I recently came across a photo on social media that said “The 20 Habits of Eventual Millionaires” by James Altucher. The article then proceeded to list 18 habits that I agree with partially so I wanted to borrow the idea and list the 20 habits that have worked for me – and many other people I know – to become financially free and make success happen in all areas of our lives.

1. Determine your “why” (the vision that drives you) – and align every day toward making it a reality. For every person this will be uniquely your reason for living, working and playing. From early childhood we all have dreams of becoming a person of relevance to the world starting with family and friends. If you have lost those dreams take time to find and renew them. My dreams today are  to share anything I can to help others reach their dreams.
2. Learn when to say NO. This also falls under when to delegate things others can do for you. You are a limited resource. You need all the time possible to make decisions that move you forward toward your “why” each day.
3. Love. This is the only religion that matters. Learn first to love yourself – it is the only thing worth totally surrendering yourself to. It is the fuel that drives you to reach your dreams. Then, learn to love all others unconditionally.
4. Make Mistakes. All leadership coaches teach us to “fail our way to success”. Just read the thousands of stories of successful and even famous people who were at the brink of giving up when the real breakthrough came. Mistakes are the “spell book” to success.
5. Plant seeds. Jim Rohn tells the story of the parable of the sower from the Bible. Some seeds fall on rocky ground and the birds get them. Some fall on shallow ground and the heat gets them. Some fall on thorny ground where the thorns choke out most of the growth. Even seeds that fall on good ground yield 30% or 60% while other ground yields 100%. It’s a numbers game! Know your averages and sew enough seeds to have a fruitful garden. You can achieve anything you wish as long as you understand this.
6. Be around people who are kind to you and who love you. No matter how outlandish your dreams may be no one has the right to tell you your dreams are foolish. Anyone who does is NOT your real friend. Your true friends will support you to the ends of the earth to reach those dreams.
7. Stand next to the smartest and most successful person in the room. The point here is for you to find mentors who are smarter than you and spend time with them. Your income and success will be the average of the 5 people you spend most of your time with.
8. No excuses. Successful people never make excuses. They own-up to their failures or missed opportunities and continue to strive to grow every day. It’s important that you do NOT beat yourself up when you don’t reach a goal perfectly. NO ONE is perfect at everything all the time. My friend and mentor, David Byrd says, “Just smile BIG and be grateful for the opportunity to fix it moving forward.” I advocate that you lovingly tell yourself to own up to the missed opportunity and try to reach that goal again the next day. As long as you keep trying, and always do your best you will eventually get to more than 70% success at this one.
9. Go slow to go fast. Don’t be in a rush. There is no such thing as a “quantum leap” to success. Certainly one can receive a “windfall” but typically those don’t happen without a lot of work up front. Be consistent and persistent in all your efforts. Read the book, “The Slight Edge” by Jeff Olson to understand this habit better.
10. Solve difficult problems. You get remunerated according to the difficulty of the problems you solve. Work on the most difficult problems to reap the greatest rewards.
11. Keep a gratitude journal. This one habit is life changing for all who practice it. I try to write things I’m grateful for every day and also try to express gratitude to everyone who crosses my path.
12. Begin the day with a brain and body workout. Read 10 pages of personal development and exercise 20 minutes every day.
13. Write down 2 new ideas per day. This one is not easy. It requires you to take time to THINK and come up with solutions for common problems. I do this at the end of the day when I am reviewing the events for the day and tracking my results. I consider the challenges of the day and think of ways to solve any problems.
14. Follow up. It has been said, “The fortune is in the follow-up”. I can attest to that in my own life. So many times we fail to follow up and lose opportunities. Use a planner to track your exposures and then follow-up within 48 hours.
15. Ask questions. Develop the habit of forming your opinion into a question. Listen carefully and question everything to clarify and confirm your opinions.
16. Stay in tune with social media trends, but don’t waste time on it. Always be positive and ignore negative. How you use language really matters.
17. Make decisions for right NOW – not because of the past or in anticipation of the future.
18. Sleep well 7-9 hours every day. It is impossible to function well and make good decisions with a tired mind and body.
19. Plan your day before your day begins, and track your activity against your goals. Prioritize your tasks properly. Focus on “high payoff activities”.
20. Read your vision statement and say your affirmations OUT LOUD daily.

—- You can download a poster sized PDF at this link: 20 Habits of Highly Successful People —-

Happiness is the precursor to success. Read more details about the nine habits I practice daily to keep myself in a happy space by clicking here: keys-to-live-happy