I want to share a mindset shift that helped me move from a $30,000-a-year mindset to a six-figure mindset. Quick disclaimer: I am not a financial expert. What I am sharing is the set of questions I had to ask myself to transform how I thought about income.

What you’ll learn in this post

By the end, you’ll be able to:

• Stop picking income goals that sound good, and start choosing numbers that support your actual goals
• Identify two mindset traps that keep people stuck: money shame and misplaced loyalty
• Use written prompts to calculate what you truly need across health, relationships, environment, debt, savings, and purpose
• Leave with a simple way to turn money into a tool instead of a stressor

This is not your typical “make a budget” conversation. Budgets matter, yes. But this post is about your mindset toward income, because mindset decides whether your budget becomes a cage or a plan.

The first shift: Stop choosing income goals that impress people

Let’s make this plain:

Your income goal should never be “because it sounds good to somebody else.”
Your income goal should be: “This is what I want to make because this is what it’s going to take to support my goals.”

That is the mindset.

I did not aim higher just to say I did. I did it because it took that level of income to support the life I was trying to build at the time.

Writing Prompt: Tell the truth about your number

Write this out, do not just think it:

1. The income number I’ve been aiming for is: __________________________
2. If I’m honest, I picked that number because: _________________________
3. The goals that number is supposed to support are: ____________________
4. The real number I need is closer to: __________

The second shift: Stop feeling “greedy” for wanting more

A lot of us carry a quiet belief that it is bad to want more money, like it makes you selfish.

Here is the reframe I need you to hold onto: It is not about wanting more. It is about having enough to sustain your peace, health, and happiness, not just your necessities.

Because life is more than survival:

• health
• family
• friendships
• education
• your child’s future
• your home environment
• your purpose
• your peace

All of that costs money. Not because money is the point, but because money is a tool.

Writing Prompt: Identify where you’ve been shrinking your desires

1. Something I want but feel guilty wanting is: _________________________
2. The reason I’ve labeled it “too much” is: ___________________________
3. If money is a tool, this desire would support my life by: ______________
4. The cost of continuing to go without it is: __________________________

A practical bridge: Ideas for earning extra income without abandoning your life

This is the part where many people get discouraged. They do the math, realize the number is bigger than they expected, and instantly think, “Well, I guess that is not possible for me.”

Pause right there.

A bigger number does not mean you are failing or not good enough. It means you are getting clear. And clarity gives you options.

Before we talk about loyalty and jobs, I want to give you a few realistic ways to create income movement. Not hustle-yourself-into-burnout ideas. Real options that work with your current season.

Option 1: Raise your value where you already are

Sometimes the fastest income increase is not starting over, it is getting properly compensated for what you already do.

• Ask for a raise with specific outcomes you deliver
• Negotiate a promotion or expanded scope tied to pay (research competitive pay for roles at similar companies)
• Present a business case that connects your work to revenue saved, revenue earned, time reduced, or risk avoided

Writing Prompt

• Three measurable outcomes I deliver right now are: ____________________
• The business value of those outcomes is: _____________________________
• The ask I am willing to make is: ____________________________________

Option 2: Add a small, repeatable income stream

This is where people overcomplicate things. You do not need ten side hustles. You need one simple stream that is repeatable.

Examples:

• Offer a service you already know how to do in a packaged way (a set price, a clear deliverable)
• Freelance one skill you already use in your job (writing, design, admin, systems, social media, ops)
• Choose unskilled labor you can do at your leisure, like DoorDash or Instacart, Rover (pet sitting), lawn mowing, or snow shoveling

Writing Prompt

• One flexible income option I can start quickly is: ______________________
• The days and times I can realistically do this are: ______________________
• My weekly income goal from this is: _________________________________

Option 3: Reduce money leaks so your income can breathe

Sometimes it is not only “make more.” Sometimes it is “stop bleeding.”

• Audit subscriptions
• Renegotiate bills (insurance, phone, internet)
• Adjust spending to support health and stability, not just convenience

Writing Prompt

• The category where money leaks the most is: __________________________
• One change I can make this month is: ________________________________
• The amount I could redirect toward goals is: _________________________

Option 4: Change jobs altogether

Sometimes the most strategic move is not to squeeze more out of a situation that has hit its ceiling. Sometimes it is to change jobs altogether.

And that leads us to the next shift.

The third shift: Loyalty to a company won’t protect you

Loyalty is a beautiful quality, but it is not a great thing to give to a company you do not own, especially if it is not helping you fulfill your goals or purpose. A shift in strategy can mean you do not have a job tomorrow.

You can be amazing at what you do. You can be exceeding expectations. And still, decisions get made above you, around you, without you.

And if part of your income story is “I can’t leave because they’ll fall apart without me,” I want you to hear this:

They will figure it out.

You have to have your own best interest in mind.

Writing Prompt: Loyalty check (gentle but honest)

1. The thing I’m afraid will happen if I prioritize my income is: ___________
2. The loyalty story I tell myself is: __________________________________
3. If I treated my goals like they matter, the next brave step would be: ____________________
4. The support I need to take that step is: ______________________________

The real question: Does your income support your goals across your whole life?

Here is the heart of this lesson:

Your income supports your wants, needs, hobbies, family, everything. So the point is not just “Can I pay my bills?” The point is: Can I fund the life I’m trying to build?

Ask yourself these and answer them on paper

Health and well-being

• Can you fund a diet that prioritizes your physical health and well-being?
• If your budget only allows the cheapest options, what would need to change so your body can be supported?

Relationships and connection

• Do you have disposable income to support activities with family and friends?
• If something comes up, a birthday, a trip, a moment you do not want to miss, can you show up without panic?

Safety and stability

• Do you have a three-month emergency fund?
• If not, that is not shame. That is simply a goal you get to add to the list.

Environment and lifestyle support

• Do you have money to support the environment you want, like a home office, a home gym, tools that make your life easier?

Growth and future planning

• Are you paying off your debt?
• Are you saving?
• Do you have a plan for your child’s education?
• Can you fund your hobbies and your purpose?

Writing Prompt: The “whole life” inventory

Write the category and your answer:

1. Health: What do I need monthly to support my body? $________
2. Relationships: What do I need monthly to show up well? $________
3. Emergency Fund: How much do I need total? $________ By when? ______
4. Environment: What upgrades matter this year? $________
5. Debt and Savings: Minimum monthly plan? $________
6. Personal Development: Classes, coaching, skills? $________
7. Purpose and Hobbies: What does it cost to sustain what I love? $________

The “add it up” method: How to find your real income number

This is the part people skip, and it is the part that changes everything:

You take all of those areas, add them up, and then you figure out what your income needs to be.

Some goals can involve debt or funding. Even then, you still adjust your budget to account for those payments. It all integrates.

Writing Prompt: Turn goals into a number

1. My monthly essentials total: $________
2. My monthly “whole life” supports (health, relationships, etc.): $________
3. My monthly debt and savings plan: $________
4. My monthly goal-funding amount (business, education, purpose): $________
5. My true monthly income target is: $________
6. My true yearly income target is: $________

A real example: Sometimes your dream has a price tag you did not expect

I shared that I launched products on Amazon, and through research, I realized I may need to be about $4,000 in the hole before I profit.

That was a moment of truth. Because I wanted my products out there, and I believe they will help people, but wanting it does not erase the costs.

This is why we do not pick income goals based on what “sounds” good. We pick them based on vision plus reality.

Writing Prompt: Price tag clarity

1. A goal I want this year is: __________________________________________
2. The real cost to do it well is: $________
3. The cost I assumed it would be was: $________
4. The income increase or budget shift I need to support it is: ___________

Ready to anchor your goals with structure?

Use the board that helps you map goals across every major area of life:

If this feels hard for you , try this exercise.

In my vision boarding activity, I ask a finance question that gets people real fast:

What part of your current situation makes your chest tighten and your stomach drop?

Is it:

• the weight of debt
• lack of savings
• a paycheck that is gone too soon

This is not to scare you. It is to locate the real issue so you can stop guessing.

Writing Prompt: Name the real stress point

1. The money situation that makes my chest tighten is: _____________________
2. When I think about it, the fear underneath is: __________________________
3. If money became a tool here, it would help me: _________________________
4. One small next step I can take this week is: ___________________________

Bring it full circle: Do not panic, plan

Every goal you have is going to have a financial need. So yes, look at the number. But do not spiral.

Do not tell yourself, “I cannot reach that because I do not have the finances.” The next step is: Okay, where can those finances come from?

Because when your income goal is tied to your real goals, it is no longer a fantasy number. It becomes a strategy.

Your next step

Today, do just this:

1. Pick one goal you want to fund this year.
2. Use the prompts above to find its real cost.
3. Add it to your whole-life list.
4. Calculate your real monthly target.
5. Choose one path: negotiate, add a small stream, reduce leaks, or change jobs.

Let’s get started!

Join the community and work your plan with us

If you are ready to stop guessing and start building your income goal on purpose, come do it with us.

Join the Humbled and Empowered Community and share your one goal, your “real number,” and the next step you are taking this week. We will be working toward our goals together with encouragement, accountability, and practical prompts that keep you moving.