything in your life. If there’s more risk than there is reward, stay away. But if there’s more potential for reward than there is risk of loss, you may be looking at a great opportunity you should take.

4. Millionaires are generous.

Take a lesson from generous billionaires Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Carl Icahn and Ken Langore. Giving money can feel just as good (if not better) than earning it.

I’ve recently started my own charitable foundation in order to give back $2 million to my community, and I have to tell you, it feels amazing. I wish I hadn’t waited so long to get started, but I’m looking forward to making up for lost time.

5. Millionaires never stop learning.

This is such a big one. Millionaires love to learn because they’re always looking for ways to expand their skill sets and get ahead in their fields. They read books, watch documentaries, study educational materials and talk to others who can give them more information. Millionaires know that knowledge is power, and they stop at nothing to get it.

No matter what your net worth is right now, you can put this tip into practice today. If you’re learning to trade penny stocks, you can watch videos, read SEC statements, study stock charts or learn from others in industry chat rooms. You can do all of these things for free, but the value of what you learn will be worth so much more in the long run.

Which of these habits could you add to your life? Commit today to making at least one change that puts you on the path to becoming a millionaire.

Original Article:     4 Things Millionaires Do That Most People Don't

5 Ways You Can Become Rich

There are many definitions of what it means to be rich.

Being rich is more of a state of mind than a dollar amount. Truthfully, the rich can be poor and the poor can be rich. For example, being rich could be a family of five who lovingly share their small piece of bread in a third-world country. Conversely, another family of five may live in a 12-bedroom home and still have strife over an unlimited first-class feast!

Moreover, being rich is really about having it all. It would be ideal to have a combination of the aforementioned situations: the happy family enjoying a delectable meal in the big house -- and it is possible. However, to achieve this kind of wealth, along with financial freedom, personal peace and happiness, you must get committed to it. 

You must also be able to enjoy your wealth. Some people put in a hundred hours per week with work but completely neglect their families in the process. Others focus on their family so much that they never really get busy at work because of their obligations. Obviously, achieving a sense of balance will allow you to possess true wealth and also be able to enjoy it. 

If you're looking to have it all in life, here are the only five ways you can become rich: 

1. Adopt the Producer Mentality

You must make a major shift from being a consumer to producer. Here are some examples: consumers eat pizza, producers make pizza; consumers watch movies, producers make movies; consumers search for jobs, producers provide jobs. Every millionaire is a producer. Only producers get rich.

The overarching goal of a producer is not to eat, but to feed people. Obviously, producers must consume at some point, but it isn't their primary goal. Instead of seeking their next meal, they're more interested in providing the next meal for someone else, knowing that they will have the chance to eat in the process. 

Whether these producers are providing heart surgeries, writing best-selling books, or building skyscrapers, they've learned how to create products and services to help those around them. If you study millionaires closely, you'll find that nearly all them provide a valuable product or service to millions of people. When you adopt a producer mentality, you will become wealthy, too. 

2. Know Your Daily Rate

How much are you worth per day? Have you calculated your daily worth? $100? $500? $1,000? There are approximately 250 working days in a year. Do you know what it would take to be a millionaire? If you earned $4,000 per day, you would reach the million-dollar mark each year.

If you're earning $100 per day, you should try to double it. Just imagine, if you did twice as much, you would earn twice as much! For instance, when I first started my business, I was worth about $200 per day. Since I didn't want to stay at that number, I sought better ways to improve myself for my clients, which gave me a tremendous boost of income.

What are you doing to improve your daily rate? If you're searching for a new job, send out twice as many resumes. If you're making 10 sales calls per day, double your number of calls to 20. If you're babysitting one child, find a way to multiply your results by opening up a day-care for 50 kids. Of course, it would be best to maintain or increase your quality of work as you pursue these endeavors. 

"Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get." - Dale Carnegie

3. Sacrifice Everything

The great majority of people are afraid to make sacrifices because they think they'll lose something. The single mother won't buy a $20 book that will help her earn $20,000 extra dollars. She's the same mother who's afraid of the cost, but still would buy a video game for her son to make him happy. 

Before you become rich, you must become poor. Besides lottery winners and heirs who receive hefty inheritances, you must be willing to pay the price and sacrifice everything. You must be able to handle the worst if you want to expect the best. There will be many times where you'll have to delay gratification to focus on a bigger goal, which is always worth it in the end.

To approach a risk more judiciously, ask yourself two questions: "What's the worst thing that can happen if I take this risk?" Then ask yourself, "What's the best thing that can happen?" Usually, you'll find that the only reason that you wouldn't take a major risk is because money is involved. However, you should be able to sacrifice everything to become immensely rich, even if it's your last dollar. 

4. Only Do Wealthy Activities

The number one wealth killer is when a person of promise hangs out in places of poverty. Many times, people put themselves in poor places, which surrounds them with poor people. Get away from poor places if you want to avoid poor people. Dwelling along with poor people in poor places will never make you rich.

When I was a teenager, I used to play basketball with negative people in negative places. I constantly witnessed smoking, cursing, and other disrespectful behaviors every moment of the game. Even though I didn't partake in their antics, I was still a product of my environment, which deeply affected my general performance in life.

Many people tolerate negative conditions like this. They don't realize how much the subtle influence of gossip, violence, and drama impacts them. Moreover, if you're not on prosperity, your in poverty. Find out how you can partake in wealthy activities. For me, instead of playing basketball, I started visiting luxury homes and car dealerships. It changed my life. 

5. Use Your Gifts

Everyone is naturally gifted. Some people have many gifts, while others only have one. Nonetheless, you must realize your gifts and use them. Many times, people will downplay their gifts and even allow others to do it. However, you should cultivate your gifts and surround yourself with people who support it.

Finding your talents, skills, gifts, and abilities may not always be apparent. Since schools, workplaces, and religious institutions seldom encourage people to use their gifts, many people end up forfeiting them because of the financial and social pressures in our enormity of conformity. These pressures reduce the human soul to settle for "fitting in" rather than "standing out." However, at the end of your life, you will be held accountable for how you use your gifts.

For me, I personally always wanted to tell my story. However, I didn't know how to go about it. Eventually, I started to write articles and give speeches free. Because of this, I've been able to reach millions of people, despite the fact that I failed numerous English classes in school. The more you use you gifts, the happier and wealthier you'll be. Your gifts will make room for you. 

Money is being printed constantly for you right now. Make sure you take hold of yours today. Money is the tool that allows you to become more of who you are. Stop 'surviving' and start 'thriving'.There are many virtues in being rich. Be prepared to receive better homes, cars, clothes, food, and friends. You will receive much power when you commit to your wealth!

Success:     5 Ways You Can Become Rich

The Difference Between Billionaires And The Rest Of Us

This Steve Jobs quote perfectly sums up the difference between billionaires and the rest of us

Rich people think differently than the average person, and Apple cofounder Steve Jobs, who died with an estimated net worth of $10.2 billion, was no exception.

In a Quora thread answering the question "Do billionaires know something that normal people don't?" Patrick Methieson noted a Jobs quote that encapsulates the "billionaire mentality":

"Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use."

It's something that all wealthy people tend to internalize, explained Methieson, a venture investor who has worked with billionaires: "Billionaires realize that the world is pliable. With enough pressure applied to an endeavor, sufficiently resourceful people really can change the world. Contrast that with the rest of us who are more likely to assume the state of the world as static, or given."

Self-made millionaire Steve Siebold, who interviewed over 1,200 of the world's wealthiest people before writing "How Rich People Think," echoes this belief.

Rich people have an action mentality and are problem solvers. "While the masses are waiting to pick the right numbers and praying for prosperity, the great ones are solving problems," he writes.

This doesn't mean they're smarter than the average person, as Jobs noted. "They are just more strategic," Siebold explains. "When the rich need money, they don't wonder if it's possible, they simply begin creating new ideas that solve problems."

And "the bigger the problem you solve, the more money you make," he says.

At the end of the day, getting rich is an inside job. "Let’s set the record straight once and for all: Anyone can become wealthy," Siebold writes. "It has nothing to do with your education or where you come from. It's not what you do that guarantees wealth, it's what you are."

Source:     Between Billionaires And Us

Earn Money In Dollars For Free

Drop whatever you are doing right now and just read this mail.

It sure might CHANGE your life

Hello Friend, 

Welcome to my blog and thanks for visiting.

Let me ask you

For how long have you been using facebook, twitter, google plus, linkedin and other social media sites to connect, contact and communicate with friends and loved ones?

Have you ever received money from facebook for helping them by your write ups and interaction on their site to attract advert to them?

Likewise, has any of the other media sites given you money for all your activities on their sites? Rather they even want you to spend money by way of advert on their sites.

What if I tell you that there is a site where you can make money without any further payment except to pay for this information?

You make money on that site by simply asking and answering questions?

Would you like to know about it and start making money in dollars?

Well, I have the key to a site where I have been earning money for the past 4 months just by asking and answering questions.

If you want that key, then you need to be up and running now by going to the First Bank, UBA or GTB Branch nearest to you and do the needful:

Pay the sum of N1,499.99 into any of the following account details

Bank:                      First Bank

Account Name:      Jerry - the First Oguzie

Account Number:   200 377 3635

Bank:                      UBA

Account Name:      Jerry - the First Oguzie

Account Number:   100 269 4244

Bank:                     GTB

Account Name:       Jerry - the First Oguzie

Account Number:    002 431 4227

When you have paid

Send your Name, Email address, Phone Number, Bank and Teller Number  to 08142962932

And you shall get the link in your email as soon as payment is confirmed

Jerry - the First

So You Want To Make Money?

So you want to MAKE MONEY?

So you want to be FABULOUSLY RICH?

So you want to have so much to spend that nothing is a problem to you again except how to spend your money?

And you think the way to make the money is by lying on your bed and dreaming about it?

You think that the way to make money is by wishing for it?

You think that the best way to make money is by going for all night and asking God to do a miracle?

You think that the best way to make money is by pursuing every "man of God" that you hear of and 

receiving "anointing to make money"

hmmmmm

My dear, I am sorry to tell you this morning that NONE OF THESE CHANNELS would ever give you the money you need to be really rich.

While it is necessary to wish for money

While it is good to dream about money

While it makes a whole lot of sense to pray for money

but (and that's a big BUT) UNTIL YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT MAKING MONEY, the money that maketh rich and wealthy would never come!!!!! and that is the TRUTH

So you want to make money????

GO DO IT!!!!!!!

And if you don't know how, then ask me!!!!

3 Essential Money Lessons To Teach Your Children

When your mother is a financial advisor, you tend to learn about money at a very young age.

Gail Winslow, a financial advisor with RBC Wealth Management in Washington, D.C. and mother of six (and grandmother of six more), says she gave her kids an allowance when they were eight years old, and immediately began teaching them the basics of managing money.

“If they wanted to buy gum with their allowance, they could, but if they wanted something bigger they had to learn to save for it,” says Winslow. “If they didn’t have the money saved, they didn’t get it.”

Think that’s young?

Darla Kashian, a financial advisor and first vice president with RBC Wealth Management in Minneapolis, says that kids as young as three-years-old understand that you exchange money to buy things.

She gives her two children—ages five and eight—one quarter every Friday for each year of their age.

In other words, one gets $1.25 per week and the other receives $2.

“It’s so important to teach kids about saving for the future and to express your family values,” says Kashian.

“We actively save money for our philanthropic activities and talk to our kids about it.”

Winslow and Kashian have a wealth of information to impart to their kids, but here are three lessons they agree are essential.

1. Pay Yourself First

“Put away money from every single paycheck starting with the very first one you earn,” advises Winslow.

“Don’t wait until the end of the month because there won’t be anything left.”

Kashian says that understanding how compounding interest works is crucial to growing wealth.

“The ability to postpone gratification now for greater things in the future is a lesson that should be taught as early as possible.

Understanding the power of compounding interest is a part of that lesson.”

“Every child should be taught to be mindful of what each decision they make means for their financial future,” says Kashian.

2. Understand How Debt Works

Kashian requires her kids to have cash with them if they want to make a purchase. As she puts it, “I’m a human being, not a bank.” 

And she’s already talking with her children about how to pay for college.

“My goal over the course of their growing up is to have transparency,” she says. “I want to make sure that none of our expectations come as a surprise and that none of the financial realities of life come as a surprise.”

“Do not ever charge anything you can’t pay for,” warns Winslow.

But Winslow also says that part of understanding debt is knowing that the occasional debt can be financially beneficial. 

She says one of the best investments in the world is a 30-year mortgage, especially when interest rates are under four percent.

3. Integrate Your Values with Your Money

“Integrating your values and your money means that teaching your kids about money becomes part of a bigger mission,” says Kashian.

“If they learn to think about their values while they’re making decisions then it’s easier to understand when to save for the future and when it makes sense to spend money.”

When her children buy something with their own money, Kashian pays the sales tax. “I want them to understand that I believe in taxes as a way to support our community,” she says.

Kashian comes from a working class family that didn’t have extra money to spare for the violin lessons she wanted to take.

After some family discussions, her father agreed to pay for every other lesson if she could pay for the rest.

“I never missed a single violin lesson because I understood what it cost,” she says.

Kashian says she wants her children to understand their privilege to be raised in a household with money, and to know that the money comes from the family’s hard, honest work.

She says parents and grandparents need to learn to articulate the planning, the sacrifices, and the savings required to provide special experiences for their children and grandchildren.

Final Thoughts on Money Lessons for Kids

“Teach your children to be reasonable with their money—and not extravagant—and to save, save, and save some more and they’ll live a secure life,” says Winslow.

Kashian says that parents shouldn’t be nervous about teaching their kids about money.

“It’s kind of like the ‘New Math’ — just stay one step ahead of your kids and learn alongside them if your experience growing up wasn’t optimal,” she says. “It doesn’t have to be super-complicated. You can always ask for help from a financial advisor—that’s the key to long-term generational wealth.”

How To Avoid The Three Deadliest Career Traps

One minute a business executive has money, power and respect… and the next no one returns his or her calls.

When this happens, the executive can be dumbfounded and perplexed. The “sudden” shift seems inexplicable. But to many others, what happened is obvious and perhaps even welcomed.

Thanks to the consistency of human nature, there are classic career traps that cause smart people to self-destruct.

If you avoid these traps, you can protect your career and preserve your ability to be effective.

These principles don’t just apply to CEOs. Many people have power, and these traps surround positions of power. 

If you are hiring others, you have some degree of power over them. If you purchase goods from other businesses, you have a degree of influence over those vendors.

The more responsibilities you take on, the more these traps need to concern you.

1.The “ego-driven blind spot” trap

Like the rest of us, you are not perfect.

One of the biggest challenges to acquiring power is that fewer and fewer people are willing to give you objective feedback.

If you suddenly are praised as a genius, your internal alarms should sound. You’re not smarter than ever, you’re just surrounded by people who dare not point out weak points in your reasoning.

Everyone has flaws, and it is crucial that you both understand and monitor your own weaknesses.

Set up systems that enable you to detect potential dangers along the paths you are pursuing:

Encourage employees to submit anonymous feedback.

From time to time, hold meetings at which the sole purpose of all gathered is to play devil’s advocate with regards to your existing strategies.

Foster a culture in which it is a badge of pride to “beat the control,” which means putting forth a strategy that can be proven better than the existing one.

Engage objective and independent observers whose role is to second guess you.

Even if 90% of the time they can’t convince you to change course, those occasions on which they prevent you from veering off the road will be invaluable.

2. The “repeat past successes” trap

Successful people tend to repeat the strategies that made them successful. While this often makes sense for a time, the only constant in our world is change.

It is difficult to name a company that has had the same level of success for ten years’ running. Likewise, over a five to ten year period, your access to information and the sophistication of your technology changes radically; you have to adapt as these fundamentals shift.

I’m not suggesting you follow every fad. Hype and overblown promises abound.

But never stop testing your own skills and strategies, even in ways that may seem silly to you.

For example, I’d encourage even top executives to invest a little time in learning to code.

You are not going to become a programmer, but you won’t be able to understand the detail that underlies most businesses unless you understand the details involved in programming.

3. The “use power too personally” trap

It would be futile to count the number of leaders who fell from grace because they crossed a line and used power to have an affair or otherwise feed their own desire for pleasure.

This may be the biggest trap of all.

If you want to not only maintain a successful career, but also help lead your company in the right direction, then use power for the benefit of others:

Empower your employees, so that they can delight your customers.

Enrich your investors, by viewing their faith in you as a solemn responsibility.

Enhance the communities in which your organization operates, by understanding that your success is only sustainable if theirs is, too.

Putting things in perspective

The harsh reality is that career traps are just as common as career opportunities.

Remain confident but humble, and don’t step into an obvious trap. 

The smartest people I know get up every day aware that their toughest challenge is doing what they know to be right, instead of what is immediately gratifying.

An earlier version of this article appeared last year on LinkedIn, and one reader commented, “My brother and I could have used this a few years ago when we, separately, lost fantastic jobs because of these faults.”

Take these words to heart, and you’ll never have to write a similar comment.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/brucekasanoff/2014/12/16/how-to-avoid-the-three-deadliest-career-traps