Selfie Mode

 

Allow me to introduce you to the real slim shady.

I’m not sure why I just typed that. But I’ll leave it there anyway. More appropriately, allow me to introduce you to the right person to ask for your next raise.

Over the last decade or so, I’ve asked A LOT of people questions pertaining to their future goals with their health, their income, their family, and ultimately their purpose in life. The topic I’m going to focus on today is pay raises.

Let’s play a game shall we? I’m going to ask you a question that I’ve asked probably thousands of people, ready? Here goes nothing:

Raise your hand if earning an extra $500/mo would be helpful for you?

I’ve never had anyone NOT raise their hand.

My next question is usually:

What would you do with that extra $500/mo?

To which I nearly always get a variety of answers like:

1. Pay rent
2. Pay off debt
3. Vacation fund
4. Eliminate part-time job
5. Invest

Then here’s the reality check question:

How many of you could walk into your boss’s office tomorrow and ask for a $500/mo raise and get it?

Nobody ever raises their hand. That classroom is empty.

And for those people that think big, I guess that leaves the $1,000/mo, $3,000/mo, $5,000/mo and $10,000/mo raises a virtual impossibility as well then huh? May as well just buy a lottery ticket right?

Here’s the truth that is staring right at you when you wake up and brush your teeth in the morning. You’re worth more than what your boss tells you, but you have to believe that. You can do more than what you’re job title says that you can, but you have to believe that too.

Let me give you the right person to ask for that next raise. Allow me to introduce you to the person in all your selfies. Let’s call him/her “Self.” Seems appropriate right? Self can be your best friend or your worst enemy; regardless, Self is the right person to ask. So here’s the question to ask:

Hey Self, isn’t about time we gave ourself that $500/mo raise? How bout that $5,000/mo raise Self? You wanna go after that one too?

Now you’re at least asking the right person.

Don’t delegate a brighter future by asking the wrong people for your next raise in life. Ask this person: