There are many ways to achieve success in life.  Some plans are more elaborate than others.  Some would work for everyone while others would only achieve one person’s definition of success.  Some are simple in design but take a lifetime to execute.  John Wesley, a founder of the Methodist Church, wrote many sermons centering around proper stewardship of money and his instructions for a path to success.  He stated that everyone can follow these three steps:

• Earn all you can
• Save all you can
• Give all you can

Earn All You Can

John Wesley wrote that God has given each of us valuable skills and talents.  It is our duty to use these gifts to their fullest potential.  We must work as hard as we can to create success for ourselves and our businesses.  A balance must be struck between causing no harm to our fellow man while gaining the most resources for ourselves, our families, and our communities.

Save All You Can

John Wesley then wrote of the importance of living frugally.  We must not squander away these hard earned resources by trying to ‘keep up with the Joneses.’  Wesley himself lived a very humble life, never raising his budget throughout his entire career after seminary.  The goal is to only use as much of the gifts as is necessary to keep our families comfortable, healthy, and safe.

Give All You Can

After working hard and earning great success in our business, and living frugally, there will be plenty of resources (time, money, and so on) to give.  Wesley wrote that these resources are to be used to help our fellow man.  It is our duty to improve our world, and to leave it better than we found it.