Creative Resourcefulness

Found in Poverty, Used in Wealthbuilding

I’m starting to find a correlation between the things found in books on wealth and my experience of poorness. Twice in my adult life, I have been poor. And in between there were a few years of good income, good money management, and nice things to show for it.

In the period of financial security, I learned how much of my stress was tied up in the lack of money. For the first time in my life, I experienced abundance and the loss of stress that comes with it.

I didn’t have to worry about how I was paying any of my bills. Some weeks I didn’t even look at my bank account. And nothing went wrong.

With a lack of money comes the stress of micromanaging every bit of money you possess and trying to figure out how bills are being paid. But it brings along with it an immense opportunity that I think many people overlook. And it’s an opportunity that is often discussed in terms of becoming wealthy.

In my personal life, I’ve simply called it creativity, but it’s also tied up in resourcefulness.

So, now we’ll call it creative resourcefulness. lol

When Lacking (insert item here)

I was doing laundry the other week, and as I switched my clothes from the washer to the dryer I remembered there were no more dryer sheets.

First of all, what would you do in this situation? Would you run to a nearby store to grab some? Would you ask a neighbor or friend to spot you?

I turned to Google, my greatest companion.

Did you know you can use aluminum foil to eliminate static in the dryer? Well, I sure did not. I wasn’t even sure how much I believed it at first. I didn’t even have enough foil left (about a foot) as I learned you should use about 3ft.

However, after a coffee filter with essential oils did not do the job in terms of static, I said fuck it. I crumpled up my 1ft piece of foil and threw it in.

I shit you not, static was, indeed, eliminated.

If you use 3ft worth, you can use it through multiple runs. A roll of aluminum foil can be picked up for only 1.25 at the Dollar Tree. How much would you need for a box of dryer sheets?

And let’s not forget foil can be recycled. Dryer sheets cannot.

Now, I have not done the math on whether or not this is worth it financially in the long term. But the problem I was having was solved merely through creative resourcefulness.

I’ve similarly solved many dinner dilemmas. Take stock of what you have on hand, and look outside the box for what’s possible with those items.

Ask the Right Questions

At the very core of this creative resourcefulness is, really, a question. And it’s similar to a question I’ve seen within those wealth books mentioned previously. Though, it could be asked in any number of ways.

Is there another way to solve this problem? Is there a better way of going about this?

While reading Rich Dad Poor Dad I saw it phrased this way: “Is working harder at this the best solution to this problem?”

Being able to stop and ask oneself this question is not always easy. It requires one to embrace awareness and stillness in the moment.

In stillness lies clarity.

Sometimes, however, we might not have the answers ourselves. That means we must pull up another question.

Who might have other solutions I haven’t thought of? Where might I find this sort of information?

Thankfully, we live in the digital age where getting information is as simple as pulling the phone from your pocket. Sure you’ll have to navigate some inaccurate pieces here and there. But most of the time you’re going to learn something.

In my excitement over learning new things, I often share these bits with certain people in my life. What often happens is one of two things: I either teach them about this thing I just learned, or they know of other information that they then share with me.

And in some cases, it’ll end up being both.

Look Outside the Box

Creative resourcefulness is at the heart of success. It’s all about looking outside the box.

• It’s ignoring fear, instead choosing to embrace creativity even if it might end in failure.
• It’s learning.
• It’s trying new things.
• It’s believing you’ll find a way, no matter the odds stacked against you.

In what ways have you used creative resourcefulness? How can you make it a bigger part of your everyday life?

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