'I'll never be broke again': Terry Crews's first job in LA before acting was sweeping floors for $8 per hour — says he felt doomed until 1 'magical' thing happened. How you can use his spark

He began to wonder if he was doomed to a life working a mundane job that paid just $8 per hour, until a “magical” shift in perspective gave him the energy he needed to power through it and turn things around.

Here’s how the star found his spark and how you can, too.

Gamified motivation

After feeling in the dumps about his job for a while, Crews eventually decided to gamify the situation to make it more palatable.

“I said [to myself], ‘What if someone gave you a million dollars to sweep this floor; how would you sweep it?’” he said. “So, it was a game that I played with myself.”

This shift in perspective gave him the energy and motivation to power through the day and get his work done. And instead of feeling blue about his pay, Crews decided to use every dollar he earned as more fuel.

“I had $8 in my pocket and I was, like, ‘I’ll never be broke again,’” he said. “It was a test. Crush this ego and do what you have to do just to provide for your family and stop the ego stuff.”

By focusing on his responsibility to his family, Crews says he found motivation through a sense of purpose. It’s a lesson all Americans can learn from.

Boost your finances with purpose

One step you can take to improve your personal finances is to set realistic and highly personal goals that keep you motivated. Take the time to think about what you cherish — whether it’s your family, community, friends or personal freedom — and create a roadmap with these in mind.