Jerrold Mundis: Earn What You Deserve: How To Stop Underearning & Start Thriving

Do You Need More Money?

What a title! I was initially attracted to this book, as surely anyone must be, by immediate identification with its title. Doesn’t everyone feel, in their secret heart of hearts, that they deserve much, much more? (A fatter paypacket is the least of it.) Part of the initial response, though, for most of us, is also, “Sure. And I’ll take a side-order of golden tap-dancing stallions with that earning what I deserve, Jerrold.”

Jerrold Mundis is widely known as the author of “How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt & Live Prosperously”, a book widely regarded as something of a bible by members of Debtors Anonymous. This book, however, is targeted less at those struggling with mountainous debts, and more at those who have had or may still have some residual debting problems, but essentially feel they have an insuperable problem with bringing enough money in to live on.

What Is An Under-earner?

Mundis spends a lot of time focussing on the typical mentality and behaviours of the under-earner. He identifies behaviours he views as typical: examples are denial, taking on under-paid work, failing to identify opportunities to make money, getting into debt, and self-sabotage in relation to career and projects. They may be obsessively active and busy, volunteer during time they could be doing remunerative work, or fetishize poverty and despise and resent the rich.

In essence he seems to view under-earning as an actual addiction, or at least a comfortable and habitual behaviour which, once learned, the sufferer is extremely nervous and reluctant to deviate from as it feels safe and familiar. So what practical action can you take if you recognise yourself in the pages of this book?

Make More Money! Stop Debting!

Mundis recommend immediately ceasing the negative actions associated with the syndrome. This involves having an open mind about money making offers and opportunities, giving of your best in a job, not convincing yourself of your unfitness for work or for a project, refraining from debting, turning down insultingly lowly-paid work, ceasing to self-sabotage and, probably most importantly, ceasing to deny your history of under-earning.

How To Be An Over-earner

There are further and more advanced steps along the road, but these are the initial and probably the most important ones. (Mundis does recommend a detailed spending plan in a further chapter, as well as going into the complications of addressing under-earning for couples and families.) There is a lot of spirituality and emotional self-examination in his approach to under-earning. However each person can take from the book only what is necessary: the essential steps are purely practical and secular and can be applied by anyone.

‘Earn What You Deserve’ is a quick and enjoyable read which offers a lot of food for thought. It has a place on my bookshelf and a dog-eared appearance, which says a lot for how valuable a resource I have found it to be. This is a book I can personally recommend for anyone who feels they can identify with the problem outlined in its pages.