Emmanuel Donkor

“When you do more than you get paid for eventually, you’ll be paid for more than you do.” – Zig Ziglar

In order to make more money, start giving away value. Whether it’s time, skills, or knowledge, there is value in you, and probably a lot more than you’re getting paid for. So, why put more effort in a job where you’re already underpaid? “What’s the value of gold if it’s never taken out of the ground?”

Here are three reasons why giving is the way to receive:

1. YOUR EMPLOYER CAN’T SEE WHAT YOU FAIL TO PRESENT
In most cases, your employer doesn’t know what your worth is. They’ve simply given you a task that most people with your resume could complete. A general role for a general wage. And you’ve accepted that– until now. If you want to earn an exceptional wage, start doing more than you’re paid for, and not just at work. Make it a habit to go the extra mile. You’re going to feel great about it, and eventually, someone’s going to notice. Either your employer will detect when he or she sees efficiency increase or may notice you working late, either way, you stand out. “Obscurity is a bigger problem than money.” Add value, get known, get a raise. Repeat.

“I’ve never seen a “part-time” super successful, high performance person” – Dan Pena also known as The 50 Billon Dollar
2. PERSONAL GROWTH IS A WELCOME SIDE EFFECT
When over-achievement is your mantra, you will strive to be the best and seek out new skills and qualifications. Developing your skills further than those around you, who do the bare minimum, will help you establish a valuable reputation for having extra knowledge and skills.

“Suppose that you wished to develop a strong right arm, and suppose that you tried to do so by tying the arm to your side with a rope, thus taking it out of use and giving it a long rest. Would disuse bring strength, or would it bring atrophy and weakness, resulting, finally in you being compelled to have the arm removed? You know that if you wished a strong right arm you could develop such an arm only by giving it the hardest sort of use. Out of great resistance comes strength!” - Napoleon Hill

“The starting point of all achievement is DESIRE. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat.” ― Napoleon Hill

So take pride in your work, and always strive to improve. The more skilled you become, the more you will be worth, and the more you prove that, the more you will be paid.

3. GIVING IS CONTAGIOUS
When you have developed a habit of going the extra mile in every situation, you begin to feel the joy of achievement. Whether it’s your family, your friends, or your partner, you will begin to receive a similar level of effort from the people around you. You will notice that people will go out of their way to help you, and offer their service. Not only does giving extra cost you nothing, but it improves your mood, your relationships and your destiny. It probably won’t revolutionize the world, but giving more definitely causes ripple effects.

“Outstanding isn’t a skill – It’s a standard. It’s HEART!” – Peter Sage
Focus your attention on adding value to everything that you do, even if it’s unpaid. Instead of thinking of your extra effort as bartering, think about it as making a deposit into a future account. Each day we make deposits to at some point extract benefits, though we never know how or when that will happen.

What is known is that when you’ve made enough deposits, you can live on interest. So take advantage of every opportunity to give and improve. By doing so, you will be guaranteeing success by creating added value.