Rich Habits Word of the Day

Gregarious – Social, outgoing.  Tom’s study on the habits of the wealthy taught him the importance of being gregarious in social settings.

Rich Habits Fact of the Day

New research detailed in the book, THE MILLIONAIRE ZONE™, finds that millionaires leverage their social networks – ranging from the government and their alma maters to friends, spiritual centers and even health clubs – more than non-millionaires to overcome their fears and ultimately achieve financial success.

Rich Habits Lesson of the Day

In life you will be forced into situations where you will meet new people. This is an opportunity to develop valuable relationships. Some may be your next employer, future spouse, next best friend, future co-worker, investor or future business partner. There are 5 basic rules to making introductions:

1. Smile
2. Firm Handshake
3. Make Eye Contact
4. In one sentence explain who you are, why you’re here and who you know at the event
5. Ask Questions About the Person You are Introducing Yourself to. See list of questions to ask here:Rich Etiquette: Conversing Socially

Rich Habits Word of the Day

Narcissistic – Selfish, egoistic. Tom learned from his study of the wealthy that most people are narcissistic and only focused on themselves during conversations.

Rich Habits Fact of the Day

Rich Habits Lesson of the Day

Your going to meet a lot of people in your life. It is important to know how to talk to people in social or business settings. I found there’s a common thread that runs through everyone. They are single-mindedly focused on themselves. Most people are thinking about one thing during every conversation- themselves. Everyone thinks they are the most important person in the world.  It’s a human tendency to be selfish and this shows up everywhere, including when we are carrying on a conversation with people.  When you run into these new people in life you need a plan, a process to help you turn every relationship into gold. Part of that process is to learn as much about your relationships as possible and you do that by asking questions about their life. Get to know them. Always focus on the other person and resist the human tendency to put yourself first. Make being unselfish in conversations a Rich Habit by asking these questions to every new person you meet in life:

• Basic contact information: name, address, phone, email, Twitter, Facebook etc.
• Are you married?
• If yes, what is their spouse’s name?
• Do you have any children?
• If so what are their names?
• What’s their birthday?
• Where do they live? Do they like where they live?
• do they have any hobbies?
• What schools did they go to?  Did they go to college or graduate school?
• What schools did their spouse and children attend?
• What are they most proud of?
• Do they know any celebrities or important people? Who?
• What do they do for a living?
• What does their spouse do for a living?
• Do they like to read? If so, what do they like reading? Who’s their favorite author?
• Do they like music? Who’s their favorite band, singer, etc?
• What do they do for a living?
• If their spouse or children work, what do they do, where do they work?
• Political affiliation?
• Religious affiliation?
• Where did they live before their current home?
• Do they like play sports? If so, what and when and do they play any sports now?
• Do they drink alcohol? If so, what do they drink?
• What’s their favorite foods?
• What type of car do they drive?
• What are their goals?
• What groups, non-profits or community organizations are they affiliated with?
• Where do they like to vacation?
• Do they travel at all? If so, where have they been?
• What did their parents do for a living?
• Where did they grow up?
• Who are their favorite celebrities?
• What licenses or professional designations do they have?
• What are they really good at in life?
• Do they exercise? If so, what do they do?

Last thing. Always look everyone in the eye and smile a lot.

Rich Habits Word of the Day

Etiquette – Civility, good behavior.  Tom learned from the wealthy in his study the importance of etiquette in business and social settings.

Rich Habits Fact of the Day

At the age of 16 George Washington decided to write down all of the laws of civility in order to learn them better. Click here for these laws: http://www.history.org/almanack/life/manners/rules2.cfm

Rich Habits Lesson of the Day

Believe it or not most people don’t know how to eat. You’re going to have to go to many social events during your life and you need to know how to eat right. Let’s go down the list:

• As soon as you sit in your chair take the napkin off the table and drape it over your lap like this.
• Never begin eating until everyone has their meal.
• Never chew with your mouth opened.
• Never talk while you’re chewing your food.
• Never dip any food you’re eating into a sauce everyone is using.
• Don’t wolf down your food. Eat at the same pace as everyone else at the table.
• Never hold a spoon, fork or knife with your fist.
• Never make gestures while your utensils are in your hands.
• Never reach for anything like salt and pepper. Always ask someone to pass things like that.
• Don’t slouch at the table. Sit straight up.
• After the meal, excuse yourself and go to the bathroom and make sure you don’t have any food in your teeth. I always carry a toothpick in my wallet just for this reason.

Rich Habits Word of the Day

Zeal – Determination. Tom had a zeal for pursuing his passion in life in the early morning hours.

Rich Habits Fact of the Day

23 Successful People Who Wake Up Really Early http://www.businessinsider.com/successful-early-risers-2012-1?op=1

Rich Habits Lesson of the Day

Successful people wake up 3 hours or more before they “start” their work day. 44% of the wealthy in my study woke up 3 hours before they actually started their work day. What do they rich do during those 3 hours?

• They spend that time reading for self-improvement, education or for their career a minimum of 30 minutes a day
• They exercise 20-30 minutes each day. Aerobic exercise is the exercise of choice for the rich
• They study for night school
• They write: books, articles, newsletters, blogs
• They meditate about 15 minutes a day
• They prepare for speaking engagements
• They prepare their “to-do” list
• They work
• They engage in some side-business
• They pursue their “major purpose” in life
• They network (breakfast meetings typically)

The common threads are self-improvement or “expanding their means”.

Rich Habits Word of the Day

Propensity – Inclination, habit.  Tom had a propensity for depression and used his Daily Mind Routine to keep him happy and positive.

Rich Habits Fact of the Day

Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain was one of the “Big Three” (Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin) to lead the world in its defeat of Hitler in WWII. He told in his own writings of suffering from “black dog,” Churchill’s term for severe and serious depression.

Rich Habits Lesson of the Day

Success is a process. It doesn’t just happen. One of the Rich Thinking exercises that I developed from my research I call the Daily Mind Routine. Here’s the overview:

1. Meditate for fifteen minutes first thing upon waking up
2. Read Affirmations
3. Read Gratitude List
4. Say “I Love You” with emotion, for those I love
5. Future Mirror readings
6. Review Vision Board
7. Meditate for fifteen minutes right before sleep

For a more detail about the Daily Mind Routine visit www.richhabits.net

Rich Habits Word of the Day

Swashbuckler – Bragger.  Tom learned from his research of wealthy people that they disliked swashbucklers who constantly dropped names of famous people they allegedly knew.

Rich Habits Fact of the Day

Chuck Feeney, co-founder of Duty Free Shoppers Group

A Depression-era veteran with a strict personal motto: “I set out to work hard, not get rich.” The co-founder of Duty Free Shoppers has donated more than $4 billion to disadvantaged children and public health initiatives, all while going to great lengths to remain an anonymous donor. “He has no ego . . . He always chooses the second-cheapest wine from the wine list,” according to his biographer, former Irish Times journalist Conor O’Clery. “When we traveled together he was always dressed like a down-at-heel American tourist.”

Rich Habits Lesson of the Day

Successful people let their work and others do the bragging for them. Bragging sends the signal to other important, successful people that you are not important and are very insecure. Name dropping is a common element to this Poverty Habit. The only name dropping successful people care anything about is the name dropping done by others on their behalf. If you want to really impress people let others brag about you. Focus on being the best you can be, follow your passion in life, maintain good daily habits and success will follow. Others will notice and begin dropping your name. You won’t have to.

Rich Habits Word of the Day

Trepidation – fear. Tom’s trepidation in writing Rich Habits ended the minute he began to type.

Rich Habits Fact of the Day

Bruce Willis came to fame in the late 1980s and has since retained a career as both a Hollywood leading man and a supporting actor. Being the leading actor in some of the greatest action movies Bruce Willis has had stuttering problems throughout his youth and was always scared it would affect his acting career. Fortunately he conquered his fear of stuttering and is now a household name.

Rich Habits Lesson of the Day

Fear is a Poverty Emotion. Everyone experiences fear but those who give into fear allow negative emotions to control their behavior. Any change, even positive changes like marriage or a promotion, can prompt feelings of fear. Wealthy people have conditioned their minds to overcome fear, while poor people give in to fear and allow it to hold them back in life. Those who confront fear are able to take control of their emotions and their lives. Conquering fear is about leaning in just a little until you build up confidence. Then you take it to the next level, whatever that is. You overcome fear by climbing the ladder one rung at a time, by taking baby steps. Overcoming fear is a habit that gives you the confidence to take on challenges that help you evolve as a human being. The biggest change agents in life, the ones who change the world by risking failure and defeat, are those who have made conquering fear a Rich Habit.