You have to actually deserve it.
Beyond believing you deserve the good life…from what I have seen, nobody is getting wealthy that didn’t deserve it, i.e. they solved a big problem or helped a lot of people solve theirs.  If you help make a ton of people rich, you will probably get rich too. If you solve a lot of problems, you will probably get rich.

Creative solutions, lots of ideas
Because rich people have broad and deep knowledge and are not operating from a place of fear, their solutions to problems are creative (remember when you made creative deals in monopoly?) and that is a great way to uncover huge value that is closed to others. Giving good ideas away helps everyone and makes you valuable. When you have plenty of ideas (i.e. practice brainstorming) you come not from a place of fear, but from a place of abundance. Try thinking “How can I have my cake and eat it to?”

Learn rich social skills
People like people similar to them. Most rich people are ridiculously positive.  You can be positive too! Learn where rich people hang out so you can meet them there. Learn the things they like to do and think about: travel, charity, playing chess, tennis, cycling, investing, entrepreneurship, etc., so you have something to talk to them about.  Rich people like to talk about big ideas, not gossip about people or talk material possessions, so practice talking about ideas every day. Maybe try not complaining too.

Setting good habits as a foundation.
If you spend more of your time doing useful, productive, money making activities than not, you can build wealth. This usually means cutting out some nonsense time when you are consuming rather than creating. You need to always have a sharp prepared mind and body, so when you sleep well, eat well, relax and fully rest, it means you can work harder when you need to, duh. For the important relationships in your life – set up a habit and a schedule to think about them and get in touch with them.

Your surroundings are important
Your physical location brings you into contact with different people and ideas. The places you go on the internet bring the same contact. If you need to physically move to a new city or get new friends or stop going to certain sites on the internet, then by all means do it. You should be picky about what you let in to your life, because that is what will fill your mind, remember how thoughts come before actions and results!

Buy assets that pay you
Liabilities make you pay for them, assets pay you. An asset could be anything from investment real estate, microlending, dividending stocks, to owning pinball machines. On the flip side if you spend your money on a car, it is a liability: a car doesn’t pay you and you have to keep paying for gas and repairs. Buy things that make you money while you sleep. While you are at it, make sure to spend less then you earn (and don’t forget earning more is part of that equation!).

Set short, mid, and long term goals with deadlines
You can always change your goals, but set them. Lots of people do one part of this well: maybe people have good short term goals (save an extra $300 this month) or maybe they set some new years resolutions or they have a purchase they want to save up for. Go a little bit deeper: give yourself a 1,3,5 and 20 year goal planing session. Think about your life’s work and the legacy you want to leave. If you don’t know where you are headed, then it doesn’t really matter what you do.  I have changed my goals a few times, and that is ok.

When you are doing work on yourself you are doing work on the world
Billionaires like Warren Buffet and Bill Gates want their superpower to be able to read faster (so they can learn more and be better versions of themselves). Rich folks believe they can and should be constantly improving their knowledge, relationships with others, valuable skills, and health. The better family member, friend, leader, and employee you can be for everyone else, the more you should be rewarded financially.

Gratitude
A big recurring theme for millionaires is gratitude. Most rich folks did become wealthy on their own and they are thankful for opportunities, fiends, collaborators, good fortune, etc. that allowed them to get to where they are. Because of this gratitude, rich people are some of the most charitable people and love helping others. Gratitude also helps them maintain a good mindset – millionaires know they can earn more when they need to.

Know your value and how to talk about it
You know how often people ask you what you do at a party? Wealthy people often have something interesting to say that gets others to lean in and say “tell me more!”  Many millionaires are the boss/employer, but if they ever need a job, they are clear about the reasons why someone would want to hire them.  Millionaires know their strengths and best roles. Because rich people know just how they can help others, they are not afraid to promote that fact.

Build the right relationships
Find the right mentors, business partners, friends, lovers and cultivate strong relationships.  Mentors or coaches give you the specific knowledge you need at just the right time, without you having to wade through years worth of research to find out.  If you want to build a house or start a business or change something in your community, knowing the mayor, an architect, or a lawyer can be essential. Grow your network and community before you ever need it!

The Books:

Here is the list of Millionaire and Rich related books that I referenced for this episode. Warning! This is a lot of books! Don’t read them all. I have put them in order of how frequently I refer back to them. You will probably have everything you need from these show notes and podcast episode to get you started.

How Rich People Think

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth

The Top 10 Distinctions Between Millionaires and the Middle Class

The Science of Getting Rich (A Thrifty Book)

Rich Habits – The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals

Think and Grow Rich

The Millionaire Master Plan: Your Personalized Path to Financial Success

The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy

The Richest Man in Babylon

The Secret Code of Success: 7 Hidden Steps to More Wealth and Happiness

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Did you enjoy the episode?
It was a lot of fun for me to go back through all these books and interviews and pick out my favorite themes. I had a list of about 50 ideas that I combined and cut down to these 12. Which one do you think is the most important? Are there any that you disagree with? Can you think of anything major I left out?