Today’s blog post is an awesome guest post from Dafina of Dollars Plus Sense. It’s all about the 10 Habits of Rich People (that you need to have too!) and is a great read. Even I learned something! I hope you enjoy it and be. sure to check out Dollars Plus Sense!
Do you ever wonder why the rich always seem to get richer, and the poor get poorer? It may have something to do with their daily habits.
A study by Thomas Corley, the author of “Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals” breaks down the daily success habits of his wealthiest clients. He noticed successful and wealthy people shared similar habits that differed from the poor.
In this article, I will break down some of these habits of the rich and actions you can take to adopt their behaviour. If you want to be wealthy, you have to do what the rich do.
Table of Contents
10 Habits of Rich People
1. They Set Goals
Wealthy people always focus on their goals. Not only do they set goals, but they also write them down and take actions to achieve it. Rich people set annual, monthly, and daily goals.
Your Action Steps: Set goals for yourself. When setting goals, you want to make sure they are SMART. SMART stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely.
SMART Goals:
- You want to make your goals as specific as possible;
- Measurable so that you can track your progress and know when you’ve achieved your goal
- You want to make your goals realistic and achievable;
- Your goals should be relevant to your overall plans in life
- Finally, you want your goal to have a time limit where you set an end date to achieve your goal
Make sure to write down all your goals. According to a study done by Gail Matthews at Dominican University of California, those who wrote down their goals accomplished significantly more than those who did not write down their goals.
Next, break down your goals into smaller sub-goals. Make a plan of how you will achieve your sub-goals — which will lead you to achieving your big goals. To actually achieve your goals, they need to be written out and planned for.
2. They Maintain A “To-Do” List
Rich people create goals all the time. Therefore, their action steps are represented in their daily to-do list. According to Corley, 81% of rich people maintain a daily to-do list. Only 19% of poor people keep a to-do list.
Your action steps: Once you create your goals, you need to make an action plan of how you’re going to actually achieve them. Make a daily to-do list with at least one activity that will bring you a little closer to accomplishing your goal. However, you need to do more than just make a to-do list. Try and complete most of the tasks on your list each day.
3. They Exercise
Wealthy people exercise daily because they know the importance of health. They value their health because they understand that’s one of the things money can’t buy.
Being more active and living a healthy lifestyle will ultimately save you money. You will save money because you’ll be spending less on doctor bills and medical expenses.
Your action steps: Try to be active and get aerobic exercise at least 3 times per week. The more active you are, the more benefit it will have on your health. Try to watch what you eat and make healthily choices.
4. They Value Their Time
The affluent value their time because they realize it’s the one thing none of us can ever get back. They also understand, that time is money. Therefore, if they waste time, it is also money lost. The wealthy avoid wasting time on non-productive things.
Your action steps: Try to manage your time more effectively. Don’t waste time on non-productive activities (i.e., social media, unless you make money that way). You are losing money by engaging in activities that are not productive or do not produce money.
5. They Read & Listen To Audiobooks/Podcasts
Rich people are constantly learning and trying to grow more mentally. They spend a lot of time getting more educated about money as well.
The most successful leaders in business and finance read every single day. Warren Buffet reads 500 pages every day; Mark Cuban reads 3 hours a day; and Bill Gates reads at least 50 books a year.
It’s important to note that they don’t read for fun, they read to get more educated. Rich people prefer to read non-fiction books, and self-improvement books in particular. According to Corley, 88% of wealthy people read for self-improvement, verses 2% of poor people who do the same.
Finally, wealthy people read every day because they want to continue to learn. They understand learning doesn’t stop once you are done with your formal education. They continue to learn long after college is over, and reading is a key part of their self-education.
Your Action Steps: With this in mind, you should try and get into the habit of reading and getting more educated. Start with some books about your finances. If you don’t like to read, or don’t have the time, consider listening to audio books. You can listen to audio books when commuting to work or when you don’t have the time to sit down and read.
6. They Limit TV Watching
The wealthy do not spend a lot of time watching TV. According to Corley, 67% of the wealthy watch TV one hour or less per day, compared to 23% of the poor. But it’s not that rich people don’t enjoy watching TV, it’s just that it’s not valuable use of their time.
Your action steps: Try to cut down on the amount of TV you watch. According to a study by Nielson ,the average person watches 5 hours and 20 minutes of content per day. That is over 35 hours a week you could be spending doing something more productive (like starting a blog!). Limit your TV watching and engage in more valuable activities.
7. They Ask Questions
The affluent recognize that they don’t know everything, and they don’t mind asking questions. This is usually in the form of some kind of professional advisor.
The rich usually ask for help for anything they don’t know. That’s why they hire professionals like lawyers, accountants, and financial advisors.
You’ll notice that a ton of people in business have life coaches, or business coaches that help them get through the hard times. This is because they don’t have a problem asking questions and asking for help to make them more money.
Your action steps: You might not have a team of people you can hire to answer your questions like the rich, but the Internet can provide answers to some of your questions. Do a Google search, post your questions in a forum, or buy a book on the topic you want to learn more about.
8. They Take Action
Rich people do what needs to be done. They don’t wait for permission and they take action. According to Corley, 81% of rich people do more than their job requires; whereas, only 17% of poor people agree.
Your action steps: Take initiative when at work. Go above and beyond your job requirements. If you see something needs to be done, and you can do it, take action. Your boss will most likely recognize this ambitious behaviour and reward you for it. It might be in the form of a promotion, raise, or bonus.
9. They Network
Wealthy people understand the importance of networking. To be successful, you need to surround yourself with like-minded individuals. Networking can lead to bigger and better opportunities. It can also lead to new and exciting ideas.
Corley found that 79% of wealthy people spend at least 5 hours per month networking, while only 16% of poor people do the same.
Your action steps: Try to network consistently. Go to a conference, an after work event, lunch, or even coffee with others who have the same objectives as you. Even better to network with people who have achieved success in the goals you are trying to achieve.
10. They Never Give Up
Rich people are usually very persistent. They have a goal in mind and do something everyday that helps them get closer to that objective. Wealthy people are passionate and constantly work towards their goals until they achieve them.
Your action steps: It might be very hard, or take a lot of time to achieve your goal; but remember to never give up. Push through any adversity and stay persistent. With this attitude, you will most certainly achieve your goals.
Final Thoughts
If you want to be successful and have more money you should adopt some of the habits of successful and rich people. You can’t act like a poor person and expect to be wealthy. Try to develop any of these habits to put yourself in a position to increase your own wealth.
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