Last Updated on September 6, 2024
Success is not necessarily based on your wealth, but for many people, having money makes life a whole lot easier. When you analyze any two extremely opposite groups of people, you’re going to find major differences in the way they think. This is the case between the rich and the poor as much as it would be for any other group.
I recently finished reading “Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth by T. Harv Eker.” First of all, If you haven’t already read the book I would highly recommend it to any entrepreneur. I learned many valuable lessons from this book and even applied some to my own life. I’ve made the exact mistakes Harv covers in this book, so if you feel like you’re looking in the mirror when you read the book, please don’t feel bad. It’s good for you.
This article will cover some of my favorite points from the book. Before we go any further, I clearly don’t intend to insult people with this article. Some of this advice may be a bit harsh, but I feel that people need to hear it. Here are ten ways rich people think differently.
#1: Rich People Believe They Create Their Life. Poor People Believe Life Happens to Them
It seems that rich people tend to believe that they owe their success to no one but themselves. This leads them relying solely on themselves when it comes to business. Poor people, on the other hand, tend to come up with excuses as to why they are struggling. If you want to be wealthy, get rid of all the silly excuses and stories you create in your own mind.
Playing the blame game and feeling sorry for yourself will get you nowhere. It’s a cold, cruel, and harsh world out there. Nobody is going to hold your hand and lead you the right way. You have to make your own life, your own luck, and your future. Don’t wait for life to happen to you, you have to go out there and make it happen for yourself.
#2: Rich People Want to Win, Poor Don’t Want to Lose
Most rich people tend to have a single goal in common, which is to have massive wealth and abundance. They constantly strive for financial growth. Instead of thinking how they can spend their money, rich people are constantly thinking how they can make their money work for them. They’re always looking to invest their money into something that will bring them a hefty return.
Poor people tend to play on the defensive side. The most common word you’ll hear from financially unstable people is that they just want to be “comfortable.” This is great in theory, but it almost never works out. I know plenty of people who are constantly trying to provide for their family and make ends meet. I respect them for that.
But here’s the problem, they waste money on things they don’t really need, and when I bring up this point I’m automatically the “bad guy.” The reality is you can always decrease your monthly spending. What kind of bills and expenses do you currently have? Can you live without them? Sure you can, but you’re probably scared of change.
Theoretically once you cut out all the bs bills and expenses, you can then use your saved money and start a little saving account. Then you can invest that money, then you can etc. I’m not here to give you financial advice, but it’s mostly common sense. It’s completely up to you to learn and get educated about investing.
You can also stop overpaying for clothes made in Bangladesh, India, China, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines. That $20-$50 shirt people buy at the mall can be bought for less that $10 at Walmart, Target, Amazon, or some other retailer. It’s the exact same thing. Unless of course you have to be “cool” and keep up with the latest “trends.”
Unless you’re truly on a shoestring budget saving money is a bit harder than it sounds, but there is always a way. I just cannot stand it when people make excuses for themselves and blame the world or their parents for their misery.
(Before you send me hateful emails. Please know that at one point and time in my life, my mom and I were on the street with no money, we barely knew the English language, and we had nowhere to go. So unless you’re in a worse place or position than we were, please refer to #1.)
#3: The Commitment
Rich people are committed to being rich and gaining more money through their lives. Poor people are trying to get rich, but they are not committed to it. Rich people are always serious when it comes to their money, while poor people don’t show the same level of commitment. If you want something, you need to be totally ready to do everything in your power to get there. If you are not fully, totally, and truly committed to creating monetary wealth for you and your family, chances are you won’t
#4: Big Thoughts, Little Thoughts
Rich people think big. Poor people think small. This applies to much more than just the amount of money a person has. Those with big ideas are willing to take on large jobs, big orders and other things of this nature not only have more money, but to add more value to the world at large.
There are way too many people in the world who seem to think that playing in small numbers is going to help them, it will never pay off; you have to think big. If you have a life changing products or service, don’t think of only helping a few people. Focus on scaling your business and help thousands, or if possible, millions of people. Start thinking big.
Remember the The Social Network? “A million dollars isn’t cool, you know what’s cool? A billion dollars.”
#5: Opportunities and Challenges
As we obtain money, how do we use it? The rich tend to save theirs or find ways to make it grow. This isn’t the case for the poor, who decide that it is wise to spend money as they are getting it (in some cases they take out credit cards and spend money they don’t have). This means that poor people see their money as a challenge (how can I spent my money?) while rich people see it as an opportunity (how can it be saved or invested to my advantage?).
This point takes a look back at #2. Once again, stop spending your money on nonsense and focus on creating wealth for yourself. There will always be a newer smart phone, a faster car, a bigger house, etc. Sure it’s nice to reward yourself from time to time, if your budget allows it. But in general, playing the consumerism game will get you nowhere. You’ll be stuck in the same place. If that’s your goal, then great!
#6: Focus on You
“To be successful you have to be selfish, or else you never achieve. And once you get to your highest level, then you have to be unselfish. Stay reachable. Stay in touch. Don’t isolate.” – Michael Jordan
I know that this goes against everything your parent taught you. However, you’re responsible for your own happiness .
Be more selfish. Stop caring about other people’s opinions. Stop trying to please other people all the time. This is your life. Not your friends life, not your mothers life, not your grandfathers life, you get the idea. You’re in control of the vehicle that we call the human body. The goal is to focus on you, and what you can do to change your own life.
Once you reach the top you can help out others just like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.
#7: Associate yourself with positive and successful people, not negative or unsuccessful people.
If you constantly see your problems as not being resolvable, that means you’re thinking like a poor person. The problem here is that you’re smaller than your issues. This is not good. No matter how much money you have, you’ll always have problems. The goal here is to focus on overcoming them, and being larger than the problem itself.
You think that wealthy individuals have everything running smoothly? Think again. They have problems every single day. But unlike poor people, they know what to do to overcome those problems. If you wish to be successful, you need to learn how to be a leader. Think of life as a huge game of Whac-A-Mole, where each mole is a problem. Don’t just stare at the problem, whack it.
Successful people also tend to look at other successful people as means to motivate themselves. Focus on figuring out how successful people got to where they are today, and figure out what steps you need to take to imitate them. I’m not advocating to copy them, I’m simply suggesting to learn from them.
You should never bother trying to get negative people to change. In fact if you have anybody negative in your life bashing your ideas and bringing you down, I think it’s time to let them go. Surround yourself with other like minded individuals.
Small tip: Please, for the love of God, don’t ever take advice from poor people. They used their own advice to get to where they are today. So unless you want to be just like them, I would highly suggest not to take their advice.
#8: Results vs Time
If you feel like your job is ‘secure’ you’re probably hiding from an issue that is much bigger than you. The rich prefer to get paid what they are worth, meaning their paycheck is based on what they’ve accomplished. This is different from the poor who focus on the amount of time they’ve spent working.
Focus on creating some valuable skill sets. Promote yourself with passion and enthusiasm. Rich people are usually leaders, and all great leaders are great promoters. It’s time to stop being just another sheep who’s getting herded for his or her money. It’s time to be a wolf. Go out there and get what you deserve.
#9: All or One
A good rule of thumb for the rich is that if there are two options, they focus on obtaining both. While the poor will typically focus on one of the options, the rich will focus on ways that they can get both things that they want. The goal here is to never choose again and constantly remind yourself that you can in fact have your cake and eat it too.
#10: Worth vs Income
Let’s face it, the poor have very little money, but that doesn’t mean that they have to think that way. When you focus on everything you own, that is what your worth is, and that’s what is important. Stop worrying about how much money you have in the bank and think about the value of everything else. This is what the rich are focusing on, you should too.
If you didn’t know by now, net worth is the financial value of everything you own. The true measure of wealth is net worth. Not working income. Net worth is the ultimate measure of wealth because, if necessary, what you own can eventually be liquidated into cash. Simply holding cash is pretty risky.
The dollar’s future doesn’t seem to be too bright. If you’ve been paying attention to what’s going on in the world right now, you already know this. Try to figure out ways you can invest your cash so that it will make you money in the future. Don’t buy anything that will depreciate in value. Be smart with your money.
Conclusion
I hope this article has helped you and maybe even changed your perspective. Thinking inside the box will never get you anywhere, but thinking outside of it will. I hope you will take some of this advice and apply it to your life. Good luck!
