17 Things Rich People Do Differently

“It is not the creation of wealth that is wrong, but the love of money for its own sake.” ~Margaret Thatcher

But here’s the thing: millions of people around the world dream of making lots of money… but very few achieve it.

Why is that?

Is it because of a lack of intelligence? No.

Is it because of bad luck? No.

Is it because of their mindset? Yes.

Last week, I read  T. Harv Eker’s book Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth, in which he highlights 17 things rich people do differently.

Today, I want to share them with you so you can become aware of the things you’re currently lacking. That way, you can start developing the mindset that will lead you to exceptional wealth.

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1. Rich People Think “I Create my Life”

You’re in control of your life: things don’t happen by chance, they happen by choice. Taking full responsibility for your life is step one towards creating the life you dream of.

And when things don’t work out? Don’t blame or  criticise others, and don’t justify yourself. Just learn from it, keep on pushin’ ahead, and do better next time.

2. Rich People Play the Money Game to Win

If your aim is to “be comfortable financially”, you’re unlikely to ever be rich.

You have to aim to be rich to become rich.

3. Rich People Are Committed to Being Rich

If you wish to be rich, or you’d like to be rich… That’s not enough. You have to *commit* to being rich.

The moment it’s absolutely clear in your mind that you’ll create exceptional wealth, the universe will conspire to help you.

4. Rich People Think Big

How do you want to live your life? Do you want to play in the little leagues, in the minors or in the major leagues? It’s your choice.

I wholeheartedly believe that we can accomplish anything we can envision. But if you think small… You’ll accomplish small.

Think big my friend. It’s more fun, and it opens you up to a world of infinite possibilities.

If you want to get better at this, I encourage you to read The Magic of Thinking Big

5. Rich People Focus on Opportunities

Most things that happen to us can be seen as either opportunity or as an obstacle. It depends on what we focus on.

Rich people choose to see everything as a blessing, as a stepping stone for something greater.

What’s your outlook on things? Do you focus on finding opportunities or do you only see the risks & obstacles?

6. Rich People Admire Other Rich & Successful People

When you see a rich person, do you get jealous? Is there a point of resentment when you say “Check out that guy’s house/car?”

If you associate these negative feelings to wealth, you’re not likely to amass it yourself.

You have to associate positive feelings to wealth if you want to create it in your life.

These people were the architect of their wealth, and that’s worthy of our respect. Plus… when’s the last time jealousy got you anywhere?

7. Rich People Associate with Positive, Successful People

Modelling is one of the primary ways we learn. If you associate with positive & successful people, not only can you learn from them, but you’ll also start to think… “if they can do it, why can’t I?”

8. Rich People Are Willing to Promote Themselves & Their Value

Many of us have been conditioned to think that promoting ourselves is boastful and to be avoided.

But the reality is that most rich people are excellent promoters. They know how to promote themselves, their ideas and their products with enthusiasm.

Note: In 2008, Tim Ferriss was named by Wired.com as The Greatest Self-Promoter of All-Time

9. Rich People Are Bigger Than Their Problems

Everyone has problems. Things won’t always your way, no matter who you are. But it’s how you react to your problems that defines you.

When you face a problem, do you run away and give up? Or do you put your head down and find a solution?

The answer to these questions will go a long way towards determining the kind of life you’ll live.

10. Rich People Are Excellent Receivers

To earn large sums of money for your work & products, you must feel worthy of receiving large sums of money.

Here’s a great practice for improving your receiving skills: when someone offers you compliment, simply say accept and thanks. Don’t look for something to compliment the other person with.

11. Rich People Choose to Get Paid Based on Results

If you want to become rich, choose to work in a pay-for-performance environment: either in your own business or in a commission-based or bonus-based job.

If you’re confident in your ability, this arrangement will motivate you more and it will earn you a lot more money.

12. Rich People Think “Both” not “Either/Or”

Rich people understand that with creativity, it’s almost always possible to have the best both worlds.

This requires a particular mindset of cooperation and outside-the-box thinking, but it allows you to have our cake and eat it too.

Next time you’re faced with a tough choice… Be creative and try to find a way to have both.

13. Rich People Focus on Their Net Worth

Generally, when we think of wealth we think in terms of how much a person makes a in year . But wealth is much more than that. It’s one’s income, savings, investments, and cost of living.

It’s by optimizing these 4 elements that you can create extraordinary wealth.

14. Rich People Manage Their Money Well

This is fairly self-explanatory: to become rich you need to be serious about money management. Using your spare money optimally, avoiding credit card interest and only spending on useful things is a great place to start.

15. Rich People Have Their Money Work Hard For Them

Once you’ve got money saved up, INVEST it. Utilize tools like investment tracking software to monitor your results. There’s no reason to leave money sitting in your bank account. Passive income is an incredibly powerful wealth-creating vehicle and the sooner you get started, the better.

16. Rich People Act in Spite of Fear

This is certainly one of the most important items and a recurring theme on this blog. If you want to create your greatest life, you’ve GOT to tame the beast of fear.

Fear will never completely go away, but it’s the ability to “feel the fear & do it anyways” that separates those who create their dream life and those who simply  dream about it.

17. Rich People Constantly Learn & Grow

Knowledge + Action = Power. The more you know & apply in your chosen field, the more money you’ll earn.

That’s why I’ve embarked on an epic reading challenge this year, and why you should use all the tools at your disposal to learn something every day: blogs, books, courses,audiolearning and insightful conversation with people who know more than you.

But learning is not enough- make sure you apply these findings, experiment with them, and tweak as you go. That’s where the real power lies.