In my Rich Habits Study, 87% of the wealthy indicated that they were happily married. Conversely, 53% of poor people said they were not happily married. I found this disparity interesting because I was conditioned by the media and the culture of poverty to believe wealthy individuals were evil and cheated on their spouses. Boy, was I wrong.
In fact, I found the exact opposite to be true. The rich people in my study were more faithful to each other and more committed to each other than poor people. I now know why. The pursuit of any dream or of success is a painful process. It is very much like going to war. Soldiers who fight together to defeat the enemy forge a bond that often lasts a lifetime. In a similar way, spouses who survive the pain and anguish that is always associated with the pursuit of dreams or of success, are made stronger by it.
From my research, I discovered some powerful Rich Habits that these married success warriors had, which not only held their marriage together during the years of struggle, but which also enabled them to thrive as a couple. I thought these Rich Habits might be of some benefit for those contemplating marriage, for newlyweds and for those well into their married years. Let’s begin.
Rich Habit #1: We will stay faithful to each other and never cheat on one another
Rich Habit #2: We will never physically abuse each other
Rich Habit #3: We will never verbally abuse each other
Rich Habit #4: We will manage our money as one
Rich Habit #5: We will never spend money frivolously or spontaneously
Rich Habit #6: We will jointly participate in at least one extracurricular activity or hobby on a regular basis
Rich Habit #7: We will never lie to each other
Rich Habit #8: We will control our negative emotions and avoid emotional outbursts
Rich Habit #9: We will devote all of our available non-work time to our family and to each other
Rich Habit #10: We will jointly make decisions. No spouse has the final say
Rich Habits #11: We will both block off time to attend the activities of our children
Rich Habits #12: We will have family dinner together at least two times a week
Rich Habits #13: We will save 10%-20% of our annual income
Rich Habits #14: We will take good care of our health by exercising regularly and eating healthy food
Rich Habit #15: We will encourage and support each other every day
About Thomas C. Corley
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