Ways to Make Money – Lessons Learned From Jobs I’ve Done
I was reading over Yaro’s business timeline and it got me thinking about how I got to this point of my life. Yaro’s version, I printed it out, is about 17 pages long and I’m a lot older than he is, so I’m going to have to edit the story dramatically or Greenpeace will be after me for needlessly killing forests … and we wouldn’t want that.
Therefore, what I decided to do was to look back at all the various ways that I have earned money in my life and see what skills and lessons I’ve taken from each one.
Here’s what to look forward to in the coming days [no not weeks].
- Dodging cars, dogs and bullies to make a couple bucks a week
- Always look busy, but don’t work too hard
Duradeck Installer
- From $6/hr to $50/hr subcontractor
Waiter / Bartender
- A taste of the underground economy
Tree Faller
- Sorry Mr. Greenpeace, but the money was great
- Cutting concrete at 20 below zero
Screenwriter
- Never sign a contract where you get paid after the words “Net Revenue.”
Wood Furniture Artist to Picture Framer
- “What do you make?” I asked the 70 year old man standing in front of me. “Mostly sawdust” he replied.
- Part One – The Make or Break Decision, my chance to go big and get rich…did I pull it off?
Systems Analyst
- My brief career as Dilbert
Online Entrepreneur
- The last couple years trying to play nice with Google wearing hats of various shades of gray.
That should keep me busy for a while. There were some meaningful lessons learned in each and every one of those jobs. The time-spans spent in the jobs range from one day to 11 years.
Obviously, I’ve been cursed with a rather short term view of things career wise and only now, in my mid forties am I getting the value of taking a longer term outlook on making money.
It’s like I said to a friend of mine recently, you may not be committed to anything beyond getting out of bed the next day [he has suffered from the same job cycling syndrome as me], but despite that you probably are going live for 35 or 40 more years; so commitment is not really an issue. You are committed to having to earn enough for food and clothing a shelter for a long time to come, whether you like it or not.
If you take a wise approach to it the path can be made a lot easier.
I know that I have got it now and I do take a long term view and know that sticking with one direction is the easiest way to leverage my time to greater earnings.
A look back at all the mistakes made and valuable lessons learned seems to be really appropriate right now and I hope you find it interesting and informative.
Please do join in on your site and send me a link – even it’s just one post. I’ll save them all up and include them all at the end, or on each post if there are enough.
Watch for the Paper Route…coming soon,
- Jon Symons
Update:
- Kimber from No Limits Ladies has joined in with Selling Vegetables to City Folks.
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Comments ( 10 )
[...] P.S. this article is a part of my “Ways I’ve Made Money” series. Bookmark this story so others can enjoy it: reddit_url=’http://www.artofmoney.org/business/ways-to-make-money-a-paperboy/’ [...]
Ways to Make Money - A Paperboy | Art Of Money added these pithy words on Jan 09 07 at 9:59 am[...] P.S. this article is a part of my “Ways I’ve Made Money†series. Bookmark this story so others can enjoy it: reddit_url=’http://www.artofmoney.org/rat-race/ways-to-make-money-construction-worker/’ [...]
Ways to Make Money - Construction Worker | Art Of Money added these pithy words on Jan 13 07 at 7:43 pm[...] I first began training as a bartender (yes, I’ve had a lot of different jobs) I remember the person training me giving me hell for being disorganized as I washed the glassware. [...]
How to Make Money With Your Blog · Art Of Money added these pithy words on Apr 03 07 at 5:28 amKimber added these pithy words on Jan 05 07 at 7:12 amI think this is a brilliant idea!
I’ll join in at No Limits Ladies.
Should I be linking to this first post?
Will you go back and link your job titles to all your subsequent posts (use it as a table of contents)?
Jon added these pithy words on Jan 05 07 at 7:32 amGreat Kimber, yes link back to this story…maybe others will join in; I think it would be fun to read a bunch of peoples stories.
Yes, I’m going to turn every job title above to a link to a story. At the end I’ll do a summary and link to them all again. I’ll put a link to anyone else who particpates on this story and the summary.
Kimber added these pithy words on Jan 05 07 at 7:52 amMy first post will be live tomorrow. I plan to make this a continuing series (every weekend post one) so you should get links for months to come.
I’m smelling eBook and I’d participate (for a plug).
Iva added these pithy words on Aug 02 07 at 3:38 amGreat Idea! I started off with the humble paper route too.. Start earning at a young age and learn how to save and it sets you up for life!
Earn directory added these pithy words on Apr 13 08 at 8:09 amreally interested post i used to work different job before playing with google
tony ahumuza added these pithy words on Dec 10 08 at 11:43 ami did my time at my own business for two years until my landlord thought he could do better! was my first biz and learnt alot
tony ahumuza added these pithy words on Jan 07 09 at 1:10 pmsomethings work out others don’t. but thats the beauty of life and the lessons therein. however fallin in the same mistakes/pitfalls is the dilema tto be avoided