If you are looking to increase your income, increase your responsibility.
What money really follows is the value that your leave behind. The best way to leave more value behind in your job is to take on more responsibility. When you take on more responsibility, you are taking on more risk. But with the risk comes the reward.
Many people let fear of the risk keep them poor. They are unwilling to become responsible for the success or failure of a project, so they remain poor. They think they deserve a raise without creating more value. But as Jim Rohn said, “You can’t get rich by demand.” You have to climb.
The ultimate responsibility is when you are the head of the company. If the business fails, it does you no good to point fingers. You are responsible, you are the leader, you have to figure out how to fix it.
This is an empowering attitude. It says that I may be to blame if things go wrong, but I have the power to change them, to make them go right, to succeed.
If you are at a job and you want to get paid more, start looking around for more responsibility to take on.
Warning: the money doesn’t necessarily follow immediately, be patient.
For other tips for how to get ahead in your job and do better, I can whole heartedly recommend The Complete Software Developer’s Career Guide.
Keep getting wiser, stronger, and better.