A lot of people want to increase their salaries and often ask for a pay rise.

I encourage this as it is one of the fastest ways to boost your income. It is a very successful strategy that a large majority of 21st Century Members have actioned by using the methods I teach in the 4 Day Education for Life Homestudy program.

However here is a new concept some should consider, of course it depends on the nature of your career and how much value you add to your employer.

You see, what people really want is not just more money.

What they want is lifestyle- something that requires both time and money.

Many people sacrifice time to get money by working long hours.

They sell something more precious than money- the best time of their life.

Everyone knows we should live a balanced life, but western society conditions people to work long hard hours to meet the bills and hopefully have just an annual holiday.

I often ask my seminar participants:

“What would you rather, $10,000 per month salary i.e. an active income or $5000 a month passive or semi-passive income?

Now of course when speaking to the converted most will recognise that $5000 despite being 50% less is actually worth more if it doesn’t require one to be trapped at a desk 40-50 hours a week with only x weeks of holidays per year.

So I teach a strategy on the Homestudy at our live 4 day Education for Life events (held twice a year in Australia) on how to re structure your contract with your employer to turn your salary into a semi-passive income.

I won’t cover that strategy in this article as it takes more than an hour to teach.

However, here is a simple adjustment one can consider in order to immediately improve the quality of life and enable you to live your dream life, travel and see the world whilst still holding on to a secure source of income.

It is simple- Negotiate on terms not on money.

It’s a strategy I frequently use for property or business. Often I’ll pay more for a property or business if I can get the terms I want.

I.e. if the vendor will be flexible and allow me to delay settlement or vendor finance then I’ll probably agree to pay more.

One can do this for their career.

In fact the former CEO of 21st Century Group did exactly this when negotiating his position. He negotiated on the salary but asked for a more flexible working arrangement. Instead of the typical 4 weeks a year holiday, he negotiated on 8 weeks a year.

Since he was talented, I agreed.

Actually, to attract some of the best talent in an industry such perks are often necessary.

So let’s say you are adding value to your employer (if not you need to study my 4 Day Education For Life Homestudy program and learn how to add instant value).

You would probably like 6-8-10 weeks of holiday per year to achieve the travelling you might have always wanted to do. Instead of asking for a pay rise, you could request an extra 2-4 weeks of holidays.

It doesn’t cost the company any extra expenses, but you end up getting a much more desirable lifestyle, one where even in your current career you can see yourself accomplishing your travel and adventure goals and having a more balanced life.

Wouldn’t this make you a more productive employee?

How much do you get done on the week before you go on holidays?

It’s like the most productive week of your life!

So regular holidays can stimulate creativity, passion, excitement and ensure that employees are even more productive.

Consequently, it can be a very good way for companies to attract and keep the best talent without increasing their overheads.

Moreover, as an employee you can achieve your lifestyle goals without changing careers or becoming a millionaire to do so.

You see, most people are working in a 19th Century industrialisation employee contract. That is -work 9-5, 48 weeks a year or in the US 50 weeks a year.

It’s out-dated and unsuitable to today’s 21st Century modern world. We want and deserve more out of our lives. So, it’s time for a change.

Consider changing the terms of your employee contract. If you are adding value it can happen for about 70% of employees.

But what if I’m a school teacher and have to be at work?

Yes some careers are limiting.

However, if you are a school teacher you already get your 10 plus weeks of holidays per year and the main reason a lot of people become teachers is because as kids we figured that they get as many holidays as kids.

What if I want say 10 weeks of holidays a year and it’s too much to ask my employer to find an extra 6 weeks holiday?

Try the 50/50 approach. Ask for half the weeks to be paid holidays and the other half unpaid.

You are then being reasonable but still getting the extra weeks off. Once again it works if you are adding value to your employer and can deliver results.

Nevertheless, it is imperative that you add value and are perceived as adding value before successfully negotiating a 21st Century style working arrangement and progress out of the 19th Century out-dated model.

Jamie McIntyre is the founder of the 21st Century Group of companies and CEO of 21st Century Education. He is also bestselling author, successful entrepreneur, investor, sought after success coach, internationally renowned speaker and world-leading educator. www.jamiemcintyre.com

Jamie McIntyre is the founder of the 21st Century Group of companies and CEO of 21st Century Education. He is also bestselling author, successful entrepreneur, investor, sought after success coach, internationally renowned speaker and world-leading educator. http://www.jamiemcintyre.com

Author Bio: Jamie McIntyre is the founder of the 21st Century Group of companies and CEO of 21st Century Education. He is also bestselling author, successful entrepreneur, investor, sought after success coach, internationally renowned speaker and world-leading educator. www.jamiemcintyre.com

Category: Jobs
Keywords: 21st Century Education, 21st Century Financial Education Summit, Australia, employment, pay rise