Stop Chasing Money. Start Chasing This Instead.

Ever feel like you’re on a hamster wheel? Hustling hard, checking your bank balance, side-gigging, promotion-chasing… but the financial freedom you want always feels just one step ahead?

What if you’re focusing on the wrong thing entirely?

There’s a powerful mindset shift that separates the burned-out from the built-different : Money isn’t the goal. It’s the result. It’s the side effect of creating real value. 

Let’s break it down, generation-style.

The Classic Trap : Chasing the Paper

We’ve all been there.

Gen X : You climbed the corporate ladder, expecting the paycheck to follow the title. Sometimes it did, sometimes it didn’t. And the burnout was real.

Millennials : You entered the workforce during a recession, told to “follow your passion” but then buried under student debt. The gig economy had you chasing payments, not purpose.

Gen Z : You see viral “get rich quick” schemes on TikTok, making it seem like money is a game to be hacked, not earned.

The common thread? When you make money the primary target, you end up taking shortcuts. You might land a quick bag, but it’s often not sustainable. You’re treating the symptom, not the cause.

The Flip is Become a Value Creator First

Think of money not as the target, but as the scoreboard. You don’t win a basketball game by staring at the score and begging it to change. You win by playing the game well: passing, shooting, and defending.

The game is creating value.

So, what does “creating value” look like for each of us?

For the Hustlers (Gen Z & Young Millennials) :

• Value is a banger TikTok edit that makes your audience laugh and share.
• Value is a killer UX/UI design that makes an app intuitive and enjoyable to use.
• Value is a niche newsletter that curates information and saves people time.
• Value is providing a service (like resumé polishing or social media management) that actually gets results for your clients.

For the Builders (Millennials & Gen X) :

• Value is being the manager who actually mentors their team and shields them from corporate nonsense.
• Value is building a product that solves a real, frustrating problem for your customers.
• Value is creating a community (online or IRL) where people feel supported and connected.
• Value is sharing your hard-won expertise through a course or consultancy that helps others avoid your mistakes.

When you focus on becoming incredibly good at creating value, people notice. They trust you. They recommend you. They come back. They pay you.

But Wait, Isn't That Just "Passion" Talk?

Nope. This is more strategic than just “follow your passion.” Passion is about what you love when nobody see or pay you. Creating value is about what others need.

You can be passionate about vintage sneakers (cool!), but you create value by:

• Teaching others how to authenticate them. (Solves a problem)
• Building the best marketplace for rare pairs. (Solves a problem)
• Creating amazing video content about sneaker culture. (Provides entertainment/education)

See the difference? You channel your passion into serving others. The money follows the service.

Your New Game Plan

Ask the Right Question : Stop asking, “How can I make more money?”  Start asking, “What problem can I solve? What need can I fill? How can I make someone’s life/career/day 10% better?”

Become a Master at Your Craft : Whether it’s coding, writing, selling, or managing, get so good they can’t ignore you. The value you create is directly tied to your skills.

Measure the Right Metrics : Before you check your bank app, check your value metrics. Did a client send a thank-you email? Did your post get saved 100 times? Did your project actually ship on time? That’s real feedback. That’s proof of value.

Understand “Distribution”: You can create the best thing ever, but if no one sees it, it won’t generate a dime. “Building it” is step one. “Making sure they come” is step two. That’s what marketing and networking are for—it’s not slimy, it’s essential.

The Bottom Line

Money is the applause for a performance well done. It’s the high score for playing the value-creation game at a high level.

Stop running after the applause. Focus on perfecting your performance. Build something useful. Solve a meaningful problem. Become the best at what you do.

The money? It’ll just be a side effect.

So, what value are you going to create today?