The Core Threshold for Making Money

The core threshold for making money is never technology or projects, but the ability for in-depth thinking: the illness of the poor mindset. The core threshold for making money is never about technology or specific projects. Instead, it lies in the ability to think in depth. The root cause of low incomes among people is shallow thinking. People with this mindset focus only on surface-level profits without delving into the underlying logic. They chase short - term fads rather than planning for long-term paths. This is the key reason why most people hustle all day but end up with little earnings. To make money, getting your thoughts in order is ten times more reliable than unquestioningly learning skills or searching for projects.

The Pitfalls of Shallow Thinking

Those with shallow thinking are always waiting for ready-made opportunities, treating money-making as a game of chance. When they see others making money from cross-border e-commerce, they rush to stock up on goods. When live streaming becomes popular, they buy equipment and start broadcasting without considering whether they have supply-chain advantages or content-creation capabilities. As a result, they often invest a lot but gain nothing. The simple approach is to ask three questions whenever a money-making opportunity arises: What matching resources do I have? What's the worst - case scenario? Can I bear it? If you can't figure these out, please don't worry.

Transforming Vague Desires into Clear Goals

The core of getting your thoughts straight is to transform 'vague desires' into 'clear goals'. Many people say they want to make money, but they don't specify how much they aim to earn each month, what they'll use it for, or when they'll achieve it. For example, if you want to earn over ten thousand dollars a month, you need to break it down into the unit price per customer, the number of orders per month, and the customer acquisition channels. Each step should have a clear figure. The 'numerical decomposition method' breaks down the big goal into specific weekly and daily actions. Vague desires will never turn into results.

Seeking Key Variables

Shallow thinkers avoid complexity, while in-depth thinkers actively seek 'key variables'. In any money-making venture, there is always a core factor determining success or failure. For instance, trust is crucial for local services, and accuracy is vital for digital products. Shallow thinkers only look at what others are selling without considering the key variables behind it. Following the crowd will only lead to replicated failures. A practical approach is to identify one or two key variables when analysing any project, focus on breaking through them, and avoid overextending into other areas.

Backwards-thinking

Getting your thoughts straight isn't aimless daydreaming; it's 'backwards-thinking'. Shallow thinkers follow the crowd unthinkingly, taking one step at a time. In-depth thinkers work backwards from the result to the process. For example, if you want to earn 120,000 a year, first work out how much you need to earn per month, then per week. Next, consider how many customers you need, how to reach them, and how to deliver the service. The method is to create a 'backwards-thinking table', writing down the actions, time, and standards for each step to avoid detours.

Willingness to Delay Gratification

The shallow thinking of people with low incomes - mindset is also reflected in the 'unwillingness to delay gratification'. To make quick money, people take low-priced orders, wasting time and getting no profit. They abandon long-term accumulation when they see short-term trends, ending up with nothing. In-depth thinkers are willing to forgo short-term temptations for long-term gains. For example, they polish the product before promotion and build a good reputation before scaling up. The approach is to ask yourself before making a choice: Will this action bring long-term value or just a one-time profit?

Inventorying Existing Resources

The first step in putting your thoughts into practice is to inventory your existing resources. Shallow thinkers always focus on external projects without looking at their own skills, connections, and resources. For example, someone with cooking skills doesn't consider making home-cooked meal tutorials but instead follows the live-streaming sales trend. Someone with good connections doesn't work as a broker; instead, they try to learn unfamiliar skills. The method is to list three inventories: skills, connections, and reusable resources. Looking for money-making opportunities from your existing resources has a higher success rate.

Information - filtering Ability

In-depth thinking requires 'information-filtering ability'. With the overwhelming amount of information today, shallow thinkers are easily led astray by trends. They believe whatever they hear and end up being exploited. In-depth thinkers can filter out irrelevant information, focusing on content relevant to their goals and supported by data, while blocking out meaningless hotspots. The method is to set information - screening criteria: Is it relevant to the goal? Are there real-life examples? Can it be implemented? Could you ignore what doesn't meet the criteria?

Trial - and - error with Minimum Cost

After getting your thoughts clear, it's time for 'trial - and - error with minimum cost'. Many people invest money without thinking things through, while those who have thought it over start with small-scale testing. For example, if you want to offer consulting services, you can start by providing free diagnoses to two friends to verify the demand. If you want to create a digital product, make a simplified version and test it with ten people to collect feedback. The rule is to limit the trial - and - error budget to no more than 10% of your disposable funds, test only the core assumptions, and avoid useless efforts to prevent large - scale losses.

Viewing Failure as Thinking Material

Shallow thinkers fear failure, while in-depth thinkers view failure as 'thinking material'. After a failed trial, shallow thinkers give up, believing the project is unviable. In-depth thinkers analyse whether the goal was wrong or the execution was inadequate, then try again after adjustments. The method is to conduct a review after each action, asking only two questions: What went wrong? Do you know how I can improve next time? Turning failure into a basis for optimisation will lead to smoother progress.

The Logic of Making Money

The logic of making money is simple: think it through first, then take action. Shallow thinking will only lead people to waste time on the wrong path, while in-depth thinking can help them find the precise money-making route. The core methods are: quantifying goals, working backwards on the process, focusing on key variables, inventorying existing resources, filtering information, conducting minimum-cost trials, and reviewing and optimising. Making money is never about brute force but about smart thinking. Once you break free from the shallow-thinking, poor-mindset and make 'thinking clearly' a habit, and then match it with technology and projects, making money will become a natural outcome - when your thinking is clear, the money will flow.