Your Unconscious Performance Limit (to Earn More Money)

Have you wondered why you make the money that you do?

Without giving it much thought, you could say that the money you earn is a function of the skills you’ve acquired over the years, your experience and choice of career. That makes sense at least somewhat, but it does bring up some bigger questions, like:

  • Why did you pick that career?
  • Why have you progressed quicker or slower than others in the same position?
  • What has motivated you to become more (or less) skillful at your job?
  • Why do some “lucky people” earn more money while others do not?

Over the years I’ve constantly been looking for answers to these questions.  A billionaire could go out and make a few million dollars today, while another perfectly able person struggles to put food on the table.

There is a huge gap.  Some earn far more money than others, but why?

Earn More Money

Here’s an example that really hit home for me.  You can take a seasoned engineer that earns $50k per year.  You could also take another engineer with the same experience (in the same location) and he could easily earn up to $100k per year.  Doesn’t make sense, does it?  There is this huge gap.

Take my personal experience for instance. When I started working as an engineer I was earning $42K per year.  It was my junior year and I was just starting out, so it was good money.  I was renting a place for $300 a month and had very few expenses.  I was living it up.  Life was good.

The after a couple of years I moved to Toronto and started earning $58k per year – a considerable jump, but with more job responsibility.  As I got better at my job, I eventually made more money.  Every 2-3 years I made considerable jumps in my income.  This made me feel good because I knew that I was worth the money, but it was a long time coming – over a period of 7 years in total.

Then something weird happened.  It was November 2008 and I decided to leave my job.  At the time I was grossing $70K per year.  I couldn’t explain it, but as I was leaving my “secure job” I was offered a role as an engineering consultant.  My income skyrocketed by another 43%!!!

Increasing Performance

Now it would be logical to assume that I was doing more work or had taken on more responsibility.  How else would I have earned that much more money, right?

The truth is that I was doing the same job in the same place with the same people.  The day-to-day work was exactly the same.  The only difference was that I was self-employed instead of being an employee.  I was a consultant and consultants just got paid more.

You could argue that this jump in income was because I decided to take the leap, to risk it all and become self-employed.  That partly makes sense, but it still doesn’t completely answer my question:

Why do you make the money that you do?

Skills and experience aside, I know some very capable people that could have done my job.  It wasn’t very hard.  There were a few critical skills I had acquired over the years, but nothing terribly complicated.

You could argue that it worked for me because I was confident in what I was doing; I knew that I could be successful as someone who was self-employed and that I believed in myself and my abilities.

There may be some truth in that statement as well, but to what end?  Is that really what it takes?  Do you just have to believe and know you can do it, then the money will start rolling in?

I doubt it.  The truth is that I know several people who believe in themselves and the work that they do.  They are highly skilled, but they would rather stay in a secure job than “risk it” to earn more money in a consulting role.  So maybe those human qualities don’t provide the whole answer.  So what does?

Unconscious Performance Limit

Some of you may know that I’m participating in Monique Gallagher’s Synchronicity of Power Training.  As part of this training, Monique teaches you to raise your unconscious performance limit.

Your unconscious performance limit is similar to the governor on a car.  A governor controls the speed of your car just like your unconscious performance limit controls the amount of income you could possibly earn in a given month.  Sometimes these limits are associated with beliefs that were formed when you were really young.  You can watch this video to see how beliefs are formed: Unconscious Mind Power

What’s really interesting is how this internal governor works. For example, you could be in a well paying job right now.  Let’s say your earning $100k per year for round numbers.  If you decided to get out of your current job and work in a related field (earning the same kind of money), you could probably do that without too much trouble.

But what if you decided to take your income and double it?

Your governor kicks in and says, “Ah-ha!  You can’t earn double what you’ve earned before.  You’ve never done that!  Don’t kid yourself.”  And then you go through all the painful states of self-sabotage the prevent you from achieving your goal.

Or maybe you decide to start a new business.  You’ve been successful and you believe in yourself.  You know that you can do it, but your governor says, “Ah-ha!  Nice try.  You don’t even know how to make money in that industry, what were you thinking?”

Either way, your internal governor (unconscious performance limit) has some control on your mental and emotional state.  And that prevents you from taking action so that you can earn the money you know you deserve … or is there more to it than that?

In other words:  why do you make the money that you do?

10 Comments

  • Dalibor ružić

    Reply Reply October 19, 2009

    I work on one software project, and all day life was good, then I try to figure how to do some unimportant but nice to have stuff. I didn’t figure it and my spirit was low.

    But reading your article figured out why I spend time and feel depressed about unimportant stuff. It’s my way to sabotage myself. Thanks. :)

  • KEN J MEAKIN

    Reply Reply October 21, 2009

    I quit my high paid job. I started a business but I could not make much money. I then tryed online business but never made any money. Since quitting my high paid job I have to take low paid jobs. In my high paid job the own of the business keeps getting richer in the millions each year.

  • Steve

    Reply Reply October 21, 2009

    Hi Ken,

    There is a great lesson in this. In my case I discovered that my unconscious performance limit working as an engineer is much higher (and different) than my unconscious performance limit for my capacity to earn money online. This has been a huge eye-opener for me.

    When some people talk about their financial blueprint, it doesn’t necessarily mean that blueprint is the same across the board; with every job or business that they pursue – it’s more specific to the work that you do – at least that has been my experience….

    Anyone else, have any thoughts on this?

  • Sejoo

    Reply Reply October 22, 2009

    No much idea on foreign countries’ situation, but here in Korea (my working location), generally we are paid according to the years,experiences we work.

    However, when it comes to a BONUS or incentive, the story is different. Taking my story for an instance.. when I had zero interest in the job, everything was terrible – (1)payment is too low considering the amount of what I work (2) all people around me in the office are boring and pick me on (3) my direct boss hates me…and so on.

    All was not true (oh, possibly true :-p)but every-time it disturbed my mood – not happy. While I thought that, I even didn’t know the company has any incentive program since I never received it. I can swear that I was not ‘hardly working’ because I don’t like it, my performance was pretty nice.

    I don’t know since when.. but I started to like the job there with the same job, same location, same people – no change, all stayed.
    And then I realized there’s incentive program by receiving it and people gave me a high praise. Wow, my yearly bonus reaches my yearly income.
    =================

    The thing Steve, you doubt -believe and know you can do it- is still my answer. I really don’t know other can replace that, at least I’m satisfied with that answer. :)

  • Steve

    Reply Reply October 22, 2009

    Hi Sejoo,

    Congratulations on your bonus!! I love to hear your success stories. Thanks for sharing it :-)

  • James Barton

    Reply Reply October 22, 2009

    This is a very important message and one I need to hear. It is so very very true….keep up the message as we all need to hear it. Our only limit is ourselves.

  • KEN J MEAKIN

    Reply Reply October 24, 2009

    Hi Steve
    Thankyou for your feed back. Last year I started a lower wage job than the one I quit 2 years ago. In the high paid job I did the work of 3 men as I am very fit and strong pysical and mental but I got stressed at times. Now in this low paid job I was happy , Had a swing in my step, very postive and part of a mastermind group. I never felt so good in all my life. This year I lost that job due to this so called recession planted in people’s mind. so my unconscious performance limits are fine.

  • Anshuman

    Reply Reply August 19, 2011

    Whenever i want to wake up early i find myself lazy on bed.How can i change my habit ?I WANT to wake up early at 5am.

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