According to my five-year habits study, self-made millionaires were taught certain success habits from their non-millionaire parents that helped propel them to success later in life. From my latest book, Rich Kids (http://richhabits.net/rich-habits-books/), here are the top 7 success habits every parent will want to teach their kids:
- Daily Self-Education Reading – 88% of self-made millionaires read 30 minutes or more each day. 63% also listened to audio books, podcasts, webinars etc. Reading exposes your children to new information that can help them excel in school and also open their eyes to finding their passion.
- Find Mentors For Your Kids – 93% of self-made millionaires who had mentors, attributed almost all of their entire wealth to the mentoring they received. Mentors are everywhere, if you know where to find them: DECA Programs in high schools, The Boys or Girls Club, Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, Big Brother or Big Sister. The more mentors you expose your children to, the greater their chance of excelling in life.
- One Hour Rule – 67% of self-made millionaires watched less than an hour of T.V. a day. 63% spent less than an hour a day on the Internet. This One Hour Rule can also be applied to video games. Limiting time wasters gives your kids more time to read and participate in mentoring groups. The extra time could also allow them to join extracurricular school activities which help forge strong, long-lasting relationships. The One Hour Rule disciplines your kids to respect how they manage their time later in life. A little discipline today, will pave a road to success for your kids as adults.
- Daily Exercise – 76% of the self-made millionaires in my study exercised 30 minutes or more every day. This is more than just about good health. The latest brain research shows that aerobic exercise and weight training improves brain function by growing axons and synapses within the brain.
- Positive Mindset – 54% of the self-made millionaires in my study said they had a positive, optimistic mental outlook. And no, they weren’t born that way. They developed it over the years after realizing their negativity was sending them to the poor house. A positive mental outlook opens your eyes to opportunities in life and is like a magnet that attracts other success-minded people into your inner circle. Teach you kids to: practice gratitude, meditate 15 minutes a day, conquer a fear, and congratulate them for making mistakes, because success is built on a mountain of mistakes.
- Invent Their Future – Our lives are shaped by our thinking, our beliefs, our behaviors and the choices we make in life. Have your kids write a summary about their future, ideal adult life. This will create a vision or blueprint that will engage their imagination and help them focus on who they want to be, rather than leaving it up to chance. It will inspire them to excel by helping them paint a picture of the life they could have if they studied hard in school.
- Passion Finder – Continuously expose your kids to different activities every six months from the age of 7 – 18. This helps them uncover hidden talents and passions. Some activities they will like, some they will hate and others they will love. The ones they love will spark a passion inside them that will stay with them their entire lives
As a parent, you have the ability to alter the very course of the lives of your children. Parents are often the only shot any of us have at having a mentor in life.
About Thomas C. Corley
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