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You might be surprised to hear this but … poor people think about money way more than rich people do. The difference is that they think about it in the wrong way. They constantly worry about expenses exceeding their income, eagerly waiting for their next paycheck and even worrying about losing their job when a crisis hits. In other words, they’re in constant survival mode. Their financial problems boil down to one thing — a broken money mindset. They believe resources are scarce, so they’re always penny-pinching.
The top 1% of income earners operate under a completely different mindset. They don’t worry about running out of money. Instead, they reflect on how to make money — multiply. So, let’s learn about how to think about money.
Related: 3 Money-Making Tactics Rich People Use Every Day
Wealthy people obsess over earning more (not about saving)
Look at the financial world right now, and you’ll see people moving their money over to gold and other precious metals. The future’s uncertain, so they’re amassing their wealth into an asset that doesn’t move. Their priority is to hoard and protect what they already have in an attempt to minimize losses. They cut costs wherever they can. Go on fewer vacations, avoid going out to eat, and the list goes on and on. This fixation on saving is a sign of a poor-person mentality.
Rich people have a different mindset. They are always on the lookout for opportunities. When markets take a dive, the majority sells out of fear, while the wealthy actively look to buy. And they do so by taking calculated risks, investing for the long-term and knowing markets trend up over time. They buy assets, identify problems they can solve and double down on what works.
Wealthy people understand leverage
Most people who grew up in a middle-class family think that hard work is what makes someone rich. Now, don’t get me wrong. Hard work is important. But if working 70-80 hours a week was a sure way to become a millionaire, then every shift worker in the world would be rich!
The truth is, you need to learn where to channel this hard work to create more wealth. Truly rich people know how to identify what activities have leverage. They use their brain power, connections and other people’s labor or capital to create even more wealth. In other words, they’re focusing on creative output and on finding the right opportunities rather than living paycheck to paycheck. This is why they’re able to amass vast sums of wealth in a shorter time frame.
Wealthy people focus on the outcome
Every day, we choose where we place our energy. Poor people tend to waste it worrying about the future. Rich people focus on finding solutions to problems. They know that if they find a solution to a common problem, money will follow. And so they spend all their time, resources and creative energy on finding that solution and marketing it.
Imagine if our ancestors had only worried about gathering nuts and berries and never progressed to making tools to hunt for their food. Creative thinking is what fuels progress. Wealth is just the byproduct. Shift your focus to developing your natural creativity, and money will follow.
Related: 10 Things Wealthy People Do to Keep Getting Richer
Learn how to think about money
Back in the UK, I had to take out a student loan to go to university. Most people would have used this money to cover their expenses and have a good time. But I immediately saw the opportunity. With the money the bank gave me, I bought a five-bedroom property — not just so I didn’t have to pay rent — but because I could make money by renting out the other four rooms to fellow students.
So, what was debt became a $2k/month asset that I used to fuel my first business. The rest is history. I’m telling you this because this is the type of mindset you need to have in your life to become rich. You need to understand that the world is abundant — you just need to learn how to tap into it in the right places.
