PROSPERITY
WELCOMING WEALTH INTO YOUR LIFE
Introduction
What is your definition of success?
You might instantly think of things like…
- owning your home
- driving the car of your dreams
- vacationing in exotic places
- etc…
Whatever it is, it’s likely that money is part of the equation.
What does it mean if we don’t have those things?
Should we conclude that since we rent a home we don’t love, drive a beat-up clunker and are still paying off our last vacation that we aren’t successful?
No, we shouldn’t. And yet, so many of us do.
What if you knew your current money picture wasn’t set in stone? What if we told you that you could change your financial future by simply changing how you think about money?
It’s true! Lasting prosperity comes from having a wealth mindset and leveraging that mindset into action.
In this eBook, we’re going to explore what a wealth mindset is and why you should cultivate it.
On that foundation, we’ll build further by offering tips and techniques that will enable you to create your own wealth mindset and take off on your new course to prosperity.
Isn’t it time you welcomed that kind of wealth and prosperity into your life?
What Is a Wealth Mindset?
What does it mean to have a ‘wealth mindset’?
Chances are you’ve already heard the saying before but might lack a clear definition of what it means.
Let’s take a quick look at both words in a little more detail.
‘Wealth,’ of course, refers to dollars and cents (or Euros, yen, etc.). There’s no set amount of money that constitutes wealth. While we can have an amount of money we’d like to have, everyone’s idea of it is different. What would make you feel wealthy might be the bare minimum living for someone else.
To the person who has lived in poverty, wealth might mean having enough to pay the bills without worry. Their ultimate goal might be something considered simple – the ability to pay rent and utilities each month with enough left over to have their basic needs looked after.
To others, wealth becomes something bigger and more grandiose and includes a stock portfolio and a private plane.
Both are correct. “Wealth” is a certain lifestyle we are striving to achieve.
‘Mindset’ constitutes our ingrained beliefs and attitudes that we hold within our minds.
Your mindset determines how you treat money and how you see money in relation to yourself and your place in the world.
It can keep you down and out by believing you aren’t smart enough to be wealthy. Alternatively, it can entice you to grab every opportunity that comes your way to see where it will lead.
A “Wealth Mindset” is having the right attitude and beliefs that help propel you towards wealth.
Do you think you possess a “wealth mindset” already?
Most of us fall into 2 categories of money mindset: scarcity and wealth. Below are some quick bullet points to figure out which mindset you fall into.
A Scarcity Mindset
- Sees extra money as something to spend, usually on something nice like a new TV or video game system.
- Seeks short-term satisfaction. Money earned is money spent now with no long-range plan in mind.
- Sees work as getting paid per hour. Work done is money earned to spend right now.
- Doesn’t take risks. Instead wants to know the immediate benefit to an action.
- Helps out only when a favor is offered in return.
- Is willing to compromise their beliefs for the sake of a quick buck.
- Sees the world as unfair and blames others for not getting ahead.
- Looks for the handout, expecting the world to take care of them, rather than taking care of themselves.
- Is jealous of those who are considered a success. This is the mindset that hates the wealthy for having more money than them, rather than thinking to learn from the example of those individuals instead.
- Has made up their mind about the world and cannot be swayed by an opposing opinion.
- Is easily discouraged, especially when faced with competition.
- Looks for immediate gratification. It’s this behavior that makes lottery tickets look appealing as a retirement plan.
- Has an inflated sense of what can be accomplished, and then typically gets in way over their head by overcommitting to too many projects.
- Quits when life gets hard.
- Don’t quit when they should. Like when they’ve already sunk so much work into a project that they feel like they can’t walk away even when it makes sense to do so.
- Looks at work as a means to get to retirement. This mindset keeps you down by making work seem like the required drudgery to get to the reward, rather than embracing the work that you do as part of the journey to a higher goal.
A Wealth Mindset
- Realizes there is no end to opportunity.
- Looks for products to develop that provide passive income. This means things that continue to earn long after completion and initial release into the world.
- Invests in the future, especially in regard to classes, certifications, college, conferences, and other opportunities that might wind up costing money now, for the sake of benefit in the long-term.
- Builds strong relationships and is eager to teach / mentor with no thought of getting anything in return.
- Places a high value on being trustworthy and having a good reputation in both business and personal world.
- Realizes the world doesn’t owe them anything.
- Creates their own luck through grasping opportunity when it comes their way.
- Practices gratitude, both in the way they approach their lives personally, by recognizing the gifts they have been given and in thanking those around them for impacting them in a positive way.
- Celebrates other people’s successes without being threatened by them.
- Is inspired by people who have accomplished much in their field.
- Looks for mentors, especially one who has traveled the same road that they’re on now.
- Is eager to learn.
- Realizes that it’s better to outsource tasks that aren’t in their range of genius as a way to free up time to focus on those areas where they’re strongest.
- Recognizes the value of a team, knowing that they can accomplish much more in a group than they ever could alone.
- Looks at competition as healthy and as the impetus for improvement.
- Quits a project when they realize there is no value to continuing regardless of how much work has already been put into the project.
- Doesn’t give up on the overall dream, no matter how hard it gets.
- Knows there is no point at which they are ‘done.’ To one with a wealth mindset, there are always new challenges to conquer.
A wealth mindset is a positive set of beliefs, attitudes, and actions that enable you to see the possibilities in the world and know how to act upon those possibilities.
Why a Wealth Mindset?
Why should you care if you have the right attitude toward money? What do your feelings have to do with anything? In short, why does a wealth mindset matter?
A mindset is a lot more important than you think. How you approach the world typically dictates what you’re going to get out of your daily experience.
You’ve probably already seen this in your life!
Chances are at some point you approached a problem or situation with the expectation that you were going to fail. On occasion, we surprise ourselves and succeed anyway. More often than not though, if we thought something was going to be a disaster, it usually is.
How much do our feelings impact the world around us, especially in regard to wealth?
- When you think there’s never going to be enough money, there never is. It’s the scarcity mindset that drives us to buy lottery tickets. Did you know that the majority of people who win large sums in the lottery tend to revert back to their previous financial state, if not worse? In fact, 70% of big-ticket winners wind up declaring bankruptcy, most of them within the first couple of years after the win.
- When you live for short-term satisfaction, you’ll never realize your long-term goals. We should all aspire to save for the future / retirement / that better life once the kids are grown. If you focus on the short-term though, that money is never going to be there when you reach that point in your life.
- When you’re jealous of the success of others and are resentful of people who have what you don’t, you can’t learn from them. How can you? Jealous and bitterness close us down, so we don’t even notice the opportunities to learn.
In short, living with a scarcity mindset means living with a whole lot of disappointment. And the more you stay trapped in this cycle, the harder it becomes to break out.
The wealth mindset shows you the world of possibility, and because you see that possibility, it becomes easier to put the work in to reach your dreams.
A wealth mindset gives you the ability to achieve more. Let’s look at some ways a wealth mindset pushes you into action:
When you recognize the opportunity, you see the path to action.
When you have a wealth mindset, you see opportunities, but also create concrete goals that can help you reach your dreams. More importantly you actually take actions that propel you towards that dream.
When you focus on the future, it easier to set aside money and resources to realize that future.
People with a wealth mindset have an action plan for retirement and use the wealth they have to grow more.
A wealth mindset recognizes the need for education to get where they want to go.
Those with a wealth mindset enroll in classes and seminars to grow their skills. They read books to build their knowledge and confidence. They understand they don’t have to be a natural at something to learn it.
A person with a wealth mindset has the support system that keeps them on track toward reaching their goals.
By gravitating toward mentors and supports systems, enlisting teams and even hiring people to deal with the small stuff, they create contacts who are on their side and want to see them succeed. With that kind of backing it’s almost impossible not to succeed.
A wealth mindset tells you that you don’t have to stay in poverty.
Just because you’re not in a situation of financial security right now, that doesn’t mean that you’re stuck where you are. Instead, with a wealth mindset, you realize that you can change your future.
The problem is, no one sets out to live with a scarcity mindset. Childhood is when our subconscious picks up these sometimes meaningless or thoughtless lessons to create our mindset.
For example, how often do you remember being told money didn’t grow on trees or that your parents couldn’t afford what you wanted? These phrases become entrenched in our primal minds at a young age and are compounded upon as we go through life experiencing them.
Changing your mindset to one of wealth means realizing that things can change. That the life you’re living now doesn’t have to be the life you’ll live in the future. It’s adopting an attitude of positivity and becoming intentional with actions that can make this change occur.
A wealth mindset becomes more than something to strive for. It’s something that you absolutely need if you’re going to change your life and enjoy financial freedom.
Don’t be discouraged if you went through the scarcity mindset list in the previous chapter and recognized many of your daily, recurring thoughts.
That’s the nice thing about mindsets; you can change them.
The concept of making the change is simple, but it will take consistent work.
We can’t promise overnight success, but in the next chapter, we’re going to explain how to get started on the road to a new wealth mindset.
Building a Wealth Mindset
In order to go from a scarcity to a wealth mindset, you’re going to need to be conscious of the way your thoughts connect to your actions.
To do this, you’ll be concentrating on two different areas: what’s going on internally and externally.
Your internal world is where your thoughts and feelings dictate your mindset.
Given a mindset is a mental process, most of what you’re going to be working on is right here. But you can’t forget your external world. These are the actions that will move you ahead on your path. Both areas are equally important, so you’re going to want to put effort into both sides of the equation to develop your new wealth mindset.
Let's Begin!
Things Going on Internally
What pleases you?
Nothing helps change a mindset like giving yourself something positive to look forward to. By scheduling a little ‘me time’ every day, you give yourself something pleasant to anticipate. Some ideas? Set aside some time to take a walk or have coffee with a friend. Or maybe do something as simple as to read a book or watch a movie you’ve been looking forward to. Whatever you choose, the point is to do something that brings you joy.
Learn something
In fact, never stop learning. Not only is it important to keep your mind active, but the reality is the world is changing very rapidly. It’s important to keep up with your skillset. Also, if you have specific goals you’d like to meet for the future, there are things that you could learn today to help you on your path to reaching those goals. All in all, you really can’t go wrong with improving your mind. It’s always a wise investment.
Be grateful
You probably already know that a thankful heart makes for a more positive mindset. But did you know that gratitude is also an integral part of a wealth mindset? When you allow yourself to experience gratitude in all its forms, you attract abundance, including money.
Think about your day in positive terms, right from the start
Start by asking, “What’s important that I need to get done today?” This is more than making a to-do list, even if you’re starting with one. Remember to focus on actions that will help you meet your big goal of bringing more wealth into your life. By taking mini-actions each day, you are investing in your future wealth.
Frame your thoughts in a positive way
By putting things into terms that take on a more optimistic note rather than a pessimistic tone, you start to rewire your brain to look for the positivity. If you’re unsure of the power of words, then focus on two right here: ‘Problem’ and ‘Opportunity.’
For example, that unexpected visit from your mother-in-law might seem like a problem because you don’t get along very well. Try reframing that into thinking of the visit as an opportunity to resolve your differences and find common ground. Now you’re seeing that entire visit differently. Think about how that would affect your attitude when spending time with your mother-in-law. Training your mind to a wealth mindset isn’t restricted to money.
Practice humility
No one likes being around someone who’s only going to brag and find ways to make sure they come out ahead, especially at the expense of those around them. Instead, make a point to be modest. Accept praise with a simple thank you, and then move on.
Pay attention to your self-talk
The words you use are powerful, especially the ones that are pointed at yourself. If your stream of consciousness is full of negativity, you start to believe those words. How can you adopt a mindset dedicated toward financial success if you’re busy beating yourself up for every decision?
Start paying attention to the words you use in your head and replace negative thinking. “I never…” and “I don’t…” become “I always…” and “I will…”You’ll likely be amazed at how negative your self-talk is once you start paying attention. Be gentle with yourself as you go through this acclimation process. Beating yourself up for beating yourself up isn’t helpful.
Your negative self-talk didn’t happen overnight, and it will take a while before it naturally becomes more positive and loving. A more positive mental dialogue means that you’re rewiring the connections in your brain to look for the things that you do right instead of wrong.
Choose Courage
By worrying endlessly about all the things that could go wrong, it’s very easy to become so paralyzed by fear that you never act.
The biggest mistake people make here lies in thinking that by choosing courage, they won’t experience fear at all. This only sets you up for failure. The very definition of courage isn’t to live a life that’s fearless, but to step up and move forward despite the fear.
Truly courageous people with a wealth mindset act; they don’t get caught up in the worry that there won’t be enough money or that they’ll lose what money they have. Will losses occur? Probably. Setbacks are a normal part of life. But those with a truly solid wealth mindset press on, with the expectation that the next time, things will go differently.
Celebrate the small stuff
When you’re working toward any goal, it’s very easy to get discouraged, especially when you feel like you’re making no progress. It’s like when you’re driving across the desert, and you see the mountains rising up in front of you. At first, you get all excited, because you actually see the mountains, and you feel like they’re right there. But then you drive, and drive, and drive. The mountains never seem to get any bigger. You feel like you’re not making any progress towards your destination for hours.
Reaching goals is a lot like that. We have that initial excitement when we first make the goal, and it seems like it shouldn’t be all that hard to get there. Then you dig in and start doing the work. You keep doing the work and keep on doing it. After a while, you can start to feel like you’re not getting any closer to your goal.
By stopping to celebrate the small milestones along the way, you break up the monotony of the work and give yourself that feeling of accomplishment that you sorely need to keep the momentum going.
You’re going to reach those goals eventually, just like you do at some point get to the mountains on that drive through the desert. Celebrating each finished task will give you a sense of accomplishment and keep you moving to the next job to be done.
Discover abundance
Too often when coming from the scarcity mindset, you get the idea that money is a finite resource, and that there’s only so much to go around. If you’re used to thinking that most of the money in the country is tied up in bank accounts belonging to a handful of fat cats, think again.
Most of this money is circulating around doing things, like paying bills, buying groceries, and being used for in a variety of ways. In short, there’s more than enough for everyone. This is where you remind yourself that yes, there’s even enough for you too. Never forget that a wealth mindset is more than about money. It’s about living a life of happiness and gratitude for all the small things that make you smile and feel content.
Think about what you’ve been told
There’s a lot of traditional financial advice out there. For a long time, you were told to have faith in the system, that a 401k was the right choice for everyone when it came to saving for the future. You grew up thinking that hard work and staying with the same company forever was the way to go.
This proves problematical in today’s world. First of all, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to stay at your company until retirement, …or that you’ll even want to.
Rather than trust the old advice, it’s time to figure out some new words of wisdom from the world around you. What are your mentors and peers doing? What’s the actual work environment you’re in and how does that look for your future?
Those with a wealth mindset know how to look ahead, and plan for the long-term.
For example, you might turn a hobby into a side hustle as a way to grow your wealth in an enjoyable way. Maybe you can prepare to leave your job and start that business you’ve always thought about. What about passive income? How might you do what so many others are doing in the age of technology by finding a way to earn money while you sleep? Perhaps you could take some classes and learn more about investing for your future yourself instead of trusting the experts.
Whatever your path, research carefully where you want to go, and learn how to get there. Embrace the new truths that you discover as you study the world you are in.
Know how to fail
When you look closely at the various fears that people hold, you’ll find that failure is at the heart of most of them. In pursuing a wealth mindset, the biggest fear is that you’re going to mess things up somehow and wind up in a worse financial situation than you were before.
In fact, this fear becomes so pervasive that most people would rather stay in the status quo, no matter how uncomfortable that is, rather than take the risk that they might lose what little they have.
The problem with giving in to the idea of failure is that you know you’re never going to improve the situation, even a little …unless you take a chance.
The only way past this is to realize that failure is just a learning opportunity, nothing more. Failure never has to mean you’re at the end of something. Rather, it’s a chance to find a way that didn’t work. You need to realize – the wonderful thing about failure is that many a great discovery came hard on the heels of it.
Recognize that the fear of failure is your primal brain trying to keep you safe. Our fight or flight response kicks in once the excitement of a new prospect wears thin. Since we no longer need to worry about being eaten by a mastodon, take a chance. Buck your lizard brain by doing your homework and making a wise risk that may just turn your life around.
Accept that feeling uncomfortable is part of the process
They say you should always take a job that scares you a little. Why? Because that’s the job that will push you out of your comfort zone and teach you more than you ever thought possible. It will challenge you in new and exciting ways, forcing you to become the best version of yourself.
Creating a wealth mindset won’t always be comfortable. Change always pushes us, at least, a little outside of our comfort zone.
Think of mindset development as it were a new job. You’re challenging the old way of thinking and learning new ways to process information and interact with the world. Just like in the job example, adopting the wealth mindset means you’re going to learn more than you ever thought possible. It’s going to challenge you every step of the way, but the payoff will be amazing.
Know that your value doesn’t lie in your wallet
Believe it or not, the biggest thing you need to remember about a wealth mindset is that you’re not defined by the numbers. In fact, the more you embrace the wealth mindset, the more you’ll come to realize that the numbers are just a way to keep score. Your true value lies in your abilities, your thoughts and dreams. In other words, you’re already a pretty amazing person. Don’t ever lose sight of that simple truth.
Things Going on Externally
Take care of your money
Your mindset is really influenced by the small details. If you’re treating your money with contempt by wadding it up in your pockets, what then does that say about how you regard money? Invest in a wallet or purse you like. Keep your money tucked in neatly. Order the bills in a way where you can find what you need quickly and easily.
By treating your cash as something worthwhile, you’re telling yourself that it’s worthy of respect. That respectful attitude should be an important part of your new wealth mindset.
Don’t let the small stuff pile up
Small inconveniences can really mess with your mindset and suck the energy right out of the day. It becomes impossible to have a positive mindset when you’re worried about the lightbulbs that need changing or that rip in your favorite [iece of clothing.
The easy solution? Set aside a few hours or even a day to just perform all these small chores so you can focus on what’s important. Too many small things become a large problem.
Figure out where you’re bleeding money and fix it
Small expenses can really creep up on you. At some point, you’ve probably signed up for a subscription service such as Netflix or Hulu. You might still be getting a daily newspaper or a monthly magazine subscription. Ask yourself how often you use any of those things. For example, are you reading that paper? Go through all the automatic withdrawals you have in a month. Are there any services you pay for that you can do without (be honest about the gym membership you’re not using – though the better option would, of course, be to start using it!)?
While you’re at it, you might want to evaluate other repeat offenders in expenses. For example, would it be better to bring lunch from home rather than eat lunch out every day? What about taking the bus to work instead of paying for a space in the parking garage?
Minimize
When you clear out unnecessary or unwanted things in your home, you open yourself up to the new. With that in mind, it’s time to reduce clutter. A simple rule of thumb? If you haven’t touched it in a year, you probably don’t need it. This goes for everything from clothing to home appliances. Other things to look for? Items that don’t bring you joy. That means it is most definitely okay to get rid of that ugly sweater your aunt gave you last Christmas. Someone in a homeless shelter would love to have that sweater! An added bonus to donating your things: Spreading joy to others is a great way to develop your wealth mindset.
Express gratitude
Don’t just sit around thinking grateful thoughts. Let the people in your life know that you’re glad that they’re there. Make it your mission to express your thankfulness to an individual who is a significant person in your life. This can be anyone from a colleague, a client or an old friend. How about expressing your appreciation for the store clerk, waitress, or janitor who goes out of their way to be of service? Spread gratitude wherever you go.
Don’t try to handle everything yourself
For years, people who deal in productivity in the workplace have known that it’s always best to focus on your strengths rather than to work on improving your weaknesses.
Why?
Everyone has something that they’re already naturally good at. By focusing their energies on that particular thing, they take that talent to the extreme, leaving themselves open to accomplishing more.
When you try and focus on weakness, more often than not you’re going to find that you’re wasting your time. It takes a very long time to overcome a weakness, and it might never become a strength for you. It’s far better to put your attention where you know you’re going to gain the most benefit and delegate the rest to someone else. The things we are weakest at are usually the things we don’t enjoy either. Investing in outsourcing isn’t a waste of money. It’s a wise thing that people with a wealth mindset count on to massively boost their productivity.
Do something that fills you full of positive energy
It’s easier to think clearly and work on your mindset when you’re feeling invigorated and full of life. One of the best ways to do that is to a pursue physical activity that energizes. Take up a sport you love. Go dancing. Even just laughing changes your mood entirely and wakes you up when you’re dragging.
The key here is to make sure that you’re working hard enough to feel that endorphin rush that comes from putting your body in motion. Don’t work so hard that you collapse in exhaustion the moment you stop. This isn’t about running a marathon or working out until you throw up. It’s more about dancing to a favorite song or taking a brisk walk to wake the mind up and get you thinking again.
Be more practical in your expectations
When you’re giving an estimate for a project, allow more than enough time to complete it. For that matter, once you decide a timeline, add a little extra time on top of that just to cover the unforeseen. This way, in the best-case scenario, you deliver the project before it’s due (which makes you look great!) or in the worst-case scenario, you’re still getting it in on time.
When you are reasonable in your expectations, two things will happen. First, you don’t overbook yourself, therefore setting yourself up for failure before you even begin. And second, you built up trust and integrity as your brand. This is especially impressive in a day and age when people don’t always respect deadlines or your time.
Add value to your interactions
By going the extra mile, or even just offering a smile or compliment, you let people know they’re important and appreciated. Try doing a favor for someone else without expecting anything in return. It will make you feel great! Leave people with a favorable impression of you. Having a network of people who appreciate you is a key to building wealth.
Find a mentor
Mentors are more than just inspiring individuals that you can look up to. A mentor is also someone who has your skillset with that additional value of having the experience that you may lack.
By spending time with someone who’s already ‘been there, done that’ you will find that you have a lot you can learn from that individual, and gain a guide who provides you with a roadmap for where you want to go.
More than that, they have the ability to guide you past the pitfalls that might have bogged them down on their own journey.
Step into action
Instead of talking about your dreams, you need to go out there and realize them.
Understand that the only way you’re ever going to make anything a reality is to create goals and set a plan in motion to attain those goals. This means not getting so caught up in the dream stage or the planning stage that nothing ever actually happens.
Just wishing for a brighter financial future never got anyone anything. Once you appreciate that the hardest part of taking action is that first step, it’s just a matter of pushing yourself to get up and act.
Switching over to a new mindset is hard work. There’s going to be times when you forget and revert to the old way of thinking. Should that happen, don’t be discouraged, just start over again.
Like with any new habit, the trick is to keep at it and stay consistent. Eventually, the new thought patterns will replace the old.
Also, remember a wealth mindset is going to impact every aspect of your life.
You can’t just focus on what’s going on in your head. You have to follow up those thoughts with actions that match.
That’s part of what makes all of this so complicated at first. The good news is, once you get these habits firmly in place, you’re going to see some major positive changes in your life.
- You’ll see more opportunities.
- You’ll have a more positive outlook overall.
- The world will perceive you as someone they want to get to know.
- You’ll find it’s not as hard to earn money as you used to think it was.
- You will experience better cash-flow in your projects.
- You’ll find it easier to save for the future.
- You’ll experience the joy of setting a goal and reaching it.
You will experience true wealth and joy.
Conclusion
Developing a wealth mindset is one of the most important things you can do if you’re seeking financial freedom.
While there are many ideas designed to help you gain that wealth mindset in this eBook, remember, the ones listed here are just the tip of the iceberg. As you work through your own thoughts about money and wealth, you’re very likely to discover ideas that are uniquely your own. These personal ideas will further help you develop and keep that wealth mindset.
Embrace whatever helps you keep on track towards reaching your goals.
The most important thing to remember is that it is possible for anyone to develop a wealth mindset.
It’s really just a matter of training your mind, the same way a world-class athlete trains their body to run and throw. It takes a lot of dedication and practice to build new habits and create lasting change. Keep in mind the final goal. Training the mind to a different way of thinking will create a new worldview, a new you, but it’s going to take time to do it.
Also, remember that no one in athletics starts out competing at an Olympic level. It takes more than just daily training and exercise to get there.
Sometimes you’re going to fail. When that happens, keep in mind that failing is just learning a way that doesn’t work. If you dig in and keep going, soon those old ways will fall away, and the new wealth mindset is will take hold.
More importantly, realize this isn’t a single, one-time approach, or a get-rich-quick solution. This isn’t a lottery cheat to hit the jackpot. This is a long-term, long-haul solution and you will need to alter your perceptions, reactions, and outlook.
It’s not easy, but it’s possible, and the results are stunning.
Give the tips in this book a try, and most importantly, keep at it! Do the suggestions over and over again until they’re ingrained in your mind and you no longer have to correct yourself.
When it comes automatically, when your natural reactions are in line with the wealth mindset, you’ll see the change in you! Your finances will naturally follow.