Like we explained in the last chapter, the basics of money management remain the same. There is nothing new that we will teach you in this regard. The purpose of this section of the vision to success course, is to remind you to practice the basics. It is also meant to hold you accountable, and to remind you that nothing will change in your life until you decide to change it. The best reminder we can offer you is that what you spend your money on reveals a great deal about your values. If you claim to value health, but you spend all your money on booze, instead of investing in a gym membership, or supplements, this shows a contradiction, or confusion of values. If you truly valued health, then you would invest in a gym membership or some healthy snacks as opposed to liquor or junk food. 

Put your money where your mouth is. Be congruent with your words and your actions.

If you want to increase your net worth, you had better have a plan. 

[Net worth = Total Assets – Total Liabilities]

To increase your wealth, you must spend your money accumulating assets and not liabilities.

Assets – Put money in your pocket

Liabilities – Take money out of your pocket

  “Everybody [gets] Mad When Their Paper Don’t Stack Right.” 50 Cent (Window Shopper)

Money is the great enabler. Without it, there’s very little you can do/accomplish in this world. Even though it isn’t everything, as Zig Ziglar said, money still ranks right up there with oxygen. Without money you are as good as dead. Just like oxygen though, it is not the purpose/point of life. Money is not to be worshipped, or feared, it is just a tool to be used on your journey to happiness. 

Imagine for a second that Bill Gates came to your house and promised you $1 billion dollars cash. But, there’s a catch. You would have to spend the rest of your life locked up in a room, with nothing else except these crinkling dollar bills. You would be fed two slices of bread and coffee twice a day. You would get 4 glasses of water daily. You are not allowed to watch TV, listen to radio, access the internet, nor any laptop. Family and friends are not even allowed to visit. It’s just you and the money – all day, every day, for the rest of your life. 

What would you do? 

Would you accept this deal? 

  What you think and say to yourself determines what you believe about yourself and the world at large. What you believe determines what you do. Talk is not as cheap as many people would have you believe. Talk is expensive. Your words – your vocabulary – what you say to yourself – what you say about yourself – affects your outlook in life, and subsequently your level of achievement. We need to speak words of life into our own lives. The things we say to ourselves influence our decisions and actions. Your vocabulary either fills you with thoughts of fear or thoughts of confidence. If you tell yourself enough times that you are a winner, you will eventually believe it, and act accordingly. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true.

  We’ve all heard the saying that no man is an island. In order to survive and achieve any level of success, we’ve got to co-operate with other humans. Even the richest business people depend on other people for their wealth. As a business leader, you need other people who will buy your products (customers). You also need people to help you deliver the product/service (employees). Additionally, you need people for provisions that allow you to create the product, or perform the service (Suppliers). Co-operation between you and these groups of people requires communication.   

Always present yourself in the best possible way. People do judge you by what they see, whether you like or not. A big, warm smile is an asset that costs you nothing to acquire. It Makes people feel at ease around you. That’s a good way to start the communication process. Smiles draw people closer and make them feel comfortable around you. Frowns repel people, and cause them to dislike you. This is dangerous, it doesn’t bode well for your business. Like the Chinese proverb says, “a man who cannot smile should not open a store.”

  Your actions depend a great deal on your opinion of yourself. If you want to take massive and effective action, as is required to reach any level of success, your opinion of yourself, your self-image must be at optimum levels. A weak self-image leads to feeble attempts, and subsequently, failure and frustration. You ought to be constantly upgrading yourself – mentally – physically – and spiritually. Continuous self-improvement gives you the ability to perform at higher levels. That is all confidence really is, at its core. 

“It is your belief in your ability to perform – faith in your ability to do what needs to be done to get the result you seek.”

Confidence is inner certainty. It doesn’t depend on outside events. It builds upon what is happening inside of you. 

Do You Believe In Your Own Ability To Perform?

  The danger though, in the modern world, is that people let fear stop them from taking any kind of action. They just freeze and cease to take any form of action. They are afraid of moving forward towards their goals, even if the potential outcome is something they deeply desire. Fear is a negative state we create within ourselves by imagining negative outcomes. These imagined negative outcomes give rise to indecision and doubt. You cannot do anything with conviction and vigour when your mind is filled with indecision and doubt. You will only produce a half-assed effort. These half-assed efforts produce poor results. These poor results begin the deadly loop of negative feedback, leading you to develop low self-esteem and despondency. Poor results drain your confidence. Low confidence leads to even more doubt and indecision. And so the cycle continues…

As it relates to success and wealth, there are two primary fears we face: 1) the fear of rejection and 2) the fear of failure. Consequently, most excuses/justifications we make for our inaction are based on the fear of failure.

What are YOU afraid of? How likely is that thing you fear likely to happen? 

  The key to success is effective action - doing the right things – doing them quickly – doing them well. You gain a lot of momentum and confidence when you do the difficult things while they are easy, and taking the small baby steps that will lead you to greater accomplishments. Following a logical sequence helps you avoid overwhelm. Remember what the great Chinese man said: “a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.” Just take the first step… and then the next step… and yet another step after that… you don’t have to see the whole staircase. Just keep stepping. Have faith that as you keep stepping, your path will become clearer. 

Proceed with vigour and purpose. Do what you can, where you are, with what you have. Use confident and empowering vocabulary. Don’t say ‘I can’t’ or ‘I will try’. Say “I WILL DO IT!”

What holds you back, most often, is thinking that you can’t. Just get in there and do the deed. So what if you fall flat on your face? Get your ass up and try again. Be biased towards taking action. Get into the habit of striking while the iron is hot. 

Do It Now! Do It Quick! Do It Well! 

If you neglect your physical well-being, you may very well end up lethargic, fat and aging rapidly.

If you neglect your mental well-being, you may very well end up lagging behind in your career, financially and physically.

If you neglect your social well-being, you may very well end up miserable and alone without people to support you through the challenges of life.

If you neglect your emotional well-being, you may very well end up alone and without meaningful relationships

If you neglect your spiritual well-being, you may very well end up unfulfilled and feeling empty.

Success is not to be pursued, it is to be developed. It’s not about what you acquire – it’s about who you become. Education/knowledge is said to the currency of the 21st century. Education - all forms of education, not just academic, is the foundation of achievement. Learning is a major requirement of becoming wealthy, healthy and happy. You can be robbed of your possessions, you can be robbed of all your money, but never of your knowledge. On the job, Jim Rohn advises, “don’t ask what am I getting? Rather ask what am I becoming?” Who you become matters more than what you obtain. Study success and follow the clues left behind by the people who blazed the trail before you. Expose yourself to new experiences, places, and people who will broaden your knowledge and expertise. Study the lessons and practice the disciplines.

When facing a seemingly insurmountable challenge, it is unlikely that you will handle it all at once and be done with it. There are usually many interlocking pieces that band together to form this obstacle in front of you. Your job is to dismantle these pieces to create an opening through which you will pass. The plans you’ve created previously, in chapter (), should give you a strategic starting point. Your game plan should be one that favours long-term benefits over instant gratification. Do what is right – do something that will give you the biggest advantage in the long run. Don’t chase the easy stuff. Select the most important task – do it well – do it quick.

Focusing on your core activities prevents you from spreading yourself so thin that you become mediocre at everything, and excellent at nothing. When your mind is scattered, you can never be really consistent in your efforts. And your results will show this lack of clarity. To remain productive, you must block out chunks of time in your day and work exclusively on your top priorities. During these peak performance sessions, turn off your phone, email, and any other potential distractions.  Put your head down and get some work done. 

Indecision is detrimental to your success. Make a decision and stick to it. Direct your efforts in one direction, towards achieving a specific goal. Completion boosts confidence – it clearly highlights the progress you are making. You can point at something with ride and say, “this is what I have accomplished.” Multitasking is just a fascinating distraction. It often delays the completion of a project.