According to the Global Wealth Report by Credit Suisse, only 62 million people in the world had a wealth over $1m USD at the end of 2021. That’s less than 1% of the world. If you factor in that most people’s wealth is the house they are living in, and the current house prices in many big western cities, I would take a guess that less than 0.1% of the world or 1 in a 1000 people has the wealth to enjoy the kind of lavish lifestyle often presented in social media.
Why am I mentioning these facts? Because life doesn’t owe you anything, and if you are waiting for the world to become significantly fairer, it won’t happen in your lifetime. Probably won’t happen for a while. That’s not to say that we shouldn’t try but being realistic will give you the urge to take control of your life now rather than later.
Wealth and money are not the main features of success for many people, and I agree with that view. But the limiting factor for time is not just for wealth. The earlier you develop relationship skills, the more likely you are to have the relationship you want with more beautiful memories and cute selfies. The earlier you start travelling, the more places you will discover. The earlier you start ticking off dream activities, jumping off a plane, going scuba diving, or hiking your favourite mountains, the longer your soul and mind will stay fresh. The earlier you start taking care of your health, finding time for sport and competition, the longer your body will stay strong and capable.
We often find excuses to procrastinate. Especially common in our young adulthood to hear “I will do X once I have more experience”. This is wrong. The only way to get experience is to do X. Many times you will fail and that’s not a bad thing. Eventually you will succeed and might even feel guilty for being one of the few that endured all the obstacles and negativity that is sometimes aimed at people who dare to dream big. I’ve written an article on the fears of success and how we rather collectively suffer together than be lonely at the top.
To have the life you want before you miss your chances, follow these half cliché tips:
It’s never too late to start. Bad habits, fears, and negative vibes make it more difficult to change but it is possible no matter how old we are or what we have gone through. “It’s just who I am” is an excuse that you are too scared to take the risk.
One thing I often hear is that people deserve being successful because they are a good hard working person. If only 1 in 1000 people have the financial freedom to not worry about money, do you think that all the other 999 people are lazy? No. The world is such right now that you need to be smarter, quicker, and take your opportunities when they came more often than billions others who are trying to do the same. The best thing that can happen is for more people to become wealthier. Because people do have kind tendencies, we can help each other make society fairer but we need more people with big hearts at the top of the chain.
Don’t linger on negative things that happen to you during your journey.
Everyone will let you down – learn who is worth the pain.
Discard people who are not worth it – grudges only take up mental resources, and these are limited.
Maximise the time spend with people that make you smile, make you grow, push you to achieve you dreams rather than bring you doubt. These people are hard to find, prioritise them.
Give yourself time to heal, but not too much. Successful people do not have a potion against anger, pain or heartbreaks. They simply spend less time dwelling on it and understand that the emotions will be there regardless of what you do, so you may as well keep on with your goals. Use your negative emotions to give you the pure wild beast rage that will make you unstoppable.
Help others and let others help you.
Many people are afraid to accept help. Even if they themselves openly help people. Let people help you in your journey. It gives people pleasure to be able to help others, especially if they see it is someone who deserves it and is willing to return the favour.
Delegate tasks that are no longer vital. You only have 24 hours a day. You will progress more in your business and personal goals if you delegate the tasks that bring in less direct value to you. Invest money in coaches and mentors. Even if they only keep you accountable for your actions, that alone can be priceless.
Lower your ego – you are not perfect at everything and trying to be will only spread your attention to too many things. Have you ever seen rich people struggle with what many would consider basic tasks? They don’t care. Laugh at yourself and move on to bigger things.
Don’t get attracted by every new shiny object. Well meaning people will try to sway you to try new things. There are hundreds of different lifestyles and hobbies you can take. Focus on the ones which give you joy and growth now and lose the short term temptations of what others have. The grass is always greener and all that. If you truly need to change direction, make sure it is you who is making that decision.
Pick a moral standpoint and avoid the drama.
People who guilt trip you or bring in grandiose moral values often talk louder than they act. Everyone knows the world has many serious issues, very few do more than talk about solving them. Sharing that Instagram post doesn’t do anything. There are atrocities happening all the time, pick one or a couple that truly resonate with you and try your best to help but do not get pulled into the political dramas. They and the media are just there to entertain because people love conflicts. It’s like a real life soap opera.
Luck comes to those who never stop trying.
Person A can invest in one stock and the next day it drops 50%. Person B can invest in another and it doubles up. Both investments could have been equally as intelligent but many things are outside our control. If person A stopped investing after that and called it all just gambling, then they are much less likely to have financial freedom even if they were similarly or more intelligent than person B. Person B’s initial good luck could get him into learning to become an even better investor and make his money work for him. What person A doesn’t know is that he may lose 2,3, 5 times and still be better off in the end if he kept at it.
Good and bad luck are simple mathematics. Some people will have variance in life that goes their way, and others it will take more tries. Many people give up when variance goes against them. If they had kept trying, eventually things would have gone extremely their way and probably averaged out.
Love is powerful
Do not underestimate the power of love. Whether it is a chemical reaction, a Disney fairy tale or a magical soul binding experience that we do not fully understand, it is always better to love and lose than to not love.
If you find it, don’t be protective of it but instead use it to fuel you. Having someone you love by your side that you trust will make you reach your goals at a pace you could never imagine.
Reward yourself.
Work hard play hard. We never know how long we really have on Earth so don’t take it too seriously. Let your inner child come out at times. Just have control over it and do it as a reward for achieving certain goals, no matter how small they are. There’s not much difference between humans and Pavlov’s dogs – everyone loves knowing that a certain action leads to a certain treat. Ice cream and Netflix anyone?
Enjoy the little things
Figure out how to release the stress built up during your daily activities. A level of stress while solving challenges is good but whether it is meditation, yoga, a sunset or a small glass of wine, find a way to ground yourself and be present in the moment. That lightheaded feeling can make us appreciate the journey with a smile on your face no matter how difficult the day has been.
Wondering how to start or progress quicker?
What gives you the biggest pain at night? What makes your tears flow? What shatters your heart and crushes your stomach? There’s your guidance on what you should focus on. If you’ve never done it before, ask for support. People love giving advice.
