You or your business will never earn money by only working harder or smarter.

You are working harder and harder every day.

But somehow, you are earning less and less every day.

It’s frustrating, isn’t it?

The relentless grind feels like running on a treadmill.

Sweat pouring down your face,

exhaustion creeping in,

but the finish line never gets closer.

And then you hear the advice:

"Work smarter, not harder."

It sounds promising at first.

But let’s be honest.

How often has “working smarter” actually helped you earn more money?

Because the truth is, neither working harder nor smarter is the key.

The real secret?

It’s about earning smarter.

Let me show you how.

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A few months ago, I found myself having a casual chat with my cousin.

He’s not just any cousin.

He’s a real estate professional with two townships under his belt.

He doesn’t work harder than most people, nor is he obsessed with efficiency hacks.

Yet, he thrives.

While sipping tea on his terrace, I couldn’t resist asking him:

“How do you do it? How do you make money?”

What began as a chat on real estate technicalities,

soon became a discourse on the core concepts of how money works.

Then in the middle of the conversation, he smiled.

He was reminded of a story.

He leaned back in his chair, and said,

“I’ll tell you a story.”

One day, he needed to update his mobile number on his Aadhar card.

You know how frustrating that process can be.

More unreliable than frustrating in some cases.

Centers open and close unpredictably.

Google sometimes offers outdated information.

Even simple logistics become a hurdle.

To top it all off, that day pollution restrictions were imposed.

That meant he couldn’t take out his car that day.

So, he approached an e-rickshaw driver outside his home.

“Bhaiya, do you know the nearest Aadhar card center?” He asked.

The driver replied,

“Yes, Rs 50.”

“Is it operational?” He further asked.

“No.” the wise driver further replied.

“Do you know the one that’s open?”

“Yes. That’ll be Rs 80.”

“And do you know a shortcut to get there?”

The driver grinned.

“Yes. That will be Rs 150.”

My cousin agreed.

Within 12 minutes, he arrived at a functional Aadhar card center.

Hassle-free.

Now, at first glance, it might seem like my cousin got ripped off.

Paying Rs 150 for a short ride?

Ridiculous, right?

Wrong.

Why?

Because my cousin didn’t just pay for the ride.

He paid more for something far more valuable:

time-saving solutions and reduced effort.

Let’s break this down.

1. The e-rickshaw driver knew exactly which centers were operational.
2. He knew the fastest route to get there.
3. My cousin didn’t waste time wandering to non-functional centers or figuring things out on his own.

In the end, my cousin not only reached his goal faster but with less stress.

And the driver?

He earned three times his usual fare not by driving longer distances.

But by using his expertise to create wealth.

This is the secret my cousin wanted me to grasp.

And this is the secret I want you to understand.

You don’t earn money by just knowing a skill.

You don’t earn money by saving your own time.

You earn money when you save someone else’s time and effort using your expertise.

Think about it.

-- When Domino’s says, “We deliver pizza.” it’s a convenience. It saves you the hassle of making your own.

-- When Domino’s says, “We deliver pizza in 30 minutes,” it’s a time-saving service.

With the added advantage of effort being saved.

-- But when Domino’s says, “We deliver delicious pizza in 30 minutes,”.

That’s expertise in action.

You’re not just saving time or effort.

You’re paying for a guarantee of quality, speed, and satisfaction.

That is also the reason why Copywriters, and storytellers are much more important

for your revenue than you can think.

So, dear reader, here’s the truth:

You can’t save time.

No one can.

Time marches on relentlessly.

What you can do is reduce time consumption for others and yourself.

That’s where the magic happens.

The e-rickshaw driver didn’t just drive in this story.

He reduced my cousin’s frustration, uncertainty, and wasted hours.

That’s why he earned more.

In your own life and work, ask yourself:

• How can I save others from unnecessary effort?
• How can I reduce the time they spend on something frustrating or inefficient?
• How can I use my financial expertise (or any other expertise) to create real value?

When you start answering these questions, you’ll stop merely working harder or even smarter.

Combine these three and that is where you will earn money, irrespective of how the economy is performing.

You will unlock true financial growth and independence.

Until next time, I wish you good luck and good growth

with this practical and applicable earning insight.