I read a lot of financial success books, I watch success and motivational videos and I attend seminars and webinars. I’ve always had a passion for learning when I was a kid I loved reading and it’s a habit I’ve continued and will continue for the rest of my life.
In the last eighteen years, the focus of learning has shifted to financial success because I’ve come to understand the importance of money that I really didn’t have when I was younger. I now understand the importance of financial education.
Why are you doing that?
Sometimes people will ask me, why are you reading that? or why are you so focussed on money? as if I’m wasting my time or behaving badly. Because they don’t have the same goal for financial success as I have, they don’t understand that “why?” is the most important question. They don’t understand that I’m focussed on learning habits from successful people, people that have achieved goals I’d like to achieve. Habits are very powerful and once you build them they’re hard to break, that’s why it’s hard to quit smoking. People who succeed financially or in any other area of life leave a trail for anyone who wants to follow it, as the saying goes “Success leaves clues”.
I used to listen to a Robert Kiyosaki audio program in which he talked about “why” is a more important question than “how to”. The “how to”, he would say is simple and usually, there are many “how to’s”. For example, if you want to lose weight there are many different ways to do it but it basically comes down to eating less and exercising more. But what most people do because they don’t have a strong enough “why” or the reason they go looking for an easier “how to”. If the “why” is strong enough then the “how to” is simple (not necessarily easy). If the “why” is not strong then you will give up when the road gets harder (and it will if you’re trying to achieve a major goal)
The Power Of Habits
I read somewhere that a habit takes twenty-one or thirty days to form and I don’t know if it’s true but what I do know is that when you form a habit it becomes automatic and you don’t really have to do a lot for it to continue but you do have to do a lot of work to break any habits. I’m going to list what I think are the most important habits from successful people that I’ve learned, or traits I’ve realized make a big difference in whether people achieve their goals in life, please feel free to share yours.
Knowing exactly what you want
You have to be specific when deciding what it is you want because it doesn’t matter how smart or talented you are if you don’t have a specific target in mind you’ll fail. If you say I want more money and I give you a dollar then you’ve achieved your goal, but I’m sure that’s not what you meant.
The determination to persevere until you succeed
Never give up, don’t quit, just keep going. Change your plans if you have to for better plans but don’t quit. It’s your goal or dream and no one cares about it as you do so keep moving forward with relentless persistence.
Self-discipline
Discipline will help you get things done. Either you control your mind or it controls you, there’s no middle ground. Take full responsibility for your actions and don’t make excuses, make reasons why it’s a must for you to do it. You have to be committed to your goal, you have to pursue it with all your passion and self-discipline is a must.
Be obsessed
If you want to achieve anything above average you can’t wish or hope for it to happen, you need to be obsessed with it. Be prepared to work hard, plan, re-asses your plans when they don’t work, work harder, improve, learn from your mistakes, breathe, eat and sleep your goal or dream until it’s a part of you.
Create your own reality
Have a vision for your future, success is a choice, freedom is a choice and you choose everyday. Use your failures and any negative influences in your life to motivate you, to make you more determined to achieve what you want in life. Don’t let anyone destroy your dream just because they don’t have your vision.
Impossible is just a word
Napoleon Hill said “whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve” and he was absolutely correct. Belief is the key to moving forward when there is no evidence that your dream will ever be a reality. Some people say “I’ll believe it when I see it” but really the saying should be “I’ll see it when I believe it”.
Work is the way to your goal or dream
Ideas without work are just ideas and no idea will work on it’s own, you have to do the work necessary to make it happen or you’ll be making excuses. Talent or favorable breaks will only get you so far but with hard work and persistence, you’ll be able to achieve whatever you put your mind to.
We read a lot of financial success books but they’re useless if we don’t apply the information we learn and copy or develop the habits from successful people. I’ve shared the habits or traits I think are most important but I’d love to know what habits or traits you think have made the biggest difference in your life.
Thank you for reading and feel free to leave any comments below.