Clock in, clock out. A paycheck brings in the money, bills take it out. If you’re smart, you end up with a surplus each month, if you’re smarter you put it in your IRA.

Clock in, clock out. You start the day with ideas and dreams, you end the day exhausted with a beer, snoozing on the couch, “this weekend I’ll get to it”.

Clock in, clock out. It’s Friday, and you’re pretty beat from the week, but you are optimistic about the weekend. You start going through your pile of mail from the week: insurance, phone, utilities, IRA review, birthday cards, etc. You start knocking off chores off your honey-do list: fix the front door, put away laundry, water plants, take the dog out for a jog.

It’s Saturday. You are pretty tired from the week, and finally take a deep breath. “Let’s go for a hike”. You go out and have a great time, albeit you don’t have as much energy as you used to, but you’re enjoying it. By dusk, you’re ready for bed.

It’s Sunday. You start to think about those ideas and dreams you had the week before, and finally you’re motivated to start on them. You pull out some paper and start brainstorming… an online boutique selling your pottery, a day-trading shop, a smartphone repair joint… “Where is my creativity?” “I have no idea what I’m doing””Am I crazy?””I have a secure job, with good benefits, why do I have to be greedy””I don’t want to be rich and hated like Donal Trump”

It’s Monday morning and you’re late for work. You hustle out the door, irritated that you’re already behind. When you get to the office, you start checking emails and then start daydreaming again. “What progress on my dreams did I make this weekend?”

You don’t like the answers coming to mind so you have the option between 2 excuses: A) your job is taking too much of your time and energy for you to truly be creative or B) you might not be creative to begin with and you’re lucky to have a steady job.

Which option do you choose to get through Monday?

A

You are part of a demographic that represents 10% of the middle class. You also happen to be on the road to being mentally prepared to become wealthy. You can probably start to see that your job, as essential as it may be now for your financial well-being, is getting in the way of your dreams and ideas. Although you have a roof over your head and food on the table, the only difference between you and an inmate is that you get to choose who sits at your table and he doesn’t have to worry about paying rent or bills.

B

You have a little mental work to do. Everyone is creative, you just have to work at it. Practice makes effective, not perfect. You don’t have to be a Picasso to be creative, you just have to not judge yourself as you let your mind wander.