How I Raised My Income by 100% in 2 Years

As I found out, it's possible to dramatically increase your earnings with the right approach.

My financial situation was up and down for most of the last decade, but in the last few years, it has gotten much better. The reason why is as simple as it gets -- I started earning more money. In fact, I managed to double my income in only two years.

This isn't something I talk about with people in everyday life, but I imagine that if I did, the question I'd get is "how did you do it?" After thinking about what I did differently, there were a few important changes I made that stood out and could help anyone who wants to make more money.

1. I set much bigger goals for myself

Stay with me here. I realize that "think bigger" sounds like advice straight out of a Donald Trump self-help book.

As cliche as it may be, setting bigger goals for myself was the most important change I made. It's easy to get complacent with how much money you make, especially if you feel like you don't have much opportunity to earn more. That's hardly ever true.

In my case, what opened my eyes was a few months where I worked more and earned much more money than usual. I realized that if I could earn that much in one month, there was no reason I couldn't earn that much every month, or maybe even more. That was the motivation I needed to raise my monthly and yearly income goals, which I've continued to do since then.

2. I increased my hours

Setting big goals is great, but that's only half the battle. I knew that if I wanted to reach my ambitious income targets, I'd need to put in more hours.

To be honest, before I made this change, I probably had too much leisure time during my work days. Since I'm a freelancer and I set my own schedule, it's easy to take an extra-long break or procrastinate. That's why time management is so important for anyone going freelance. To make sure I was staying on track with my goals, I devoted more time each day to writing and coming up with new ideas.

I'm all about having a healthy work-life balance, so I'd never recommend overworking yourself. But there are situations where you may need to put in more hours to get where you want, like if you're trying to start a small business or move up at your workplace.

3. I expanded my skills

When I first started as a personal finance writer, credit cards were my main focus. I knew the best credit cards and rewards programs inside and out, so those were what I wrote about the most.

It's good to have a specialty, but I've found that it also helps to have more than one area of expertise. A broader skill set often leads to more money-making opportunities. That's why I branched out by improving my knowledge of other parts of personal finance, like investing and banking.

If you want to earn more, I'd highly recommend looking for ways to add relevant skills. How much you make is tied to the value you provide, and more skills make you more valuable.

4. I took on more projects

One thing I've found is that the more work I've done, the more opportunities have come my way. It's like a snowball effect. As you prove yourself, you get offered more assignments and jobs.

I'm usually open to new projects, even if they're outside my comfort zone, and this has paid off for me. Some of the projects I wasn't sure about at first turned into large sources of income that helped me reach my financial goals.

Whether you're an employee or a freelancer, be open to new tasks. You don't need to say yes to everything, but it's always better to capitalize on opportunities than to let them slip by.

I'll be the first to acknowledge that I've been fortunate to be able to raise my income so much. However, good fortune only goes so far. It has also taken several changes on my part. They're simple steps, but they can make a huge impact on your annual income.