BOOK SUMMARY 301 Secrets of Six-Figure Women

BOOK SUMMARY 301

Secrets of Six-Figure

 Women

·         Summary written by: Lutfiyya Dhalla

"When you commit to a goal without knowing exactly how you’ll achieve it, you automatically trigger a tremendous power. When your intention is strong and your commitment is staunch, the how-tos invariably show up. I saw over and over how once the women I was talking to set their sights on higher earnings, lo and behold, that’s what they got."

- Secrets of Six-Figure Women, page 90

Barbara Stanny interviewed over 150 women in a pursuit to learn and reveal the secrets of six-figure women. Through her interviews, Stanny collected the stories of women whose annual earnings range from $100,000 to $7 million.

She also researched the flip side of the coin, underearners. Through insight into the minds, thoughts and decision patterns of underearners she was able to gain a holistic understanding when it comes to women, money and mindset. The six-figure women showcased in this book come from all different walks of life, industries and have all had different upbringings, coming from both loving and abusive environments.

Through Stanny’s extensive research and insight she discovered that the women she was interviewing weren’t driven by money alone. They all had hopes and dreams which inspired them to earn more and create a better life for themselves. Money symbolised something different to each one of these women. The common thread between them? “Focus on fulfilling your values rather than financial gain.” These women had a vision for their life based on cherished values such as challenge, independence, recognition and security.

The Golden Egg

The power of the profit motive

"When you recognize the power of the profit motive, you take your first major step towards financial success. It’s the point of entry to higher earnings, the first strategy for becoming a six-figure woman. Indeed, not one of us will achieve financial success unless we make up our minds that’s what we want."- Secrets of Six-Figure Women, page 88

There comes a time in each potential six-figure woman’s life when she realizes that to get to where she wants to be, she first needs to make a commitment to herself to earn more. After this declaration has been made, it shifts her mindset and opens her up to the possibility of earning more.

These women realized that in order to achieve their dreams, they would need the dollars to turn them into a reality.

The key difference between the underearners and the six-figure women was that underearners did not have a profit motive. This would result in them working hard but not channelling their energy and focus towards a broader vision. The six-figure women had a clear focus and this ensured they were consciously making day-to-day decisions and taking deliberate actions, which honoured themselves.

When you keep your promise to yourself it builds your self-esteem and increases your chances for success. When you have intention, you attract success, becoming a magnet that draws you to the next step of your journey, whatever that may be.

Gem #1

Feel the fear and let go of the ledge

"You must let go of where you are to get to where you want to go. Clinging to the security of the familiar prevents us from discovering what awaits us in the future. The ledges in our lives offer the illusion of safety, but in truth their only value is to keep us hanging, their only reward is burnout, boredom, financial lack or personal frustration."- Secrets of Six-Figure Women, page 108

All the women who were interviewed in this book had something they had to let go of and when they did they were met with synchronicities of “lucky” events. This turning point was necessary because it created the space for their desires to manifest.

The “letting go” process is one you need to master as it never ends. The more success you achieve, the more you need to believe in yourself and continue letting go; this is what pushes your forward.

Before you can fully move into six-figure territory, you first must figure out what’s holding you back. There is a great deal of “inner work” which needs to be done to reach your earning potential. Becoming aware of your mindset, limiting beliefs or the script in your head that keeps you stagnant is essential. By exploring what these are, facing them head on and committing to change, you are able to take charge of your life.

Gem #2

Get in the game

"When your intentions are deep and compelling, and your commitment strong and inflexible you’re more likely to keep going when the going gets rough."- Secrets of Six-Figure Women, page 91

After you have a profit motive and declare your intent, the next step is to get in the game. Through Stanny’s interviews with the six-figure women she uncovers the rules of the game they play by:

1. Decide which game to play

2. Jump in, ready or not

3. Keep on truckin’

4. Grab opportunities

5. No excuses allowed

6. Ignore naysayers

7. Never personalize

First and foremost, you need to decide which game you are playing. Stanny quotes Larry Wilson who says there are two games in life: Not To Lose or To Win. Not To Lose is the game people play when they say they want success but they don’t want to leave their comfort zone. If you want to take ownership of your future then you have to play To Win. This means going as far as you can with what you’ve got. This doesn’t mean you will always “win”, however you come out a winner because you push yourself and are ‘all in’ and nothing stands in your way.

When you are playing by these rules there is no room for excuses. These women seized every opportunity they saw, even if they didn’t know how to do something or weren’t qualified. They didn’t make excuses; rather they said yes and figured it out later. Self-belief and self-esteem are the essential ingredients to further your growth and development.

In this game you will always be faced with naysayers. They will be there to bring you down. How you deal with them is your choice. Choosing to view them as challenges that test you to see how bad you want to succeed and how committed you are is a sure-fire way to turn them into fuel to achieve your dreams.

When you play by these rules, you thrive.

 Through cementing a profit motive, crafting an intent, feeling the fear, letting go of the ledge and getting in the game, you are able to truly create a mindset, career and life that pushes you into the realm of a six-figure women.