It is a common experience to feel constrained or stagnant at some point in life. When this happens, we often look outward for something or someone to blame. It is a way to defer ownership of our situation or cope with the uncomfortable feeling of being stuck or behind.

When we say we are stuck, what we really mean is that there exists some ideal state or position that seems better than where we currently are, and we feel unable to reach it. But have you ever asked yourself honestly why that is the case?

When I personally analyze such situations, the answers are usually consistent. The first reason is a lack of prerequisite requirements, or in other words, a lack of competence. The second is often a lack of monetary resources.

Money provides leverage. It allows you to buy time and channel your mental energy toward what truly matters. It can also create distractions that pull you away from your ideal. Yet, its most valuable function is that it can offer support while you move steadily toward your goals.

If you do not have financial leverage, you may indeed need to compromise in certain areas. However, money is not everything. There is always a path of lesser resistance that can lead you forward if you are willing to find it. Monetary leverage can certainly make the development of competence easier, but it cannot replace competence itself.

The real deal breaker is the missing prerequisite, competence. It is the foundation of your capability, and ultimately, you are judged by your competence. You can overcome financial barriers if you become genuinely skilled, because competence builds confidence, and confidence compounds over time.

As you climb the ladder of competence, you gain more leverage and become rarer in value. Competent people are always in demand, and when you reach that level, your monetary constraints begin to take care of themselves. Opportunities will seek you out because organizations and teams are always looking for those who can truly deliver.

Also read: Why bother reading?, Life as a Mutating State, Don’t Leave Your Career to Chance, The Myth of the Roadmaps,