These things don't solve themselves
Gallup ( a highly respected and leading research
organization) polls reveal the following regarding what professionals desire:
A significant increase in income or benefits
64% said "very important"
Greater work-life balance and better personal wellbeing
61%
The ability to do what they do best
58%
Statistics also show that over 60% consistently find it difficult to "make ends meet" and "live paycheck to paycheck"
There are some universally common reasons that such a substantial number share these issues.
1) They have accepted an income structure that, in the large percentage of circumstances, does not provide any ability to scale or earn more.
2) This income structure, by design, channels prosperity to benefactors other than those providing the labor
3) The knowledge, skills, experience, and performance of the earner is inconsequential. The transaction is the wholesale exchange of time in blocks of typically one hour. The payer for this time is provided complete control of each hour including, what is done, how much is done, how it is done, where it is done, if it is done (meaning that there is no option to decline work), and other parameters.
4) With rare exceptions, the trajectory of prosperity is long, slow, and low.
5) While each and every person possesses the ability to have complete control over their career and overall work/life balance, the majority turn this control over to others and endure an inequitable transaction. Often throughout the entirety of ones career.
6) The single most common reason for the previous is, that while enduring disadvantage and the insecurity and instability inherent in the arrangement, they in fact equate the "comfort" as a "gain" (while it is an exceptionally long pattern of loss) and perceive change as a risk of loss, when in fact it has the best chance for gain and more expediently than very modest incremental "wage increases".
Studies show that this is how many prioritize perceived "risk" without fact based support. While over time, the potential loss and other consequences (stress, health, time sacrifice, and more) is greater however the "familiar" is perceived as security and any change to that is perceived as risk. Both involve risk. However, the unfamiliar is perceived as greater and unacceptable risk, even when it has far more options to reduce risk and increase gain and can be accomplished with approaches and strategies that provide extremely low, if not no, risk.
Some examples are:
Many will spend significant time, effort, and hundreds into thousands of dollars speculating that an additional certification will result in a financial gain. The overwhelming percentage realize no return on the investment or far less than anticipated.
While the highest percentage will invest 40 hours a week creating greater prosperity for others than for themselves, and too often at perilous discomfort, the investment of even an hour a week in their own prosperity is dismissed.
