Setting A Baseline

Baseline or a foundation, if you will, is about having minimum standards. We all have a baseline. It’s either set by ourselves or our employers, but we have one. The thing about a minimum standard is living within that particular standard. If we want to raise our standards we can, because none of use have limits. In my humble opinion, especially concerning money and an income, we are only limited by our skills and our beliefs. They are two different things, but each depends on the other.

In high school, I learned how to type and use the ten key, both useful for computer programming, which at the time was what I wanted to pursue. After graduation, I got my first job as a Data Entry clerk. Minimum wage was $3.35 per hour and I was making over $7 doing data entry. I chose to get out of my shell and become more of an extrovert and got a job waiting tables. Next, I went into Retail Sales and learned to sell home improvements, then hardware, then electronics. Afterwards I went into Network Marketing. There I learned how to cold call and how to do market research. From there I went into Life Insurance Sales and eventually transitioned to Financial Services and Money Management.

Each of the positions I held prepared me for the next. Each skill I became competent in helped with the next higher paying position. I believed my earnings were increased because I’d put in the time and effort to grow as a professional. The challenge I face today is more along the lines of belief and not the skills.

My beliefs have hindered my earning capacity. In part, I do not charge what I’m worth. Some of it’s taking for granted the skills I’ve mastered and becoming complacent in their value. Others see the value, but for me, I fail to most times. My failing to see the value in the solutions I provide hampers my ability to charge rates commensurate to my counterparts. I’ve been satisfied with my rates, even after two mentors instructed or suggested I increase them. I didn’t increase my rates then because I didn’t believe I’d earned that particular new rate. I’ve since changed.

I’ve heard of others having similar challenges. I’ve spoken with a few who seek advanced degrees and certifications and licenses to increase their value. I possess all I need to increase my value, yet I didn’t increase my rate from lack of belief in the value I delivered. That was then and this is now.

I’m in an incubation period. I’ve already set my new rate. I’ll begin commanding my new rate after the completion of a few more things. It’ll be interesting to see how I adapt to this new standard. “You let your bottom get too low” is what a friend told me about two years ago. Daniel mentioned this during a conversation we had about money. He shared his baseline and that he holds himself to a standard of meeting his baseline each and every month, no matter what happens externally. It’s the first Monday of the month and I’ve set a new standard for myself as well. I will meet my standard, come hell or high water. I believe in my solution offerings. I believe in my skills. I believe I’m able to command such fees, so I will meet my standard.

Today, Monday, September 5, 2023, I am gr

This is the first part of the entry.