You might have heard about rich-people habits if you are into personal development. You might have watched videos or read articles about such practices. For example:
- 7 habits of wealthy people
- Follow these 5 millionaire habits to become super-wealthy
- Habits of the 10 richest men in the world
Titles like these are intriguing. So, people click on them and read many ideas. These ideas tell them to follow a set of habits that can make them wealthy.
Before telling you why following such habits won’t make you rich, let me discuss some of the most common ones.
Five Common Rich-People Habits
These are the habits that I have found common in every article and video about millionaire habits.
1. Reading
Every wealthy person reads. If you research millionaire habits, reading is at the top. Reading increases knowledge and intellect. It makes you skilled in any area.
Rich people read every day. The Warren Buffetts and Bill Gates of the world do not skip a day. Reading and meditation are like brain workouts. The more you do them, the more your mental muscles grow.
So, read every day if you want to become rich.
2. Exercising
You’ve got to move your body and pump your heart a little. Well, that’s what the rich do. They exercise every day. It includes both physical and mental exercises—weight lifting, cardio, Pilates, yoga, meditation, so forth.
Exercise is good for health. It must be the number one priority because you can’t function if you are unwell.
Diet is also important. So, don’t eat sh*t. Eat healthy foods and ignore processed food. Successful people prioritize their health and stay fit.
3. Waking up early
Rich people have a morning success routine. So, they wake up early, exercise, eat a healthy breakfast, and focus on the day’s tasks.
Successful people sleep 7-8 hours every night. They do not use gadgets before bed. Instead, they set goals, journal, read, and spend time with their family. Sleep is important. It recharges your mind for the next day. Sleeping a good amount of hours is a healthy habit.
Waking up early in the morning allows you to begin without disruptions. You can focus on the day ahead with a quiet and peaceful mind. You can work on the day’s essential tasks because mornings are distraction-less.
4. Surrounding with like-minded people
Networking is essential for rich people. So, they meet like-minded people. They stay away from drama and people who do not add value to their lives.
Successful people join communities, volunteer for charitable organizations, and hang out with successful people like them. It provides opportunities to support and inspire each other.
As they say, “Your network determines your net worth.”
5. Setting goals
Rich people have a lot to do in life. They cannot achieve what they want without setting goals. Goals allow them to become clear about what they want to accomplish and how they live their lives.
Successful people set short- and long-term goals. They are clear about their life’s vision. So, they set clear and specific goals and take action to accomplish those goals.
Following Rich-People Habits Won’t Make You Rich
Enough of the habits. I could add fifty more to the above list. But, I hope you get the idea; I’m sure you have heard about the “rich-people” habits too.
The truth is that the idea of getting rich by following these habits sounds fantastic for a motivational speech or a blog post/YouTube video.
Following rich-people habits won’t make you rich. Here’s why: It’s because we are different individuals. We have different priorities, different lifestyles, and we belong to different places.
What works for me might not work for you. For instance, I am a morning person. So, I am more focused and productive in the morning time. On the other hand, most of my friends are night owls. They can work with intense focus in the nighttime. So, the habit of “waking up early” doesn’t work for them because they function at night, not in the morning.
So, just because Bill Gates reads 100 books a year doesn’t mean that you will become successful like him by reading the same (or higher) number of books in a year.
Now, I am not saying that you should avoid these habits. They are all excellent habits to follow—in a general perspective. It is good to wake up early, exercise, read, hang out with successful people, and set goals. But, are these habits genuinely helping you in life?
If you can succeed (or earn a lot of money) by sleeping till 9 am, by all means, do it. Similarly, if you read only 10 books a year and still become successful, do it.
I hope you get the idea.
Final Thoughts
Habits are only a small part of success. Skills, knowledge, luck, persistence, and hard work are a few other essential elements you need. So, forget the idea that following “rich-people habits” or “millionaire habits” will make you rich too.
As I said, they only sound good from a content-creation perspective. In reality, it doesn’t work that way. Again, following such habits will help you become a better person and live a good life. But, understanding that they can genuinely make you wealthy is wrong.
So, forget waking up at 4 am, reading a hundred books a year, taking cold showers, and working 12 hours a day. Just because these habits work for someone else does not mean it will work for you too. You are not them, and they are not you. Don’t compare your life with others.
Work hard. Do the thing that makes you feel good and happy. You don’t have to pursue something that makes your life miserable.
Do what is right for you. Plan your days and manage your time according to what is suitable for your lifestyle. Even the meaning of success is different for each individual. So, it is not right to believe that following the so-called “rich-people habits” will make you rich too.
