When people say they want to be ‘wealthy’, often it is not merely the accumulation of material possessions and a fat bank account that is behind the dream. People define “being wealthy” in different ways. Of course, having a healthy bank account, a mansion, the latest sports car, and being able to afford exotic holidays are all part of it, but often, when people dream of being wealthy, what they want is no more stress or struggle or unhappiness in their lives.
Maybe you fall into that category, or maybe you want to own your own business and be your own boss. Maybe you do want the fancy lifestyle of the rich and famous, or maybe you would just like to be debt free, stress free, and never have to worry about how you’re going to pay your bills ever again. There is “wealth” and there is “wealthy enough”.
Whatever your reason for wanting to be ‘wealthy’, you need to discover just what that means to you. You need to be able to focus on what it is you really desire. The wealthy know exactly what they want and are able to focus on it… like an arrow hitting the bulls-eye. There are no vague ideas in their head about what they want and their focus is on the bulls-eye, not the rings around it. So if you want to be “wealthy”, first determine what it is exactly that you do want so you can focus on it.
The wealthy also appreciate and give thanks for what they already have. How about you? You might not have much but are you grateful for it? Realize that to somebody else, even with the little you may have, you are “wealthy” – because you have more than they do. They’d be grateful to have what you have. So take a good look at what you already have, appreciate it and be grateful. The way it works is when the universe sees how grateful you are for what you already have, ‘it’s’ happy to give you more – because you honestly appreciate it. “Spoiled Brats”, on the other hand, are less likely to receive more if they are not grateful and appreciative of what they already have.
The wealthy also don’t forget to live life while they are focusing on wealth accumulation. So, do stop to smell the roses. Not every wonderful experience in life comes with a price tag. A beautiful sunset is free. Sun glistening on a snow-laden tree is free. You need to develop a “wealthy mind-set”. You do this by looking around at all the things you can experience now, that you can afford to experience now, and feel how wealthy you already are. Remember, if this is difficult, think of those less fortunate than yourself. There are always others to whom you are already “wealthy”. You need to be able to see yourself that way, too, in order to move on to bigger things. Regardless of your financial status now, “feel” wealthy, appreciate what you already have and all the wonderful and beautiful places, events and experiences that surround you.
Another thing the wealthy do differently is they take action. They don’t just dream or hope to win lotto one day… they take steps, even if they are little ones, every day that will bring them closer and closer to their goal. What are YOU doing right now to take you closer to reaching your goal? Or are you still dreaming about it? You can go the rest of your life just dreaming about it, or you can take steps now to live it.
You’d be surprised just how events work in your favor once you start taking action on something you truly desire. Some people call them “coincidences” and others call them “synchronicities”. Whatever you want to call them, these wonderful little ‘miracles’ appear when you focus on achieving something. Just when you need advice on something, you may meet a person who is an expert in that field and is happy to chat to you for free there and then. You may be having trouble getting a loan from your bank, but then you meet another person who works for another bank who is happy to give you the loan at a lesser interest rate! People and opportunities “pop up” just when you need them. Of course, there is no reason for these opportunities to appear for you if you are still in the “dreaming” stage and are not actively working towards your goal.
This applies whether you are looking for a new job, looking for ways to get that new car, trying to sell your house to the right buyer for the right price, and so on. Once you decide and start to take action and you are serious about achieving your goal, that’s when “help” arrives from unexpected sources. But you do have to make the effort to do something every day towards your goal. Look at it this way. If you saw two men with a pile of logs to chop. One man was chopping away every day, he wasn’t fast but he was making the effort. The other man was sitting on his log waiting for a miracle – somebody to come along, feel sorry for him and chop his logs for him. Now, if you were that miracle walking along, who would you help?
Another key ingredient is NEVER QUIT. The reason successful people are successful and wealthy people are wealthy is they never quit. If one idea didn’t work, they tried a different tack – but they never gave up.
Wealthy people don’t waste their time either. When you are sitting watching a soap on TV, or surfing the net, or procrastinating in other ways, you are wasting valuable time that you could use towards achieving your goal. Why not keep a diary of what you do each day. Then you will see all the missed opportunities you had when you could have been working on achieving your dream. The choice is always yours. Wealthy and successful people choose to work on achieving their dream.
Another secret of the wealthy is that they ignore those who laugh at their dreams or say it can’t be done. You will always find people who will tell you “You’ll never make it.” These comments don’t necessarily come from those who don’t like you – even your own friends and family can be quick to douse your dreams with water. Sometimes it is because they don’t want you to try and fail and be hurt. Other times it is because they are jealous… jealous of your ambition because it shows them up and makes them feel less worthy… jealous in case you just might make it and be more successful and wealthy than they are – and show them up! You should adjust to the possibility that your path to wealth and success may be a lonely one – but look at all the successful and wealthy people in the world. They made it on their own. Don’t expect a cheering squad to support you, but know that if you want to make it, you don’t need a cheering squad.
Becoming wealthy isn’t all just “in the mind”, although, it’s a topic that’s on everyone’s mind. You do have to watch the money you do have carefully. Do you have a budget? Do you try to save some each month? Even if it is only $5.00, that is better than nothing – and with interest added, it does add up. No, $5.00 a month isn’t going to make you wealthy, but it will develop a healthy pattern of saving to which you can add when you can afford it. Instead of wasting spare change, add it to your savings. Wealthy people don’t waste anything and they know exactly where it is spent. Do you?
When you are working on establishing a business, even a work-from-home hobby business, running out of money is like hitting a brick wall. Wealthy people never over-expend. They know if they can afford something or not. They save during the planning stages. Wealthy people use a business plan. You should too. You can find many free business plan templates on the Internet if you can’t afford to pay a specialist to draw your plan up for you. Business plans are not only necessary if you want to apply for a business loan – they help keep you on track – providing milestones for you to gauge your progress.
Seek financial advice if you are unsure how to handle money. You should know that you will not get rich on borrowed money and you will never be debt free if you spend more than you earn and live on credit. Likewise, you will never be wealthy if you are continuously paying off debts. If your particular “dream” requires a financial base to take off, then make sure you are living within your means now and have paid off your debts – don’t have these hanging over your head. You can’t afford that if your ‘dream’ is going to also need to dip into precious funds. You will simply join the thousands of other failed entrepreneurs who went bankrupt because they were careless with their money.
This may sound daunting if you are on a low income right now – but that doesn’t mean your dream is impossible. Others in similar circumstances have found positions of wealth so it’s clear, you can too. Another trick you can use to help you “feel” wealthy now, is to always carry some money in your wallet – don’t spend it – just leave it there. That way you always have money on you. Do you know how you feel when you always have money in your wallet? You feel more confident. You walk tall and walk like a person who has money to spare. And that’s exactly the mind-set you need to develop and use every day.
You attract what you think about – so when your wallet is bare and you feel poor, you will attract more of that poverty to you. With money in your wallet and a feeling of being “wealthy”, you will attract more of that to you. You don’t need to know how this works, just know that it is a universal law that has been proven time and time again. There is a famous expression that covers this concept well: “Fake it until you make it.” If you are not a millionaire right this minute, PRETEND you are. Think of yourself as a millionaire. Wearing jeans and a t-shirt? Not a problem, pretend your best clothes are at the cleaners. Taking public transport? Pretend you are doing this because the Mercedes you have ordered hasn’t arrived yet. Get the idea?
And as you walk down the street, in your jeans, pretending in your mind that you have a cool million dollars in your bank account, how does that make you feel? Do you feel sorry for those around you – those poor people who maybe don’t have anything in a bank account, or a mere several thousand compared with your millions? If you had that million in the bank you wouldn’t feel inferior to anyone. You’d strut down the street, exuding confidence, looking everyone in the eye. Millionaires can wear what they like and do what they like. Money does that to you. It doesn’t matter now what you wear, what brand, or where you live – in your mind, choose to think you are a millionaire.
Of course, if you come from a poor family, developing this mind-set is going to be a challenge for you. (Fake it until you make it was written for you!) Of course, wealthy families have a head start with this millionaire mind-set… rich people don’t teach their children to think poor! Even if they do have a head start in life with financial backing from rich parents, if they do not know how to make their own wealth, they’ll soon eat up what their parents have given them and fail. Failing and being poor, however, are alien concepts to these people and that is another secret of the wealthy. They only know how to focus on wealth and success and enjoy so many synchronicities (coincidences) because they are attracting what they are thinking about every day – that is more wealth making opportunities, more success, more money.
Wealthy people also engage in an activity called tithing. They regularly give a percentage of their wealth to charities. Sometimes it is because they sincerely care about a particular charity or cause, and sometimes it is because they simply want the public to think well of them – so it’s more a PR exercise. However, there are others who follow another Universal Law that you may be familiar with – what goes around, comes around. What you give away, you will get back in larger quantities. You may not receive cash exactly, but the value of the opportunity or special ‘gift’ that comes back to you will be much more than you have given away.
Again, next time you are strolling down the street, in your jeans, fondly thinking of the million dollars sitting in your bank account, if you see an opportunity to toss some coins into a charity tin, make it a practice to do so. Give what you feel comfortable to give. It will not only make you feel good, you will be hopping on the what comes around, goes around bandwagon and you make it possible for something good to come back your way.
The next thing wealthy people do is similar to a business plan, but this is a life plan. Where do you see yourself in 10, 15, 20 or 30 years from now? What outcome do you want for yourself? If you have no plan, no idea, you’ll just drift along with the current and you could end up anywhere. You give up your control to outside influences to take you through life because you don’t want control of it, and yet, you want the very things that taking control would give you – wealth, success, and so on.
If you just want to drift with the current and dream, you could end up being carried over a waterfall, be washed up on a bank, be swept down the wrong fork to a different destination than that you’d hoped for. Now, if you take a paddle and sit on the log, you can avoid all those catastrophes and you can choose where you want to go, and you have a better chance of reaching your chosen destination – because you are in charge and you are doing something about it.
Consider this, too – if you have no idea what you want your life to be like, no idea what the ultimate destination is for you, then you also won’t know which roads to choose on your journey there. You can end up anywhere, doing anything, and you may or may not be better off. As George Harrison sang (and the Cheshire cat said to Alice), “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” Wealthy people know exactly which road to take. They know where they’re going and even if they don’t reach that final golden destination, they’re enjoying the journey, amassing wealth and success on the way.
And when you say you want to be wealthy, don’t aim purely for monetary wealth as the be all and end all of your life. Decide now how your wealth will affect your life. Imagine this: 5 years from now you are a multimillionaire. You own a huge mansion. You own a selection of the finest cars ever manufactured. Your wardrobe is stocked with big name labels. You can afford exotic holidays and you’ve been everywhere! You own a big yacht. You have everything you want. Is that all there is? It can get boring at “the top” – which is why millionaires and billionaires never stop doing what they love. Wealthy people know that it is not the destination that matters, but the journey. Whether you do reach your goal or only make it halfway there, think of the interesting (and profitable) journey you’ll have on the way – compare that to how you’re traveling now.
But I digress… you need a plan, an idea of the outcome of all your efforts. You need to know what it is you are working towards so you will know how to get there and recognize it once you have it. This comes back to setting goals. Some people are afraid to set goals. They think it will restrict them. A goal isn’t “law”. When you grow out of your shoes you buy new ones. When your weight fluctuates you don’t insist on wearing your belt on the same hole, do you? The same applies to goals. You change your goal as your needs or dreams change. The goal is like a candle lighting the way through the dark – there is no law that says you can’t change candles along the way! Sometimes, goals need to change, for many reasons, but if you don’t have one first, you are like the average Joe drifting every which way by the current.
Having a goal is like having a business plan. It’s like a road map that helps you reach your destination. Having a goal means you are better able to take actions that will not waste your time or money but will get you from where you are now to where you want to be by the quickest and most suitable route for you.
Use a journal and write your goal down. Brainstorm ideas on how you can achieve that goal, and then every day, take one action towards it. The more realistic your goal, the easier it will be to achieve. All wealthy people set goals.
Wealthy people don’t quit, they keep working towards their goals, and they don’t let obstacles stop them from progressing. If they get knocked down, they stand up again. If a boulder bars their passage, they find ways around it. If one door shuts in their face, they go knocking on other doors.
Do you need money to make money? Well, it sure makes everything a lot easier, but the answer is no – and here’s your proof:
In 1976, two young men in their early twenties, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started Apple Computers in a garage. Six months later they were sharing a “monthly” salary of just $250. Just one year later they’d taken on a partner, Mike Markkula who also invested in their computer enterprise. The rest, as they say, is history.
Colonel Sanders started Kentucky Fried Chicken with his social security check! (Yes, having investors helped too… these days, if you want investors, you’d better have your business plan prepared!)
And let’s not forget Walt Disney! If he had let his bankruptcy stop him from chasing his dreams we wouldn’t have Disneyland or any of the wonderful Disney animations and films that came out of the Disney stable!
And surely you’ve heard of Sir Richard Branson – founder and CEO of the Virgin empire. He was not an impressive student at school. He was dyslexic, but at the age of 17, he started a student newspaper. He dropped out of school to focus on that and one thing led to another and need I say anymore? Is there anybody who doesn’t know Richard Branson’s bio?
In the U.S. alone, there are millions of millionaires! The number of millionaires jumped from a dozen in 1800 to 300 in 1860, 4,500 in 1902, 30,000 in 1929, 5,000 in 1932, 100,000 in 1966, and 4 million in 2000. (Source: Chief Executive, The, May, 2002 by Kevin P. Phillips)
Looking at the track record of even just a handful of self-made millionaires who started with nothing; do you still doubt you can make it? If you really want to? And do you see a theme running through even just the few examples I gave you? What is the one thing that connects these entrepreneurs – apart from being filthy rich? The businesses they built were not just money-making ventures – they didn’t set out to become filthy rich. It wasn’t just about the money. Their businesses were their “dream”. Their businesses were their passion. They were working on something they loved. So what does this tell you?
It tells you that wealthy people choose fields of endeavors that they love, that they are passionate about, that they can’t wait to jump out of bed to work on and in. You need to find something you are that passionate about and make that YOUR business!
How fast you “make it” is up to you. If you put all your time and energy into it (making time to stop and smell the roses, of course!), then you will reach your goal more quickly. If you just treat it as a part-time hobby, you can expect it to take much longer.
Wealthy people love what they do – so to them it doesn’t feel like work. They also know it is important to finish what they start. No millionaire ever made it by leaving loose ends all over the place, or jumping from one idea to another, or spreading themselves too thin. They never lose faith in themselves, OR their ideas, despite what anybody else says.
One of the most important, if not THE most important, things that Wealthy people do is take risks. It is a risk to go out on a limb and go after a dream that everyone around you is telling you won’t work and you’re wasting your time. The best way to handle risk is be prepared – know everything about your plan and any risks involved. What is the timeline for your intended outcome? How long do you believe it will take to develop your idea and put it into action? How much money will you need – not only to develop your idea but to put it into action? This includes advertising and marketing, and you must also consider any applicable taxes. How do you plan to sell your product or service? How much are you going to charge for it? Do you have any competition in the line of business you are contemplating? Do you know the quality of their product – is it better than yours? What do they charge? How can you make your product better? How are you going to manufacture your product or provide your service? If you get more orders than you originally planned, can you get more manufactured quickly, or will there be any downtime (which you don’t want!)? Have you got buyers lined up or parties interested at home and overseas? The list of questions is almost endless and varies depending on what your proposed business involves, but by asking yourself the hard questions AND being able to answer them with confidence, you will understand what risks, if any, lay before you and your venture.
Another thing the wealthy do, apart from avoiding negative people, is associate with other successful people with an “I believe” attitude. Further, they are not embarrassed to seek advice and ask questions. No one person knows everything. You can’t afford to be proud and arrogant if you want to be wealthy. Don’t let your ego get in the way of your progress. Seeking the advice and knowledge of those who can help you can save you time and money. You also need to be respectful to those who work with you and for you and even to your competition.
Successful millionaires know that your reputation is everything and needs to be guarded carefully. It is easier to maintain a good reputation than repair a damaged one. You guard your reputation by being an upstanding citizen, kind and respectful to everyone around you. You avoid situations that could cause you or your company embarrassment. You don’t waste your money or your reputation on booze and drugs and “loose ways”. You stay out of legal entanglements by keeping on the right side of the law. Your ethics and morals should be impeccable and you should associate with those who share these qualities.
Millionaires know that it is easier to attract flies with honey than vinegar – good manners is not just a social want – good manners attracts the right type of flies that can and will help your business.
So, in a nutshell, “think wealthy”, plan carefully, believe in yourself, be upstanding, do what you have to do to make your dream come true, and NEVER QUIT!