Focus on the make

OK so in April this year I wrote that the world was bloated, that debt and fat were synonymous and that thrift was the way forward.

I did not predict the swift correction that would make thrift a necessity not a luxury response to gross over-consumption. I have also changed my mind to some extent.

To make money, you need to put yourself in the right place. You need to wear the best clothes you can; live in an environment that supports success (in my case this means i have to be able to find things quickly, not have to rummage and waste time, creating stress); find ways around immovable pains like commuting (in my case, use a Vodafone mobile broadband stick for hours every day). Physical well-being through sport or whatever exercise you need is crucial, so if that means going to a gym, do it. If you spend too much of your time trying to be too thrifty you may miss the opportunity to make.

Right after I wrote that blog entry in April, I bought some plants to grow in my garden. They were literally pennies and promised cabbage and other vegetables that would give me that "grow your own" thrift high that I had written about. Of course my lifestyle meant that once I had planted these bountiful things, I did not revisit them and did not have the time to take preventive action against vermin. They lasted about a week.

It's better for me to buy organic vegetables than to grow my own because I can succeed by focusing, not by scrimping. Don't be wasteful but focus on growth, on expansion - not contraction. As they say when you learn to ride a horse: if you look at the ground, it's where you'll end up.