“A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich” – Proverbs 10:4
Every new year brings resolutions and goals. One of the most common goals people set at the start of a new year is to build their wealth. In fact, according to a recent Statista survey[1], the top New Year’s resolution for 2025 was to save more money. Clearly, wealth-building is on the minds of many Americans, especially as the year begins. But how exactly do we build wealth?
The answer is simple—though it may not be what you want to hear. Building wealth requires diligent, skillful, and faithful work. This isn’t a groundbreaking concept, but ask yourself: how many of us genuinely work this way? Most of us have no issue with the idea of work—we work every day. The real question is, how many of us strive for excellence in what we do?
When Solomon penned this proverb, he wasn’t encouraging us to simply show up and do the bare minimum. He was teaching that striving for excellence and working diligently leads to success.
To work diligently means to work actively. Yet as a culture, we’ve become fixated on passive wealth-building, constantly seeking ways to make money without working. While there’s nothing wrong with generating passive income, we can’t ignore the reality that the greatest wealth comes from active work. Consider Forbes’ list of the wealthiest people. The majority of those on the list are active workers, not passive investors[2]. In fact, eight out of the top ten wealthiest individuals were self-made billionaires.[3] The most significant fortunes are built through active effort, not passively.
Think about it: passive investing often requires starting capital. To make money, you need money. But with work, you can start from nothing. You can be penniless and use your skills and services to create wealth. The better you are at your craft, the more you can charge for it. Through diligent, excellent, and faithful work, you can truly go from zero to wealthy.
This isn’t to say I’m against passive investing. I’m not. Rather, I have realized that what people think they can achieve through passive investing is typically achieved through hard work. Unfortunately, many people overestimate what they can achieve through passive income and use it as an excuse to avoid putting in the effort in their primary careers. I urge you not to fall into that trap.
This year, commit to being diligent, skillful, and faithful in your work. Pursue excellence in everything you do. Go above and beyond the requirements of your role. Master your craft to the point that you stand out in your field or industry. If you do this, wealth will follow.
[1] https://www.statista.com/chart/29019/most-common-new-years-resolutions-us/
[2] https://www.forbes.com/real-time-billionaires/#384733953d78
[3] https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2020/09/08/self-made-score/