It strikes me, that this fundamental principle, like so many others, is routinely overlooked, on account of how obvious we consider it to be. 

This feeds into the broader issue, of paying insufficient attention, to our subconscious habits. 

Habits do not simply spring into existence and lodge themselves in the depths of our subconscious minds. 

Rather they start out as conscious thoughts and actions, which are repeated often enough, to break through our cerebral firewall and lodge themselves, often permanently, into the very fibre of our being. 

In the immortal words of Lao Tzu: “Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”

Now, here is the important point. Simply because, once upon a time, many moons ago, we formed the habit of making more than we spend, does not mean that we are consistently doing it, on a daily, monthly or yearly basis. 

It is not enough, simply to know something. Knowledge alone is of little value. It is only when knowledge is applied, through consistent action that it becomes truly valuable. 

So, disengage your autopilot. Lift the hood and take inventory of the system, which is powering your daily thoughts and actions.

In the case of making more than you spend, I would encourage you to ask yourself these most basic of questions:

You may just discover, rather uncomfortably, that you aren't able to produce 3 affirmative responses. 

Now, at this point, I want to divert your attention away from your answers and direct it towards the process of consciously reviewing your subconscious activities. It is here, that the true opportunities for self-improvement are to be found. 

Consider the example of flight attendants, who, in spite of having flown hundreds or thousands of times, are still required to perform a cross-check operation before every take-off, to ensure that the airplane doors are correctly armed. 

If flight attendants are required to perform these checks, why should we not be required to cross-check our habits before starting or ending each day? 

Making more than you spend, is not only an essential part of managing your personal finances, it is also a fundamental principle of running any company, regardless of it's stage or size. 

In the context of personal finances, if, starting tomorrow, you were no longer able to work and produce an income, how long could you survive? Regardless of how much money you currently have in the bank, if you are able to survive for an indefinite period of time, you are justified in calling yourself wealthy. 

In the context of a company, if, starting tomorrow, you were no longer able to bring in any form external funding, how long could you survive? Regardless of how much money you currently have in the bank, if you are able to survive for an indefinite period of time, you have a wealthy and sustainable business. 

As someone who operates in the tech sector, I find this to be particularly poignant, in the context of businesses. In the tech industry, it is standard practice for companies to raise, raise, raise, in spite of being unprofitable. Against this backdrop, I set even greater store by the fundamental principle of making more than I spend. 

With all this being said, perhaps the greatest benefit, which comes from making more than we spend, is the environment it cultivates. An environment, in which peace takes the place of stress and the stage is set for hyper-creative and original thought.

Now that's my kind of environment, especially if the sun is shining and my office has a view of the ocean.