Many people don’t understand how to achieve financial freedom, and sadly many more think that this dream is impossible.

But one of the key components to successful financial freedom is very simple!

Understanding the distinction between what you want and what you truly need.

This is not just about saving money, it is about reprogramming your financial mind, and your lifestyle choices, and ultimately, securing a future where your financial decisions give you the freedom that you need.

Free Read Version Here

Needs

Needs are essential for survival and basic comfort. These basic needs include:

Housing: A safe and comfortable place to live.

Food: Nutritious meals to keep you healthy.

Utilities: Electricity, water, and heat. *these are the most basic of needs and without these, everything else is pretty irrelevant. I am going to add mobile phone bill and internet to this because, in this day and age, it is very difficult to live without these essential technologies.

Clothing: Although protection from the elements is the most important factor, there are other requirements for most people, such as work clothing, and possibly a suit/outfit for interviews or formal occasions.

Healthcare: Access to medical services. This, of course, depends on where you live. Healthcare is free in numerous countries. However, if you live in a country without free health care, you’ll need decent medical insurance.

Wants

Wants, on the other hand, are desires that go beyond basic requirements. They might enhance your quality of life but are not vital for survival or everyday basic living.

Common wants are:

Luxury items: High-end electronics, designer clothes, or the latest new technology. You do need a phone, however you do not need the latest iPhone!

Entertainment: Movies, concerts, expensive hobbies. These things are 100% a luxury, not a right!

Travel: Vacations and holidays take a lot of money and are unnecessary if you do not have the money for them!

Dining out: Eating in restaurants or ordering things like coffee when you could cook and make coffee at home is one of the biggest financial drains most people have.

The confusion between wants and needs can lead to financial problems.

How do I solve this problem?

Budgeting: Your needs are more important than your wants! A budget based on needs rather than wants allows for savings and future investments.

Debt Management: Debts are usually from buying wants rather than needs. Understanding this can prevent unnecessary borrowing. You do not need that bigger TV so do not put it on the credit card. Clearing the debt created by want is a priority when wanting to become financially independent.

Savings and Investments: Money saved from not spending money on unneeded luxuries can be redirected into investments and other more important assets, such as your emergency fund.

Lifestyle Choices: Recognizing the difference between wants and needs helps in making lifestyle choices that support long-term goals over short-term pleasures or conveniences.

I will give you an example: When I first started working I would take the bus in the morning but walk the four miles home (weather depending). I also ate in the company canteen, which was relatively inexpensive rather than having lunch in the town or ordering takeout like many of my colleagues. I also drank instant coffee and brought my milk to work.

Just walking home rather than paying $3 for the bus saved me $60 a month not a massive amount I know but multiply that by how long I worked there which was ten months and that comes to around $600 saved minus those miserable rainy or cold days that I took the bus home.

Strategies to Differentiate and Decide

Pause and Reflect: “Is this a need or a want?” This simple question can lead to more mindful spending. Do I need it? Does the phone I already have work? Can I get this repaired rather than replaced?

The Two-Week Rule: For non-essential purchases, wait 14 days. This cooling-off period often reduces the urgency of wants, helping you decide if the item is truly worth the money.

Value Assessment: Evaluate how the item or service fits into your life. Will this in any way enrich me? How does this make my life easier? Can it save money or time?

Emergency Fund: Numerous people suggest at least three months’ salary as an emergency fund. I think three months is too much and probably not achievable when so many people live paycheck to paycheck. I would suggest being more realistic and aiming for $400 to $1000 in the bank as a safety net. This helps reduce the stress from unexpected expenses.

Quality Over Quantity: Sometimes, investing in a higher quality item that meets a need can save money in the long run because of its durability compared to cheaper, frequently replaced alternatives.

A good example of this is buying high-quality cotton socks. Yes, they are more expensive, however, they will last longer than cheap thin socks. They will not lose their shape when washed and will not get holes in them after three or four years. So, over time, you will save money.

Long-Term Benefits

Mastering the art of distinguishing between needs and wants:

Reduces Financial Stress: Knowing you’re not overspending on non-essentials can lower anxiety about money.

Increases Savings: More money can be diverted towards savings and investments.

Enhances Decision-Making: Better financial decision-making leads to a lifestyle that aligns with your objectives.

Promotes Satisfaction: There’s a profound satisfaction in achieving goals through disciplined spending, which often outweighs the temporary joy of impulsive buying.

I don’t know about you but I get more satisfaction when I have saved for something than if I just buy it on credit. The first part of this is waiting and counting my funds as I get closer to my goal. Second, I don’t have to pay back $95 a month to my credit card for the next three years.

Your journey to financial freedom will be difficult as you learn the difference between wants and needs. We want things! That’s who human beings are. We want things, and we want them NOW! This is how the credit card companies and the banks get rich by giving us the funds to buy now and pay later. But for many of us that’s not a good thing!

By making this distinction, not only do we protect our finances, but we also create a life where our resources are used in ways that provide lasting value and assets rather than debt and stress.

Financial freedom isn’t about denying pleasures but about choosing the correct time to indulge in those pleasures.

Thanks for reading!

Paul

A Key Component To Becoming Financially Free was originally published in ILLUMINATION on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I’ve heard so many people, both young and old, say I can’t get a better job because I don’t have the experience or the right skills.

Do you not? Really? Are you sure about that?

This is where Transferable Skills come in.

Free non-member version HERE

What are transferable skills?

Well, as the sentence hints at basically it is being able to transfer one skill from one situation and apply it to another.

All jobs have something in common, even schooling gives you quite a lot of transferable skills. This is the reason we go to school! More on this in a future post.

So let me give you an example. You have worked at McDonald’s or any fast-food chain and now you want to work in a bank. How are the skills you learned from what’s considered a pretty low-skilled job transferable to work in a bank as a cashier (teller)?

Cash Handling

McDonald’s: Managed cash registers dealing with customer payments and ensuring correct change was given.

Bank: This experience translates directly into processing customer transactions accurately and quickly.

The only real difference is you are changing burgers for money. That’s simple, really.

Banks have a very simple method of Credit and Debit. Credit goes into the customer’s account (out of your till) And debit goes into a customer’s account (into your till) At the end of your day, the Credit and Debit should be equal to the amount of money going in and out.

Customer Service

McDonald’s: Front-line interaction with a wide variety of customers, taking orders, handling complaints, and ensuring customer satisfaction.

Bank: Similar to taking orders for food, you are now having account inquiries, resolving issues, and providing a high level of service to maintain customer trust.

Sales and Promotions:

McDonald’s: Encourage customers to try combo meals or additional items, this increases sales. Usually, combination meals are a preferred way to get the customer to pay that little bit more than they were planning to.

Bank: Useful for introducing banking products or services such as credit cards and loans, enhancing customer engagement, and potentially boosting the bank’s business. When I worked at a bank, we received a commission to persuade customers to get new credit cards, switch their mortgages and loans to us and also buy insurance through our partners.

Problem Solving:

McDonald’s: Quickly addressed customer complaints, food preparation issues, or operational hiccups like equipment malfunctions. The dreaded ice cream machine doesn’t work again.

Bank: Important for resolving transaction errors, addressing customer concerns, or dealing with unexpected situations. One of my duties was to fill the ATMs on a Friday because the bank I worked at was in a holiday town which was pretty notorious for the ATMs running empty. No worse thing in the world than to get a call on a Sunday morning telling you that you have to go fill the machines.

Inventory Management:

McDonald’s: Managed food stock levels, ensuring freshness and availability, and minimizing waste.

Bank: While not dealing with physical inventory, this skill can help in managing cash drawer limits or understanding the flow of banking materials.

For example: making sure there were enough coin bags brought from the vault so the local restaurants and businesses could make change.

Time Management

McDonald’s: Efficiently handled order-taking, preparation, and service during peak hours.

Bank: Crucial for managing workflow during busy banking hours. Lunch times were a nightmare, as were Monday mornings and Friday afternoons.

Teamwork

McDonald’s: Working closely with crew members to ensure smooth restaurant operations, from kitchen to counter.

Bank: Collaboration with other tellers, managers, and back-office staff is key to bank operations. Passing on potentially important customers to the VIP team was a crucial part of this.

Adaptability:

McDonald’s: Adapted to different roles within the restaurant, from cashier to drive-thru, and any new promotions such as limited-time burgers.

Bank: The ability to adapt to various banking tasks or new financial products and services. Covering for other people on the floor, helping customers use machines and so on.

In essence, the skills honed at McDonald’s could provide a solid foundation for a career in banking.

Remember, the cashiers are the lowest rung on the banking ladder, but it’s a start to a career.

The assistant manager at my branch had started as a cashier, the bank recognized that she was intelligent and driven, the bank helped her to obtain qualifications, (one day a week at a physical college and an online degree course) and at twenty-seven she was an assistant manager after starting on the tills at twenty-one. Which is not bad if you think that she was also getting paid during that time and the bank paid her tuition costs and gave her one day off a week to go to college.

The reason I used the McDonald’s job as the example is because I wanted you to understand that there’s no such thing as a useless job. All jobs give you something. Maybe that something is hidden until you think about it.

So think about what skills you’ve learned either at work or school. How can those skills be transferred to different jobs?

Thanks for reading.

Paul

Transferable Skills: Transforming Your Work History into Your Future was originally published in ILLUMINATION on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Although traditional paper books still sell globally more than e-books. There is a benefit to only publishing digital books. If you are self-published and selling on a site such as Amazon, then e-books are going to outsell physical books by a massive margin. I generally sell 10 e-books to 1 paperback per month. Some of my books have never even sold in a physical format. Most of them aren’t even available as a paper book!

Why is this?

Mostly it’s about the changes in reading and readers. Many people aren’t reading long nonfiction books. People want quick answers and directions on how to do something. Most don’t want to read long passages of someone’s experience, life, work history, education and thank you’s to whoever.

Give me the information or I am not reading any further and I am certainly not buying another book from you.

In the past, short published guides were simply not financially viable. The non-standard print cost alone would put most publishers off, and if they did publish, the cost of that would be put on the buyer. And who wants to pay for a ten-page guide at a higher cost than a full book?

But e-books are pretty much free to publish, with absolutely no material cost at all.

A 10,000–20,000-word range for an e-book is around 20 to 30 pages. Not a lot, seeing as the average nonfiction book has almost 10 times that amount!

You can sell these kinds of short guides for 99c. Nice and cheap.

This also allows you to write more than one book on the same subject. Create a series of short books and even put collections of several short guides together to create a whole book for traditional printing.

Bonus it takes a lot less time to write them, too!

Thanks for reading

Paul

The Future of Self-Publishing: Why E-books Lead the Pack was originally published in ILLUMINATION on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I write pretty quickly, I get an idea and write until I am done. That, of course, is most of the work done.

What takes me longer is the editing, formatting and adding images. Especially the rewrites! I rewrite and edit a lot! But all in all, I spend around thirty minutes from start to finish.

So this is how I go about it.

Free read version here for none members

The idea

I have an idea such as “I wonder how fast other people write”

Where do I get my ideas from? In this case, someone on X or Twitter, if you prefer, was saying they write on average 5,000 words a day and I was wondering how much of that is actually usable.

So, this became the basis of the idea.

Plotting

How am I going to do this? What points do I want to make? So I came up with all the points I need to write an article and how quickly I can do it.

The Writing

This post is relatively easy as I am writing an article on writing an article so. I just write out my normal structure.

The structure is what gives me what I need to write. Those titles are the hints for the post.

The Edit

This whole piece took five minutes to write before the edit.

I have two steps with editing.

One, I put the piece through Grammarly, and then ProWritingAid.

Two, I reread it to make sure it makes sense because sometimes the writing software changes spelling to the wrong word or removes things that need to be there.

Images

I mostly use Unsplash because it’s the easiest to use. But I might also screenshot or if I really need something I can’t find, I will use Stable Diffusion AI to create it.

I use the names of the subtitles to find the image I want. The pictures break up the text to give the article less of a blocky look.

Extras

If you are publishing on Medium, you have a few more steps to take.

First, make sure you include a Title and Subtitle!

Second, the Cover image. This is the image that readers see first.

Third, you can add five Topics, use all five and don’t forget some Publications have the requirement that their name be one of the topics.

Last but not least. SEO description. I have AI do this for me.

“write me an SEO description for this article “COPY PASTE ARTICLE” of 175 words”

Total writing time

The total writing time from the beginning to the end of this article was 25 minutes.

Thanks for reading.

Paul

I Wrote This Is Five Minutes! was originally published in ILLUMINATION on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Have you ever thought of turning your passion into profit? It’s more achievable than you think. Many hobbies with a little thought and planning can be turned into side hustles or even full-time businesses.

Free version here

Here are 15 hobbies with the potential to generate income. Whether you’re a creative soul, hands-on and great at DIY, or are an adventurous spirit, there’s an opportunity waiting for you.

Creative Pursuits

1. Writing: If you love writing stories, articles, or poems, freelance writing or starting a blog could be a great way to earning extra money.

2. Drawing and Painting: Artistic talent can be monetized by selling your work online or through local galleries. There’s also a lot of commission work out there for illustrators, book cover creators and more!

3. Reading: Yep! Readers can make their pastime into dollars by sharing their passion and starting a book review blog or video channel. Also, many online magazines and companies love reviews and many more are willing to pay for them! Consider becoming a paid Beta reader for writers and authors.

4. Photography: You can earn money by selling stock photos, freelancing, or teaching photography.

Hands-On Hobbies

5. Woodworking: Building stunning pieces of furniture or home decor and sell them for a profit in such places like eBay and Etsy. Also consider teaching woodwork, making tips & Tricks style videos for TikTok or YouTube.

6. Cooking and Baking: Indulge your culinary talents while turning a profit by selling freshly made food at local markets or even online.

7. Gardening: Indoor mature plants are a great way to make money, especially if you break into the exotic market! You can also start a gardening blog, or offer consulting and garden design services.

Active Lifestyles

8. Sports: Love sports? Consider coaching, teaching football (soccer) classes, for example, is a great way to start your own business. Also consider starting a sports-related blog or how-to channel.

9. Traveling: Document the places you visit and earn money through a travel blog, freelance travel writing or your own Vlog.

10. Fitness: Share your fitness knowledge by becoming a personal trainer, fitness instructor, fitness consultant or creating online fitness content. Consider night school to earn some certificates in the fitness area. Yoga, personal trainer, Pilates teacher, and many more.

Intellectual Pursuits

11. Video Editing: If you have video editing skills, you can offer your services to individuals or businesses. Again, this is something that does well on YouTube! Believe me, good editors are hard to find!

12. Online Poker: For those who are good at strategy and can take calculated risks, online poker could be a profitable hobby. You don’t need to be a high roller or have hundreds of thousands in your account to make fairly decent money.

13. Fishing: Share your love of fishing by leading fishing tours on your local waters. Teaching others the art of angling if you are an experienced and constant catcher is also an unusual but in demand career.

14. Online Tutoring: If you excel in a particular subject, consider sharing your knowledge by offering online tutoring services. Online language teachers are always in demand.

15. Music or singing: Being a singing teacher or giving music lessons, selling original music, or working as a freelance musician can be profitable for people who enjoy music as a hobby.

It’s extremely surprising what people will actually pay for! And how easily a hobby can turn into an income stream. From art to traveling, there are countless hobbies that can be turned into profitable ventures.

My advise would be first to research and learn how to turn your free time activity into a business, before pursuing it any further.

Thanks for reading!

Paul

15 Hobbies That Can Actually Make You Money was originally published in ILLUMINATION on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Many people really want their blog posts to be on that crucial first page. I didn’t even think about this when writing any of my stuff. I have an idea for an article, which is something that I find interesting, that I like doing, or find annoying, that hits me. And then I sit down and write about whatever it is. In this case, I was getting tired of reading AI-written drivel. And I thought

“OK, hang on. I can tell if something was written by AI, but maybe I am the only one!”

I admit I didn’t think I was the only one, but I wondered about this for a while. If these AI posts are being read, then probably a lot of people don’t know they are created by AI and not an actual writer.

So, how do I know that a post was written by AI? And there came the idea.

How To Detect An AI Written Article

Anyway, apparently, being on the first page of Google search is somewhat of a big deal. I didn’t know this until reading a post specifically on how to get your articles and posts on the first page of a search engine! My article is also on the first page of Yahoo and Bing.

So what happened? The sky rained champagne, gold sprouted out of the ground, and my life became unrecognizable. Not really, actually, a big fat. Nothing happened. AT FIRST.

And then the reads came pouring in! And I mean pouring, I was shocked at how well the post did and it still gets comments and claps every day. To date, it has had 24k reads, 13.7k claps, and 345 comments.

How did this happen?

I can only really speculate about this because I am not an expert in SEO.

I think one of the main reasons was the title pretty much did exactly what it said on the box. “How To Detect An AI Written Article”

The piece was timely and tapped into a growing concern among writers and content creators about the rise of AI-generated content. It addressed a hot topic that was all over social media and provided some useful tips for readers to detect AI-written articles.

Was this luck? I would like to say ‘No, it wasn’t’ but in a way it was. All those AI-written blog posts and articles were bugging me as much as they were bugging others, and that created the post.

And now the only question is… can I do it again?

Thanks for reading.

Paul

My Article On The First Page of Google was originally published in ILLUMINATION on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The world of art is under attack!

None members can read this article HERE

There has been an influx of people in the art world creating works of art using AI programs such as Midjourney or Stable Diffusion. The rise of the “AI Artist” and I use the term “artist” extremely loosely here! A better description would be “Prompt Creator”

These individuals have been using machines to create artwork and taking work away from real artists. And that is a problem!

While AI-generated art can look amazing, it’s crucial to understand the difference between the brushstrokes of a real painter and the algorithms of a computer program.

So what’s the problem? I hear you say or even comment!

One of the main concerns is that AI art is generated from data sets that the algorithm is trained on, including copyrighted works without permission from the original creators.

Another big problem is the same as with the people who use AI to write and that is they do not declare that their “Work” was created by a machine. Now, this is because the creator knows that people do not want to pay money for something that is AI-created. After all, why would people pay for something that they could make themselves?

I want my book cover designed by an artist NOT a computer. I hire someone to design my book cover, I pay them then I notice a few things wrong with the image. Really? I paid for you to write a prompt?

I do use AI art for a few things! Usually, when I can’t find the image that I want, I have a program create it for me. Like in this article.

Before we go on.

Yes, I know that AI art is developing rapidly. Yes, I also know that AI art detectors are not infallible and do make mistakes just like the AI writing detectors. But if you use this guide along with the AI detectors, then you’ll have a pretty clear idea that the work was created by a computer and not an artist.

So here’s my guide to spotting AI art.

Physical Signs of AI Art

AI art is great at photorealism and intricate details, but it can have a few problems with the subtler aspects.

Here’s what to keep an eye out for!

The Curse of the hands and feet

For whatever reason, AI has issues with hands and feet. Although the fingers might look good at first, there are often too many or not enough digits. Surely your supercomputer brain can count 1 2 3 4 5 on each hand or foot?

Many times, perfect fingers or toes might have odd proportions or extra joints. There are LORAS out there that correct this to some extent but the problem still persists.

Faces

AI is pretty good at rendering faces, but they might be too perfect and show a lack of emotion or woodenness. Also, natural blemishes that an artist might put in do not exist.

And speaking of faces. AI struggles in crowds. When you see a picture of more than three people, look for blurry faces in the background, where the AI prioritized detail in the foreground rather like a camera focuses on the person at the front but not the person at the back.

Eye Spy

Eyes are particularly tricky for AI. Look for eyes that look off in different directions, and have unusual pupil shapes or sizes. Usually, AI-created eyes lack natural colour, reflections, or proper tear ducts. Again, background characters often show defects in this case.

Material Mishaps

The devil is in the details. Textures like hair, fur, or clothing folds might appear strangely uniform or look unnatural. Pay attention to jewellery or accessories. They might be missing details, look oddly attached, or floating.

Also, check fingers and arms when something is being held, like a sword or a gun. Often, the item will morph into the hand and look like it is sticking out rather than being held.

Light and Shadow

Look for inconsistencies in lighting, like shadows where they shouldn’t be, a lack of depth, or light sources that defy physics. The sun in behind something but there’s no shadow!

The Telltale Blur

Zoom in on the picture. Crisp clean lines are a human artist’s friend, while AI can leave details slightly blurred or again blended. This can be especially noticeable in complex backgrounds, such as a forest or intricate patterns.

The Surreal Subject

Watch out for dreamlike landscapes, impossible creatures, or odd curves and angles. This is more obvious in scenes that have too many objects or elements.

The Glitch in the Matrix

Complex patterns or repeating elements can show inconsistencies, such as when there are stripes, grids, or other repeating motifs. The lines won’t be straight or there will be a vertical when everything else is horizontal.

Unnatural Colors

AI art can have colours that are over-saturated or unrealistic, especially skin tones! Many times it uses colours close to true but are a little off. That red rose is a little too red for example.

Beyond the Canvas: Online Resources

Technology can lend a helping hand! While not foolproof, these AI detection sites can offer some insight:

AI Art Detector: A free online tool that uses machine learning to detect AI-generated art. (Irony)

AI Art Check: A website that uses AI to identify AI-generated art. (I love the fact that they use AI to detect AI)

AI Art Identifier: A tool that uses machine learning to identify AI-generated art.

Is It AI: Analyze images for the likelihood of AI generation. Free for basic use, with paid plans for higher volume. I used this site for this article. I am not associated with the website.

Final Note

AI art is a powerful and useful tool for creators, but it’s not a replacement for a real artist. Many websites are now banning AI-created art. Also, many writers, editors and professionals in other industries are not accepting AI-created cover art, pictures or images. They are using software to detect if an image has been created using artificial means.

As the AI gets better at creating so the detectors will get better at detecting. I believe this is going to be an industry all on its own!

Thanks for reading.

Paul

How To Detect An AI Written Article

How to Detect AI-Created Art was originally published in ILLUMINATION on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Another rage post!

This has been every single day on at least one of my posts I am getting spam messages to follow people, read their articles, join some website, email them, mailing lists, or I want you to write for us.

Mostly these spam messages are from non-members but also from some members, especially the begs for me to read their posts.

Before we go on guys, if you don’t already know, asking people to read your stuff is NOT a good marketing strategy. Especially when your articles are about saving the whale or something and I write about writing, making money and building a brand!

Just stop already!

I will read your article if it

A. Fits in with my interests.

B. I already follow you and it fits in with my interests.

No, I am not going to email you. If you want to get in contact with me my Twitter (X) is in my profile.

Spam bots?

I do expect a certain amount of spam, but this is getting ridiculous! I am getting spam on almost every single post.

And I do report and block anything spammy simply because I hope that something is done about it. I have no idea if anything is ever done as I block the account. But I report it anyway and so should you.

I always wonder if these messages are from bots or real people. If real people, then that is a lot of work for very little in return. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I have never replied, added someone or gone to their website from an unsolicited link.

Also, remember there are some bogus accounts using successful author’s names and inviting you to pay for a premium Discord channel on the promise that they will teach you to write. IT’S A SCAM! No writer is going to put something like that in the comments! They will have that kind of product linked in the article.

My advice

If this happens to you, report and block. Don’t leave a comment in your section or on your wall for other people to get conned by and whatever you do NEVER follow any links.

Thanks for reading.

Paul

I Am Fed Up With Spam & Scams Online was originally published in ILLUMINATION on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Which do you think is better? Hard work or smart work?

We’ve all heard people say “You must work hard to be successful” or “work smarter, not harder.”

I believe the key to success lies in using both of these philosophies.

The Power of Hard Work

There’s a reason why hard work and diligence are valued. People think hard work builds character, resilience, and a deeper understanding of your job or craft. They also believe that persistence, like learning from mistakes, and refining skills is the key to success.

In fact, I’ve often heard people saying you can’t succeed without failure. And then they spout off about Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and so on. But they don’t really understand the lesson behind working hard.

The work hard idea is bad thinking. The whole you must suffer to be successful is not always the right mindset to have.

Imagine a boxer that only works on his right punch THE KO PUNCH! They have a one punch KO right hand! However, this is not enough to be the heavyweight champion of the world. Well, it won’t last for long anyway. They need more than that hard work they put in to getting that punch just right.

The Efficiency of Smart Work

But simply putting in the hours and the sweat isn’t enough. Smart work is about maximizing your time and effort. It’s about streamlining, identifying the most effective methods, and using the best tools and technology.

The boxer who works hard to develop footwork drills, learns defense, practices a combination of different punches to become a more rounded athlete still might not be good enough to win a title. They will need a trainer to show them where they are going wrong, a nutritionist to create the best possible diet to feed the body, a modern gym with the equipment to build the muscle and stamina that a boxer needs, and competent sparring partners to develop their ring craft. This is what we call working hard and smart!

The Winning Combination

Think of hard work as the engine that drives you forward, and smart work as the steering wheel which controls the car and guides it to the right destination.

Prioritize Ruthlessly

Some people work hard but waste their effort because of lack of direction. Smart work involves prioritizing tasks, focusing on high-impact activities, and eliminating time wasting.

Continuous Learning

The work and business world is constantly changing, and you should change your approach to it.

Hard work fuels the dedication to learn new skills and stay updated.

Smart work helps you identify the most effective skills to acquire.

Measure Your Progress

Both hard work and smart work require ongoing evaluation. keeping track of your progress to identify areas that you need to improve upon will help with working smart.

And Finally

Don’t fall into the trap of choosing sides. You don’t have to only work hard or work smart. If you try only to do one, then more likely you will fail.

Many creators, entrepreneurs and even influencers gave up because they found that their idea of working smart and not hard just doesn’t work.

By combining the tested idea of working hard and the often quoted principle of working smart, you’ll achieve more, reach your goals faster, and have an easier time than just doing one or the other.

Thanks for reading.

Paul

Work Hard Or Work Smart? was originally published in ILLUMINATION on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

First, you don’t need millions of readers. I have just over 2000 followers (at the time of writing) And I get a lot of reads on some posts and a few on others.

But saying that being a creditable writer will soon gain followers and increase your reach. This I believe is something that we all strive for.

Here is the method that I use across my different writing to show the reader that I am indeed a creditable real writer.

Don’t try to punch above your weight

For example, the three posts that have done really well on Medium have been articles that I just came up with. Not viral copies, I didn’t research them, I just wrote them.

Those subjects that I researched that were “Trending” had a few reads because you know what? Bigger writers had already covered them! And I mean bigger, more credible writers!

I was competing with the big punchers for the same prize! I know writing is not a competition, and many people read articles on the same subject by different authors. But how many posts is one person willing to read on “How to gain followers on Twitter?”

I found it was better to have my unique blogs rather than following the crowd.

How To Detect An AI Written Article

Personal while being professional

Being personal and also being professional is a good way to be credible. A few fun anecdotes in a piece are great, but saying HEY GUYS and being all fun and jokes doesn’t seem to work so well. Unless, of course, you are writing a comedy piece, then go at it.

Trying to be an expert or not

The fact is very few of us are experts. We write about our experiences. Not everyone knows everything and even the experts have gaps in their knowledge and sometimes are just plain wrong. We are people, after all!

Do not use AI

If you want to destroy your credibility as a writer, one of the fastest ways to do it is to use AI to create your work. People will soon learn that you are lazy and not a real writer to avoid you! Also on Medium, you can not put AI writing in the Partner Program and make money from it. (Although I am not sure how Medium polices this)

Error Free

This is a bit of a weird one but to be honest, if you have lots of mistakes in grammar, spelling and so on. People will think

THIS PERSON IS NOT A WRITER!

Having well-written blogs with correct grammar and spelling will validate you as a writer. This is the job! Writing is a job and to do a job well, you must do the job well!

Extra Tip: Getting the length right

Shorter articles seem to do better. 3 to 4-minute read times for me at least have been a lot more successful than shorter or longer pieces. If your reader knows you aren’t going to write long-winded posts, then they are more likely to read something of yours.

Thanks for reading.

Paul

How To Be A Creditable Writer was originally published in ILLUMINATION on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.