What brings people to fame, recognition and wealth? Someone was lucky enough to be born in Silicon Valley or in the family of a senator - a good starting point for further advancement. Others had seed capital from millionaire relatives. Still others were in the right place at the right time. There are also those who worked long and patiently to achieve heights.
Psychologists explain everything much more simply. According to them, success is determined not by actions and external circumstances, but by what happens in the head. The so-called thinking of a rich person is “to blame” for everything. If it exists, you can safely open a business, and it will be profitable and prosperous. If not, any enterprise is doomed to failure.
Peculiarities
According to psychologists, the thinking of rich and successful people is primarily determined by a clearly constructed hierarchy of values. Its second feature is positivism.
Hierarchy of values
Have you ever wondered why Pavel Durov, an entrepreneur, programmer, billionaire, creator of the social network VKontakte, the cross-platform messenger Telegram and other projects, achieved such incredible success? Based on the results of 2021 and 2017, he was included in the Forbes list of 200 richest businessmen in Russia. After all, it seemed difficult to find a more ambiguous personality than him. Many of his actions are still criticized. But even those who condemn him use his own messengers.
But the whole point is that even in his student years Durov had the mindset of a rich man. This is evidenced by the fact that even then he clearly decided on what is important for his life and what he refuses forever. He never hid that the main thing for him was freedom of thoughts, actions, and self-expression. And 7 things that have no place in his life:
- Alcohol.
- Animal meat (he is a vegetarian).
- Any pharmaceutical products (tablets and other drugs).
- Nicotine and drugs.
- Coffee, tea, energy drinks.
- Fast food, sugar, carbonated drinks.
- Television and its analogues.
This is one of the main features of the thinking of a rich person - to clearly formulate his life position and not deviate from it. People doomed to poverty most often have no idea what they really need. They follow fashion - but it changes every season. They try to conform to the stereotypes of society - and become faceless elements, no different from others. They cannot make a decision, constantly doubt, hesitate, change opinions. Their eyes dart, their palms sweat, their lips tremble - all because they themselves do not know what they will do or say in the next minute.
A rich person clearly represents his life values, rarely (almost never) doubts either at the stage of making a responsible decision or after it has already been announced. He has a compass that points him in the right direction, and he is confident in it. Most people who have achieved success in their careers in any field (in politics, culture, science, technology) are holistic individuals, distinguished by a unique internal organization. They clearly know what drives them and what final destination they are moving towards. This is precisely the rational grain and the essence of the thinking of the rich.
Life values are inherent even in organizations - thriving, successful, profitable ones. For example, at IBM (annual revenue $79.1 billion), the first thing you will see on the official website is the values that guide their work:
- interest in the success of each client;
- innovations that change not only the company, but the whole world;
- trust and responsibility - in any relationship.
Values are the basis of the thinking of the rich, this is the compass that guides them to success and prosperity. They determine their life path, guiding them to make specific decisions and take clear actions, regardless of the situation. Failure to use internal guidance by the poor leads to disappointment, a feeling of dissatisfaction and an annoying feeling that life could have turned out better. Whereas the strong in the world are characterized by confidence, inner peace and personal integrity.
Positivism
The second engine of the lives of the rich is the power of positive thinking, which has its own laws:
- Law of Attraction: Rich people are drawn to rich people, which means their social circle must match.
- The law of giving: first - give (invest, invest, donate), then only - receive.
- The law of reverse action: if you want to be angry - rejoice, if you want to be angry - replace it with love, if you give up - move on.
- The law of a positive attitude: even when it seems that everything around is bad, you need to find a small, but positive moment in what is happening - and focus exclusively on it.
With a positive mindset, rich people understand that failure is not defeat. Mistakes don't stop them. First, they learn from them and take them into account in the future. Secondly, they strengthen willpower and character. Thirdly, they don’t give up and still move forward towards their goal.
At such moments, they remember Steven Spielberg, who failed his exams at Film School. Or Elvis Presley, who was kicked out of castings and told that he was untalented and couldn’t sing. Or JK Rowling, who was rejected by 11 publishers when she offered them to publish her famous Harry Potter. There are a huge number of such examples. And none of these people retreated; on the contrary, they continued to fight and eventually received well-deserved fame, recognition and wealth.
And now - attention! — there is not a single mention of money here. And this is another distinctive feature.
Thoughts without action don't matter
Even the most correct thought that you think while lying on the couch will not work until you force yourself to get up.
Your worldview is the result of not only thoughts, but also actions.
For years you have received confirmation of your established patterns of behavior and thinking. As you put the tips in this article into practice, don't be alarmed if reality doesn't immediately respond to your new request. First, you must pass the new principles of thinking through yourself. Only by becoming part of your experience will they begin to work.
How to change
Work with personal standards
To change your thinking and learn to think like the rich, you first need to correctly formulate your personal standards. Tune in to the difficulties, problems, difficulties that you will have to go through and not break. You cannot expect that everything will come easily and naturally. There are several secrets that will help you gain self-confidence and get up from your knees in those moments when it seems that life has failed and nothing can be changed.
- Master the principle of pain and pleasure
You know that pleasure is characterized by the absence of pain. But how will you experience it without contrast? At a certain stage on the path to wealth and success, you may have to endure pain in order to later experience the moment of pleasure more vividly. And there will be many such situations.
- Be extremely careful
Often a person loses his way because he is inattentive to details. You need to be aware of everything that happens to you along this path. Why did I do this? Does this deed (word, deed) bring me closer to wealth and success? Self-reflection must be at the highest level.
- Valid reasons not valid
Today, due to fatigue, I didn’t lift a couple of kilograms on the barbell. I missed training tomorrow (they didn’t let me go from work). The day after tomorrow is my sister’s wedding, there’s no way to refuse a buffet with fatty dishes and alcohol. This whole chain of events with which you justify your actions leads to the fact that you... are already going back to your 100 kilograms and beer belly. Know how to find compromises with your own thinking, which sets such traps for you! Drink sports generics to overcome fatigue and lose those couple of kilograms. Go to a workout after work. And at the wedding buffet there will probably be a lot of fruits and light dishes that will not be deposited in fat reserves. Rich people never make excuses for themselves.
- Organize the right rituals
Personal standards are habits that must be brought to automaticity. If they are developed, this will 100% ultimately lead you to wealth and success. To do this, you will have to practice the same rituals every day. They should be simple, correct and meet your preferences. Examples: get up and go to bed at the same time, brush your teeth for at least 3 minutes, always kiss your loved one before going to bed, complete the most difficult tasks in the morning, etc. Believe me: they will significantly change your life for the better.
- Don't compare
And one more very important piece of advice to everyone who is forming their own personal standards and plans to strictly follow them. Never! Do you hear? Never compare yourself to anyone! Not with a colleague, not with a neighbor, not with relatives. Each person is a special, separate world with his own temperament, beliefs, and goals. They have their own tasks, which should not affect you in any way. The only one with whom you have the right to compare yourself is with yourself yesterday or last year. Have you gotten better? Have you moved forward? Great, keep it up! Have you rolled back? This is not a reason to give up - push yourself, take a leap and become the best version of yourself. This is the only thing you should strive for. Only this can change your life.
Work with a hierarchy of values
The thinking of a rich person always keeps in view a clearly defined hierarchy of values. And they should all be motivating. And in order for them to become such, they must be based on the emotion that you prefer to all others. Undoubtedly, everyone strives for such feelings and states as:
- Love;
- success;
- Liberty;
- safety;
- adventures;
- power;
- communication;
- comfort;
- passion;
- health.
But for everyone they line up in a certain hierarchy. Some people will put freedom first; for others, power will be more important. And life choices will depend on this. Having set priorities, you will explain why in certain situations you made those particular decisions and not some other decisions. This is the strongest motivation! And vice versa - why, having done something contrary to your inner compass, then regretted it all your life. Because you chose something that does not motivate you and is not of interest to you.
In addition to the positive emotions that motivate you, you need to clearly understand the list of negative ones that you want to avoid. Examples of demotivators:
- refusal;
- anger;
- disappointment;
- loneliness;
- depression;
- failure;
- humiliation;
- guilt.
The above emotions are painful for all people, but not equally. Some people absolutely cannot stand loneliness, but take rejection easily. Others, experiencing depression, end up in a hospital bed because they are unable to cope with it on their own, but they love solitude. Therefore, answer yourself the question: which of these feelings is the worst for you? What on the list would you like to avoid at all costs? Refusal, depression, humiliation? The answer to this question will determine your thinking.
Work with settings
Read Howard Brown's book "The Alchemy of Money and Wealth... Upgrade Your Millionaire Mindset!" In it, he prescribes 20 mindsets of the rich, which should be adopted and guided by them in all life situations:
- Poverty is contagious. Therefore, the environment should consist of successful, successful, rich people.
- Money must be visible. Therefore, there should be a glass jar with dollars on the desktop. There are small items scattered in the car. There are bills in each section of the wallet.
- Discounts are for the poor. Buying things and products on sale is a principle of thinking for the poor. You can't fall for him.
- You don’t need to ask a lot of questions (where to buy, what to buy, how to save, etc.). There should be only one - how to make money?
- You don't need to trust anyone with your plans.
- Rich people are always motivated and always practice time management.
- There is no need to talk about unimportant things.
- You need to sell and produce more than you consume. Earn more than you spend.
- Experience and past mistakes mean nothing. You need to “get things done” without looking back at them.
- Don't associate with toxic people who drag you back.
- There is no need to live in the past. Look only forward.
- Don't limit yourself to the workday. Work in your free time too.
- Develop yourself daily.
- Don't gossip or speak ill of others.
- Help given to others comes back like a boomerang.
- You can't build a business without mutual assistance.
- Rich and successful people not only speak, but also think in the language of numbers. Calculate income and expenses, study analytics, draw up graphs, work with statistics.
- Rest for the mind and body is a necessity in order to have enough strength to earn money.
- Failure is a reason not to give up, but to move forward.
- You need to plunge headlong into your own business.
A rich man's mind is like a compass. Motivators are the arrow that points in the right direction. Demotivators are the opposite, from which you need to run as far as possible. And every person is capable of creating the same life guide for himself. You just need to constantly work on yourself, don’t give up, don’t give up, hope for the best, think in a positive way - this is the only way to achieve recognition and success.
Who are you - an individual or a person? The answer to this question is in the article: “Individuality.”
They say no to fear
Have you ever thought about starting a new business or your own desire? If you're afraid of failure, you won't get very far. Failure happens several times throughout our lives—even to successful people. But that doesn't mean we can't win. Think of it as a learning tool.
It's normal to feel scared and afraid of the unknown. But if you only think about what scares you, you'll likely scare away opportunities. It's important to explore the "what if" question in case things don't go as you planned. However, don't let fear control your thoughts.
There are many ways to think positively about fear, such as using it as a motivator or a challenge. Are you afraid of success? Do you think this will change you? These are all good questions to explore.
Successful people never stop learning
If you see yourself as one of those people who have nothing to learn, you are mistaken. A person who truly thrives continues to educate himself. Successful people always think about how to continue their education.
Does this mean that you need to go to university? No. But attending a webinar, upskilling yourself, reading books, and even talking to people from different walks of life can inspire you to continue learning. It may even refresh your purpose, especially when things are starting to feel a little stale.
Thinking Principle #8
Rich people focus on solving a problem
Rich people focus their attention on the goal, and if a problem arises, they focus their attention on solving it.
The poor focus on the problem
The poor are accustomed to exaggerating the problems they face in order to feel like a victim and to gain the sympathy of others.
Most of all problems are solved in two ways: knowledge and money. Moreover, with knowledge, you can make sure that the problem does not arise at all.
The challenge is to grow above your problems, i.e. have enough knowledge and money to resolve emerging problems as quickly and efficiently as possible.
For example, an entrepreneur owns a small business. The company experienced a breakdown of expensive equipment without which production would be impossible. Restoring equipment is impossible due to objective reasons.
A big problem?
Yes, if he has just purchased or opened an enterprise, investing all his financial resources in it and is not familiar with the manufacturers of this equipment and the terms of delivery.
Not if he owns several businesses and can reallocate resources, or has sufficient capital. In addition, he may have the knowledge to solve this problem with a minimal investment of financial resources, for example, he is familiar with manufacturers or dealers of this equipment who are ready to provide it in the near future on a leasing basis. And if equipment failure occurs not for the first time, then he probably already has a ready-made routine method for quickly replacing this equipment. And the breakdown of the means of production is no longer a problem for him, but a working organizational moment.
They are open to change
Rarely have successful people started with one idea and never had to make changes to their vision. In fact, the original idea may have been a failure. If you truly want to be successful, you need to be flexible and open to change, even if that means listening to some of your biggest critics from time to time.
Accept feedback, good or bad, and learn from the advice given to you. While you don't have to take everything to heart, don't be so quick to shut down all words of wisdom or criticism. Having multiple points of view can only help you in the long run.
“The one who is lucky is lucky.” Increasing the likelihood of success
Relying on luck alone is like playing in a casino all your life: you can end up without your last shirt. Let us repeat, no one has canceled the role of Fortune, but if we do not create situations with our own hands in which we can be lucky, then the probability of success tends to absolute zero. The point is in the elementary law of probability: to find a treasure, you need to SEARCH for it, and not wait for it to appear on the threshold: it won’t. You weren't lucky the first time, the second time, the third time, you'll be lucky the tenth time. In the end, instead of the treasure, there will be something else, but also very valuable.
Putting aside the story of the treasure, let's turn to the story of finding a job. If you look for it, you will definitely find it. If you didn’t have any, at first any one will do, just to start earning money. And once you start doing this, you can look for more suitable options. The main thing is to be able to “handle” failures, or, more simply, to maintain presence of mind. Presence of spirit is the most important quality of any successful person. Failures and failures happen to everyone, but some get up and move on, while others drop out of the game.
Successful people create situations in which the likelihood of success is increased. They are not afraid to take risks, take responsibility, and are not lazy to think about their moves in advance, just as a good chess player thinks through combinations and the strategy of the future game as a whole.
A wealthy person created his own wealth. He did not expect favors from nature, society, the state or the Universe. If you earn little, then nothing will change until you yourself begin to change the situation. It is very possible that you will have to learn something in order to get additional income. For example, the same exchange trading on Forex. Competent traders make great money, verified by personal experience. Maybe this is your chance too?..
Committed to your ideas
Successful people are committed to their ideas. If you want to achieve success and maintain it, you must be “all in” despite any problems, doubts or failures. For example, a successful business owner must believe in the services or products he is selling.
He must believe in every aspect of the business to thrive. Success is like a good, long-lasting relationship. To make it work throughout your life, you must remain committed - no matter how hard it may be at times.
