Legendary business coach and entrepreneur Dean Graziosi takes you from where you are in life to where you want to be, using simple tools to reshape daily routines and open new doors to prosperity--whether you're a fellow entrepreneur, an employee or executive, or a new grad in your first job. Millionaire Success Habits is a book designed with one purpose in mind: to take you from where you are in life to where you want to be in life by incorporating easy-to-implement "Success Habits" into your daily routine. Legendary business coach Dean Graziosi has broken down the walls of complexity around success and created simple success recipes that you can quickly put to use in your life to reach the level of wealth and abundance you desire. This book is not about adding more time to your day. It is about replacing those things that are not serving your future with success habits designed specifically to assist you on your journey to a better you. In these pages, you’ll: · Drill down deep to identify your “why”—the true purpose that drives you and the real reason you want to prosper. · Expose and overcome the “villain within” that’s holding you back. · Unlock the single biggest secret to being productive (it’s probably not what you think) · Believe in your own massive potential—so you can make it a reality. Now updated with brand-new chapters on productivity and mastering the art of achievement, Millionaire Success Habits gives you the tools you need to radically reshape your daily routine and open new doors to prosperity.
Praise for Millionaire SUCCESS Habits
“In this book there are amazing recipes to get the life you want faster, easier, and with less stress. Read it and live rich!” — David Bach , nine-time New York Times best-selling author and financial expert
“In this incredibly inspiring book, Dean Graziosi gives us the key to greater happiness, wealth, and freedom. A must-read.” — Brendon Burchard , # 1 New York Times best-selling author and world’s leading high-performance coach
“Dean is a compassionate, experienced guide who wants you to win. This book is packed with heart, energy, and hard-won wisdom that will transform your life. A must-read for anyone who wants to take control of their life.” — Marie Forleo , entrepreneur, author, philanthropist, and founder of MarieTV and B-School, inspiring tens of millions to create a business and life they love
“Dean Graziosi has the unique ability to take what others make so complicated and boil it down to a recipe for success that anyone can follow.” — Larry King , award-winning television and radio host
Also by Dean Graziosi
30 Days to Real Estate Cash
Be a Real Estate Millionaire
Totally Fulfilled
The Gateway to Wealth & Prosperity
DEAN GRAZIOSI
HAY HOUSE, INC. Carlsbad, California • New York City London • Sydney • New Delhi
Copyright © 2019 by Dean Graziosi
Published in the United States by: Hay House, Inc.: www.hayhouse.com ® Published in Australia by: Hay House Australia Pty. Ltd.: www.hayhouse.com.au • Published in the United Kingdom by: Hay House UK, Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.uk • Published in India by: Hay House Publishers India: www.hayhouse.co.in Strategic Coach®, The Strategic Coach® Program, and Unique Ability® are registered trademarks, protected by copyright, and integral concepts of The Strategic Coach Inc. All rights reserved. Used with written permission. www.strategiccoach.com. Strategic Coach®, The Strategic Coach® Program, and The 4 C’s Formula® are regis- tered trademarks, protected by copyright, and integral concepts of The Strategic Coach Inc. All rights reserved. Used with written permission. www.strategiccoach.com.
Cover design: XHeight Design • Interior design: Nick C. Welch Indexer: Joan Shapiro
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for public or private use—other than for “fair use” as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews—without prior written permission of the publisher. The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the infor- mation in this book for yourself, the author and the publisher assume no responsi- bility for your actions.
Previously published by Growth Publishing in 2017, ISBN: 978-1-68419-207-6.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Graziosi, Dean, author. Title: Millionaire success habits : the gateway to wealth & prosperity / Dean Graziosi. Description: 1st edition. | Carlsbad, California : Hay House, [2019] Identifiers: LCCN 2018034064 | ISBN 9781401956875 (hardcover : alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Finance, Personal. | Millionaires. | Wealth. | Success. Classification: LCC HG179 .G726 2019 | DDC 332.024/01--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018034064
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4019-5687-5 e-book ISBN: 978-1-4019-5708-7 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1st edition, January 2019 Printed in the United States of America
I’d like to dedicate this book to my dear friends Tony Robbins and Dan Sullivan, two people who have had a massive influence on my life, my success, and my abundance. I cannot even begin to express how grateful I am for those two men who came into my life exactly when they were needed. But I also want to dedicate this book to all the men and women throughout the years who had the will and selflessness to share their life-changing wisdom, through books and talks, with those eager for a new path. I did my best to soak in all that I heard, read, and observed, and in turn, what I learned seeped into my thoughts and my words. The exer- cises, the stories, the recipes, and the success habits you’ll find in these pages I’ve learned through decades of my own trial and error, failures and successes. But they have been greatly enriched by all the others who have walked the path before me, and for that I’m grateful. This dedication, then, is my way of recognizing all the people who have made such a big difference in my life. I’m hoping that in the same way, I will serve you, and this book will make an equally big difference in your life.
CONTENTS
xi
Introduction
Chapter 1: Chapter 2: Chapter 3: Chapter 4: Chapter 5: Chapter 6: Chapter 7: Chapter 8: Chapter 9:
The Time Is Right to Change Your Habits
1
The Foundation for All Success
11
The Villain Within
35
The Power of Your Story
67
Awaken the Inner Hero
85
One Shining Goal
107
Attraction and Persuasion
123
After the “Yes”
147
The Power of Happiness
165
Chapter 10: The Quick Hacks to Success
181
Chapter 11: The Challenge
201
UPDATED: PRODUCTIVITY AND THE ART OF ACHIEVEMENT
217
Chapter 12: It Has to Be a Heck Yes or a Hell No
219
Chapter 13: The Truest Form of Productivity and Why You Need to Master It
237
253
Acknowledgments
255
About Dean
INTRODUCTION
When I decided to sit down and write a book exposing the raw, unfiltered habits that took me from generations of hard- working yet struggling family members to more success than I ever imagined possible for one man to achieve, I hoped it would make an impact on those who read it. But I have to be honest—I never imagined this book would become one of the best-selling books in the world and go viral. As I write this quick little update at the start of the book to let you know about two new chapters I’ve added, this book has well over 300,000 copies shipped and growing fast. Don’t just dabble with this book. Don’t just read the first few chapters and put it off until another day. Devour this book and put the lessons in to play in your life. And I almost forgot, the book got even better with two never-before-seen chapters on productivity and how to out-hustle and outperform everyone around you. This is your time. Make it real! In the spring of 1944, a boy who we’ll call J.P. was born to immigrant parents in a rough neighborhood in the heart of Los Angeles. Before J.P. was two years old, his parents divorced, his mother struggled financially, and by the time he was nine years old, J.P. was out on the streets looking for a way to help his mom make ends meet. Newspapers, flowerpots, Christmas cards—you name it, he most likely tried to sell it. When his mother could no longer take care of J.P. and his brother, the boys were placed in a foster home. As a teenager with no parental guidance, J.P. fell in with the wrong crowd, joined a local gang, and struggled to pass his classes as a student at John Marshall High School in Los Angeles.
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One day in 11th grade, J.P.’s high school teacher caught him and his friend Michelle goofing off and passing notes in class. He made them stand in front of the class while he proclaimed, “See these two? Don’t hang around them because they’re not going to amount to anything. They’ll absolutely never make it in any business.” J.P. may have not realized it at the time, but moments like that create our life habits—successful ones, yes, but also bad ones that can hold us back from reaching our full potential. J.P. could have said to himself, “I’ll never amount to anything.” In- stead he said, “The hell with that guy. I’ll prove him wrong.” J.P. developed his first success habit on one of his first jobs. He told me, “I’ve worked all my life, starting from nine years old. I had things like paper routes at eleven years old that I continued throughout high school. I even worked for a while at the local dry cleaner sweeping the floors and doing odd jobs for an owner that was so tight with money that he squeaked when he walked! I was working as hard as I possibly could for a mere $1.25 per hour. Then one day after school he called me over and said, ‘Last night I looked behind the cabinets, and there was no dust! Then I picked up a rug, no dust! You clean this place as if I’m watching you every minute!’ I said, ‘You hired me to clean and my job is to do the best I can.’ He was so pleased he gave me a raise to a $1.50 an hour. For him to do that, it was like I won an Academy Award. And to be honest, I learned an important lesson from this period of my life. Successful people, whether they’re work- ing for somebody else or working for themselves, do whatever they do to the best of their ability—as if the boss is watching them every minute of every day. I learned that in everything you do, always do your best.” Some may believe that this makes you a foolish yes-man. I believe that doing your best is one of the success habits you should develop. The benefits are numerous, varied, and signifi- cant. In this instance, his habit helped J.P. complete a mundane task in the present (and complete it well), which led him to get- ting future tasks that he loved.
xii
Introduction
Before continuing with J.P.’s story, I’d like to tell you a little about success habits and how this book will help you to make them your own. I am going to show you a path and process that will allow you to adopt success habits so they stick. You don’t have to flip your world upside down or try to force “new habits” overnight that disrupt your life and cause you to go back to where you started. Rather, you can make barely noticeable, small shifts in your daily routines by nudging out those things that don’t serve you and replacing them with habits that create a path to wealth and abundance. It doesn’t matter if you are an entrepre- neur, a business owner, an executive, an investor, an employee, or a young person just starting your first job. The habits, prin- ciples, recipes, and exercises in the coming chapters will give you a competitive edge, catapulting you to that next level. So while this book’s main focus is on financial success, the methods I’ll share can also propel you to new levels of fulfill- ment in other areas of your life, including family, parenting, friendships, relationships, spirituality, health, physical fitness, love, passion, intimacy, and more. No matter what anyone has told you in the past, you are entitled to and can possess fulfill- ment, joy, and abundance in all areas of your life. I’ll help you develop these habits through a variety of meth- ods. I’ll share amazing stories of hugely successful people I know and how they learned and applied the behaviors and routines that allowed them to become high achievers and earners. I’ll provide exercises that will help you develop and practice new habits. And I’ll offer some stories from my own life that I hope will inspire and instruct. More about all this a bit later. Now let’s return to our friend, who when we last saw him was sweeping floors with great effort and skill. J.P. graduated from high school, but he didn’t go to college. Instead he joined the U.S. Navy and served two years on the air- craft carrier USS Hornet . After the navy, J.P. held various low-pay- ing jobs, including working as a janitor, at a gas station, and as an insurance salesman. He worked briefly for Redken Laboratories
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MILLIONAIRE SUCCESS HABITS
but was fired after a disagreement with his boss. He even took a job as a low-paid door-to-door encyclopedia salesman. Looking back on that time, J.P. says he learned another im- portant, lifelong success habit. “I would knock on fifty doors, and all fifty would be closed in my face. So I had to learn how to be just as enthusiastic on door number fifty-one or one hun- dred fifty-one as I was on the first door.” He learned to overcome rejection, communicate with people by listening to them, and persuade others to take action. This was not a dream job, but he was building some of the key success habits that would allow him to achieve breakthroughs later in life. He didn’t realize it, but his habits helped him persevere. At the time, the average door-to-door encyclopedia salesman working for straight com- mission lasted only three days. J.P. lasted three and a half years. Despite his work ethic, J.P. still became homeless as a young adult. “When I was homeless the first time, it was in my early twenties. My wife just couldn’t handle being a mother any- more, so she left our two-and-a-half-year-old son in my arms and took off with all the money we had. I soon learned that she hadn’t paid rent for three months, so with no money and being three months past due on rent, we were evicted. I was in between jobs, so my son and I were on the streets with no money coming in and attempting to live in an old car I owned at the time. I remember saying to my son, ‘We’re going to make this together.’ I went around to vacant lots and picked up Coke bottles and 7UP bottles, because in those days you got two cents for a little one and five cents for a big one. When you’re broke and you can’t pay the bills, those are some of the most difficult times as a man and as a father. But what I learned was that when you’re really down and out, and you’re at the very bottom, all you can do is look up.” As difficult as J.P.’s circumstances were, he possessed an ad- vantage that many others in much better circumstances lack: He had a vision for his life! He was determined to start his own company, and after selling encyclopedias door-to-door for those three years, he knew he didn’t want to work for someone else. He could make it on his own.
xiv
Introduction
But there was a major obstacle: J.P. only had $700 to his name. Everyone told him he couldn’t start his company because he needed more money, more schooling, more experience, more smarts, a different economy, and countless other things that he lacked. Sound familiar? Well, after listening to all that advice, he did what most successful people do: He listened first and fore- most to himself and started the company anyway. J.P. developed a success habit of believing in himself and ignoring the naysay- ers. “That was extremely difficult for me. I mean, how do you start a company, balance your bills, not get paid, and still go out door-to-door selling your products every day? It was extremely difficult. We should have gone bankrupt every single day for the first two years of the company, but two years later, we were finally able to pay our bills on time. Not only pay them, but pay them off. I remember saying, ‘Hey, we made it. We’ve got $2,000 left over! We made it. We’re successful!’” Eventually J.P. was able to use his persuasion and communi- cation skills to grow his company by leaps and bounds. J.P. even improved his listening skills and developed a key habit of being able to read his customers on the deepest level. “I think what I’m really skilled at is having the ability to listen. And not just listen, but to listen to everything people are saying instead of thinking about what I’m going to say next. That took a while, but I think I eventually got pretty good at that.” Through persistence and developing positive success hab- its—listening to understand, having vision, always doing his best no matter what, ignoring the naysayers, and staying pos- itive in the face of rejection—J.P. built his company into an in- ternational success. Perhaps you’ve heard the old saying, “It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish.” J.P. is living proof of this adage. He started with nothing and rose to become one of the wealthi- est people in the world. In 2015, Forbes magazine listed him as number 234 on the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans (with a net worth of $2.8 billion). J.P.’s full name is John Paul DeJo- ria. He’s the founder of the Paul Mitchell line of hair products, Patr ó n tequila, and a dozen other successful businesses.
xv
MILLIONAIRE SUCCESS HABITS
DeJoria often advises young entrepreneurs to develop posi- tive habits, believe in their gut instincts, and take risks. He says, “You can’t just let other people get you down. I mean, what the heck do they know? I was told, ‘No, you can never enter the beauty industry’ dozens of times. Everyone would tell me that ‘there’s too much competition and that I have no money.’ I was even laughed at when I started Patr ó n. People said, ‘Tequila? At $37 per bottle? Are you kidding? I can buy tequila for four bucks!’ So go with your own gut feeling and always do some- thing good for someone else.” Though I love all of John Paul DeJoria’s story, I relish that early admonition of his high school teacher who told John Paul and his friend Michelle Gilliam they’d never amount to any- thing. Well, to say that they proved this teacher wrong is a gross understatement. John Paul is a billionaire who’s changing lives all over the world, and Michelle Gilliam is better known today as Michelle Phillips, a founding member of the 1960s folk-rock band The Mamas & The Papas, which sold 40 million records. Michelle tracked down that teacher for John Paul’s 50th birth- day, and when the teacher learned of his former students’ suc- cess, all he could say was, “Well, shit.”
SUCCESS HABITS WILL PUT YOU ON A DIFFERENT PATH
You know, hearing a story like John Paul’s can be inspirational. It could be that Rocky story or that Rudy story or the story of the underdog who climbs his way up and makes it happen. But as inspiring as John Paul’s story is, in a way, it could also make you second-guess your own abilities. You might think, “I’m not what John Paul is—I can’t do what he did! Maybe I don’t have the energy he does or the nerve he does.” If this is your perception, then realize that at this moment that it doesn’t matter where you’ve come from. It only matters where you are and where you want to go.
xvi
Introduction
But you’ve got to make the commitment to go there! You could be doing a thousand other things other than reading this book. In many cases, you could be doing busywork that dulls your senses and makes you carry on that status quo life that is less than you deserve. Humans are busier now than they’ve ever been in the his- tory of time. I love technology, but all the advancements to make our lives easier have really just allowed us to go faster. Let’s face it: What it has really done is made everyone flat-out busier. With text messages and e-mails buzzing in our pockets, our constant availability for phone calls, and hot new apps and social media on our phones, we are more distracted, more un- focused, and more enmeshed in sweating the small stuff than ever before! Many of us feel like we’re sprinting every day but really not getting anywhere. Well, what if I told you it’s true: you are going faster than ever before, but you may be on a treadmill and not a ladder. Fast is only good when you have the right path. Otherwise all you do is get lost quicker. When you have the right success habits, you get to go fast in the right di- rection because you know the destination in advance. I prom- ise to share these habits in a way that will allow you to digest them and use them with ease. It will soon become apparent how you can quiet all the other “noises” in your life and ex- pose the clear path to your next level. Let me tell you why this time will be different. Like John Paul, you’ll see a growing number of small shifts you can make now that will have a massive impact down the road. When I was in special reading in seventh grade, I was mocked by my own teacher, Ms. Thompson, just as John Paul was by his teacher. Often, she told me I was stupid, but unbe- knownst to me, I had dyslexia and had trouble wrapping my mind around reading and spelling basics. I just couldn’t figure it out. But there is, of course, a silver lining to those struggles, and even a silver lining to Ms. Thompson’s misguided actions. In fact, there were a lot of silver linings that came from that situation, but one specifically that will benefit you.
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MILLIONAIRE SUCCESS HABITS
A unique ability emerged from my not being able to read and comprehend like other kids. Because of this “handicap,” I became a visual and audible learner who knows how to cre- ate easy-to-follow recipes for success. And following a recipe is much faster than trying to figure something out from scratch or through trial and error. RECIPES SAVE TIME Having the right recipes can get you to success quickly. If you wanted to recreate for your friends and family the tongue- tantalizing taste of the spaghetti and meatballs from your favorite Italian restaurant, there are many ways to go about it. You could go to Italy and study Italian cooking for months. You could go to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and study for years to get a degree in Italian cooking. You could try recipe after recipe searching for the secret sauce. Or maybe you could wait until a Sunday when the chef worked a 12-hour shift, and when you see him walking wearily to his car, approach him and say, “Hey, Chef, I love your spa- ghetti and meatballs. I’m not in your business and I’ll never be a competitor. I just want to make your spaghetti and meatballs for my family, and truthfully, I don’t want to waste any time. Could I give you one hundred dollars for the recipe?” You can then go home and make spaghetti and meatballs that taste just as incredible as the chef makes them! And you can do it that very same day because now you have the recipe. This book will give you a different type of recipe. That’s what I do: create recipes that get people the results they want— fast. There are probably a million options that exist to help peo- ple achieve success. You’ve probably read personal development books, or maybe even gone to a motivational or inspirational event. But for some reason, maybe it didn’t stick at the level you wanted it to; that’s why you’re reading this book. And I don’t take that lightly. Not in the slightest.
xviii
Introduction
Here is my promise to you: I have recipes that will help you make tiny shifts in your habits that will in turn make you un- recognizable to yourself down the road. We only need tiny shifts in our millionaire success habits today to be completely differ- ent in the near future and for years to come. When I decided to write this book, I reflected back on my own life and figured out the habits that have gotten me to where I am today. And that’s what you will get in this book. SMALL SHIFTS YIELD BIG RESULTS This book isn’t just based on my personal journey to success. It’s filled with universal principles that will work for anyone. I went on a quest to discover the habits used by billionaires, top athletes, business leaders, and some of the world’s thought leaders—people whom I know through my work. Many of these individuals started at the bottom, in much harder times than we can imagine today. And when I extracted their strategies, and viewed them within the context of my own personal strategies, I identified the tiny shifts that have made the difference in our lives—and will make the biggest impact in your life. That’s what this book is going to deliver. It’s going to show you how to re- place old habits with new ones that will help you make the leap to the next level of success. I’m grateful you picked up this book and have come even this far; please don’t stop now. Most people buy a book because of the title and let it sit on a shelf, hoping that by some magical power the knowledge and action steps will transfer into their brain. I know that you’re busy and that it takes time and will to read a book. But I urge you to make the time and find the will to keep reading. I promise I will do everything in my power to keep it compelling and exciting, but also to deliver the tactical strate- gies to throw away the habits that are not currently serving you and replace them with those that can grow your life, wealth, and joy exponentially. Believe me, I know you may feel like there’s no extra time for you to implement these habits. I know you’re
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MILLIONAIRE SUCCESS HABITS
not sitting around reading this book right now with five extra hours in your day. But as you’ll see throughout this book, it’s like removing a battery and putting in a new one. I’ve already shared this, but it’s worth repeating: You don’t have to add time to your day to learn new habits; you just have to replace the old habits. To do so, you need to recognize the counterproductive routines you’ve fallen into. Once you acknowledge them, you will see how realistic it is to be able to switch them out. There are a million different paths to success. But with all of those options, I have learned that the fastest path involves one option above all others. When success habits become your new routine, your life can change dramatically. You’ve picked up this book for a reason. Maybe you’re a baby boomer who has been in a job for 30 or 40 years because it was the responsible thing to do, and it’s finally time to reinvent your- self. Maybe years ago someone told you, “Stop being a dreamer and do what’s right. Do what’s secure and safe.” And what you are doing has dampened your enthusiasm for work and life, es- pecially when you know you were meant for so much more. Or maybe the world has made you insecure and you’re stay- ing in a job that has you living day-to-day just hoping some- thing will change. Maybe you have your own business and it’s not doing so great or it’s time to take it to the next level. Or maybe your back is against the wall and money is tight, so you need a new path. It really doesn’t matter who you are or what your situation is. Whether you’re a college student unsure if the world still has the opportunities that your parents had, or you’re someone ready to tap into your full potential and start something new, this book can help you take control of your life. It’s time to stop being the thermometer of life and start being the thermostat. Stop hoping a “break” will magically come. You can create your own break, and do it so much faster than you could ever imagine. But before we get into the “how” of it, I want to share with you the “why now.” Chapter 1
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Chapter 1
THE TIME IS RIGHT TO CHANGE YOUR HABITS “Here’s the thing: when it comes to confidence and taking coura- geous action, so much of that is going to have to come from what you believe you should do, through being able to hear and distin- guish your heart’s call, how your intuition’s speaking to you, that small voice inside that says, ‘You know what? Pick up the phone and make that call,’ or ‘This is the next action to take.’”
— Marie Forleo, interview with Dean Graziosi
This is a volatile, even crazy, time in American history. From the influence of divisive politicians whom people feel they can’t trust, to the negativity toward entrepreneurs who work hard and make a lot of money, societal norms are changing. As I noted earlier, most people will tell you that they feel they are working harder and faster to get things done, but to little effect; they strive to move up the ladder of success, yet for some reason it just isn’t happening.
1
MILLIONAIRE SUCCESS HABITS
Do you feel like you’re not getting the results you desire or deserve? Well, besides technology affecting this outcome, an- other factor exists that you may not even be aware of. The good news is that you’re not crazy for feeling like all your effort is for naught. It’s not your fault. Let’s see what’s really to blame.
PRODUCTIVITY VS. INCOME
In doing my research for this book, one statistic on produc- tivity grabbed my attention the most. If you look at the graph below, you will see that for many years productivity and wages were going up unilaterally on a steep 45-degree angle. However, as 1973 rolled around, things changed. Wages went flat, but productivity remained on the same incline. And what does that massive gap between wages and productivity suggest? It means we are getting more done as a society yet income hasn’t reflected this output. So when you feel like you’re working harder and faster and using today’s technologies to accomplish more, you are. However, wages are simply not keeping up.
2
The Time Is Right to Change Your Habits
That’s why you feel busier than ever and squeezed financial- ly. The unfortunate fact is that the gap continues to widen. We can ignore it and blame others, or we can create the habits that multiply the income and success in our own homes. The middle class is taking a serious hit. Some even say we are going toward a two-class society. Now, I know that politicians and those pushing their agendas have harped on this point, but I’m “localizing” the conversation—I’m talking about how it affects the economy in your house and within your family. I’m not bashing the wealthy. Heck, in this book I am giving you the habits to become wealthy or increase the wealth you al- ready have. But the statistics don’t lie. If you are not prepared and armed with the right tools, the shift that is happening in America could greatly affect you. And when I saw the graph below, I knew I had to share it. Up until 1981, all classes of income were rising at about the same rate. However, in about 1981 a split started to hap- pen. The 1 percent broke away from the crowd, and since then the top 1 percent of earners’ income has gone up 138 percent, while the bottom 90 percent of earners’ income has only gone up 15 percent. Here is an alarming look at the actual graph. But give me a minute to go through the so-called facts and then let me explain how they impact you.
3
MILLIONAIRE SUCCESS HABITS
From one perspective, the gap is getting wider and wider; it seems as though we are evolving into a two-tiered society. The middle class is getting squeezed out, and it’s obvious from this graph that this is not just a theory. This is real life. And it’s why you may be feeling the effects I talked about earlier. As scared as that graph makes you feel, imagine this: What if that income gap you saw on the graph did not matter to you? What if you knew there were ways to become financially bullet- proof and for you to create the “class” you desire in your life, in your home, and with your family? NEW MEASUREMENT OF SUCCESS You see, I have to believe statistics. And if they are alarming to you, great! More reason to continue reading and take action in your life. But what is even more alarming is what the term “middle class” means these days. If you and your spouse make $120,000 a year combined, that means you are in the middle class. But should we cheer? What if one of you is working two jobs and the other has to put in extra time during the weekends? Sure, you might have a nice car, a beautiful house, vacations, and some other cool stuff. But maybe the kids are in day care and you rarely get to spend time with them. Maybe you and your spouse haven’t had quality time together in a while because you are just too busy. Maybe you and your spouse are, in fact, less engaged with each other because when you do talk it’s in between e-mails and text messages. Maybe you have your own business and feel overwhelmed every day. These are just a few scenarios of many. But my point is simple: Is this truly the middle class you want to strive for? It’s time to redefine the middle class. More specifically, we need to start talking about the unfulfilled middle and the em- powered middle. We need the same type of redefinition for the upper and lower classes.
4
The Time Is Right to Change Your Habits
It doesn’t really matter if you believe the middle class is dis- appearing. If you are doing okay financially but have a horrible quality of life, or if you are not living up to your full potential, this is not what life is meant to be about. Having money and no life sucks, and having no money and wishing you could create a life sucks. And I am going to continue to tell you throughout this book that with the right habits, it doesn’t matter where the economy is, what’s happening to the class system in this coun- try, or who the president is. What matters is that you dance to your own beat. Remember, you want to become the thermostat, not the thermometer. In that way, you are in control of your personal economy and lifestyle. You can shape both to fit your requirements in a way that is meaningful and fulfilling. And yes, this goal is more than just a possibility when you believe in and have the right habits. MONEY IS NOT EVIL In my years of traveling and meeting thousands of my stu- dents firsthand, I’ve discovered that many of them have a limit- ing belief that money is somehow bad. This idea may have aris- en from many sources—an antimaterialistic parent, a political ideology, or a religious doctrine. So before we get any further, let’s address this concept and make sure we have some clarity around it. Getting wealthy may not cure every problem, but it sure can cure a lot of them. When you secure the economy in your house- hold, then you can go out to dinner more, get someone to pick up your dry cleaning, hire someone to clean your house, pay off debt, buy a new house, take vacations, and give to charity. You can also allow your spouse to retire, enabling another person to fill his or her job and gain the income you no longer need. So whether you want to help change the economy in the world, or you’re simply curious about what the next level of life would look like for you and your family, I believe this is the greatest time in history for you to gain what you desire. Let’s
5
MILLIONAIRE SUCCESS HABITS
face it, capitalism is getting a bad name; entrepreneurs are some- times seen as greedy and amoral rather than as crucial to our economic system. It sounds crazy to those of us who believe in this system, but it’s a belief that has taken hold in certain seg- ments of society. But here’s the real truth: money earned ethically allows you to do incredible things for the world. Just about every single billionaire and supersuccessful multimillionaire I know made their money to secure a great life—and then they had a massive impact on the world. Most billionaires employ thousands of people. They also help family members and parents retire and support their kids as they move on in their lives. They help build churches, deliver water to places that don’t have it, and create charities and help fund them, often without asking for any public recognition. Because, like I wrote, money earned ethically can have incredible by- products—benefits for friends, family, and the world. If you’re reading this book, you have a desire for more in life. Go make yourself wealthy, become secure, and watch how much good you can do for the world. Here is something else to think about. Society seems to be looking down on capitalism, entrepreneurship, and mak- ing money. Simultaneously, a lack of money causes more stress in people’s lives than any other one thing in this world. Ex- perts say most divorces are caused by money problems, and that most people on anti-anxiety pills admit that it’s because of financial worries. Most people who don’t feel connected to their children or spouse claim it’s because of a lack of money, time, or having a job they hate. Have you ever worried about money? Of course you have. “Do I have enough? Am I enough?” Those questions can rattle anyone’s cage. Here’s what one of my mentors taught me: “If you can cut a check for a problem, you don’t have that problem.” Repeat it like a mantra. If you can cut a check for the problem, you don’t have that problem. If you have bills that you’re stressed over, you cut a check, and that problem goes
6
The Time Is Right to Change Your Habits
away. Worried about your kids’ college education? Cut a check, that problem goes away. Worried about your parents getting old and not having enough for retirement? Cut a check and let your parents retire, like I did. Are you worried about your future? Cut a check, that problem goes away. Is your business not doing as well as it could? Cut a check, that problem goes away. Don’t tell me, “Money can’t solve issues.” When you get mon- ey out of the way, you’re allowed to be your best self. Think of it this way: If I was sitting next to you right now and squeezed your throat, the only thing you would think about is oxygen. But prior to that, I’m guessing taking your next breath of air wasn’t occu- pying your mind. You just go about every day knowing it’s there. The reason people are stressed about money is because they’re being squeezed by the amount coming in contrasted with how much they need to live the life they desire. When worrying about money comes off your plate, you have the opportunity to be your best self. By shifting certain habits in your life, you will allow abundance and prosperity to flow to you in ways that might seem impossible at this moment. No magic money machine is in this book. There’s no button you’re going to push so your mailbox will be filled with checks. But what you’re going to get are simple recipes ideally suited to the complex times in which we live. They cut through all the con- fusion of modern life and provide a straight line between where you are now and where you want to be. Have you ever wondered how two people could be brought up in similar environments, work in the same field, have similar jobs, and yet one of them is making twice as much as the other? Or why one person may excel at his job but then leave and do his own thing, while the other person says, “Oh, but the econo- my is bad, and the President and Congress and my boss is hold- ing me back.” Two people, two completely different life results. The reason? The person who took his or her life to the next level had different daily habits than the one who sits back and simply wishes and hopes for more.
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MILLIONAIRE SUCCESS HABITS
Throughout this book you’re going to see these habits in ac- tion and be excited about each and every one of them. And like I said earlier, it doesn’t matter where you’re coming from. It only matters where you want to go.
DON’T LET GO OF THE WHEEL I want to end this chapter with a story I’ve been sharing for years. Imagine a farmer gets up every single day, and he puts his grain on the back of the tractor. He puts the tractor in gear, he drives out a mile into the pasture to feed the cows, and they all come running. He dumps the feed and goes back to the barn. If he gets up every single day for 10, 15, 20 years and starts the tractor, puts the feed on, puts it in gear, and goes out to the same field, what will eventually happen? He’ll build ruts on the path to the cows. Eventually, he could just get up, throw the grain on the back, start the tractor, put it in gear, and let go of the wheel. That tractor will take him right out to that same spot he’s been going to for years. Apply this story to your life and ask: Have I let go of the wheel? Do I have ruts that keep me doing the same thing every day? It doesn’t necessarily mean your entire life is in a rut, but that you might unconsciously do the same things daily expect- ing a different result. Do you have habits that make every day the same while you simultaneously hope an outside factor will change it? Maybe you’re waiting for a shift in the economy, a person to intervene on your behalf, or fate to present you with the winning lottery ticket? Have you become the thermometer instead of the thermostat? I’m not judging. It happens to us all. Most people have let go of the wheel. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. So here’s what’s important about that farmer’s story: To change that farmer’s di- rection, to change his destination, he doesn’t have to make a dramatic 180-degree turn. It’s not like a New Year’s resolution where you feel the need to change everything about yourself.
8
The Time Is Right to Change Your Habits
You don’t have to wake up tomorrow morning and start an en- tirely new routine—do yoga and then meditate and then prac- tice gratitude for an hour. Yes, all those things are worthwhile, but all you have to do tomorrow is put yourself in the position of that farmer and turn that wheel a quarter of an inch. Just a tiny shift. If he got up tomorrow and turned that wheel a quarter of an inch, by the time he got out a mile in the field, he wouldn’t even be able to see his old feeding grounds because he would be so far away. Those ruts would be no more, because he’d be carving a new path, a quarter inch at a time. I know that there are other things you could be doing besides reading this book—watching television, going to a sports event, doing chores. But those things are always going to be there. Would you rather change a light bulb or your life? Getting rich isn’t about a magic pill that puts money in your bank account for doing nothing. It’s not about hitting the lotto. It’s not about waiting for someone to do something for you. It’s about chang- ing your habits and your thoughts. And you can start today. As John Paul DeJoria says, “The difference between success- ful people and unsuccessful people is that successful people do the things the unsuccessful people don’t want to do.” I would add that successful people have a core set of habits that propel them. The average person confuses success with luck. But luck has nothing to do with it. Millionaire success habits do. Now let’s look at where you are in your life and where you want to go.
9
Chapter 2
THE FOUNDATION FOR ALL SUCCESS “How fast we can rebound from our failures is a huge determining factor in how quickly we can succeed. When something bad happens we can either sit and find out why it happened or we can step up and find a solution. The faster we can stand up after getting knocked down then the faster we can turn our losses into wins.”
— Lewis Howes, interview with Dean Graziosi
Where the heck are you going? In your life, that is. Many people struggle with this seemingly obvious question. Want to see the evidence of this struggle? During the week, ask five ran- dom people what they don’t want out of life. I can all but guar- antee they’ll have sizeable lists. It will be as if they metaphor- ically lick their fingers, clear their throats as if about to make some life-altering announcement, grab their figurative list, and begin to enumerate the items on it: • I don’t want to stay at the same income level and job I have now. • I don’t want my spouse to nag me about money and time spent at home.
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MILLIONAIRE SUCCESS HABITS
• I don’t want to keep driving this same crappy car for another year.
The “I don’t wants” always flow out easily. So easily, that sometimes they seem like they have been rehearsed! It’s as if people are constantly thinking about them. And why is that? Because they are. So after you ask these people what they don’t want out of life, and they’re ticking off their fifth or sixth item, stop them abruptly, pause for a second, and say, “Okay, I understand what you don’t want out of life. Now let me ask you this, what do you want out of life?” This is where things get interesting. After you ask this question, you’ll see puzzlement followed by a creased brow. They’re starting to think about what you asked. Their reactions will be the polar opposite of the reactions they had when you asked what they don’t want out of life. Many people will respond, “Well, that’s a good question” or “I’ll have to think about that one.” It’s like they’re saying, “I’m in a fast car, I’m driving 100 miles per hour, and I know for sure I don’t want to go to Flori- da, Texas, or Arizona. But I’m not sure where I actually do want to go.” What happens then? You end up nowhere! You end up out of gas and unable to reach your destination because you only know where you don’t want to go. Sounds pretty simple right? Maybe you’re saying, “Oh boy, Dean, is that the grand wisdom you have for me?” Actually, it’s a huge part of it. But you have to wrap your head around what the wisdom really is. Once you understand it, you’ll see why this may be the biggest reason you are holding yourself back from breaking through to the next level. So, let me ask you a question: Do you know anyone who fits this description? Someone who has an easier time expressing what they don’t want out of life than expressing what they do want? Maybe a friend, a relative, or a spouse who goes through life this way? Maybe even someone a little closer to you, that someone you see when you look in the mirror after rolling out of
12
The Foundation for All Success
bed each morning? You see, what’s crazy about today’s society is that everybody is racing around with “Ferrari brains” but no one has her GPS on! And here’s the unfortunate truth for a society like this: It doesn’t matter how fast you can go, it doesn’t matter how much passion you have, and it doesn’t matter how much energy you put into something. If you don’t have a vision and clarity on the destination you want to reach, you’ll simply never get there. The reason I call it a Ferrari brain is because you can buy the most expensive Ferrari in the world and drive as fast as you possibly can, but if don’t know where you’re going, you’ll get nowhere quickly. Would you rather drive a Ferrari off a cliff at 200 miles per hour or drive a Prius to the promised land? In the next section, I’m going to share one of the most im- portant millionaire success habits of them all. It’s a habit that I have shared with my students for the past 20-plus years and a habit I will share until I can’t share anymore! Look, I hope you read this entire book from cover to cover. Getting through this chapter alone will put you ahead of 98 percent of the world— the same 98 percent that is out there running on a treadmill wondering why they aren’t getting where they want to go, or driving in a Ferrari with no GPS and wondering why they just drove into a lake. Here are things I hear far too often: “I need more hours in a day, Dean. I wish I could clone myself or find good help. I never have enough time to do my own business or take my business to the next level, or get a promotion, or make more money.” Most people think they need 36 hours in a day, when in reality they are just lacking a crystal-clear vision of what they want out of their own personal lives. Did Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg have 36 hours in a day on their path to success? If you feel overwhelmed daily because of a lack of time, dis- tractions, or your own procrastination, I would bet you a shiny nickel that you don’t accurately know where you want to go in life. Believe me, it’s the first question I ask all my students, and most scratch their heads as they consider it. When you have no
13
MILLIONAIRE SUCCESS HABITS
idea about your direction, you tend to spend your time doing things that are preventing you from making more money, re- ceiving promotions, seeing your family more, or even just en- joying life at an optimal level. And while you’re doing these things that are in no way serving your future, you’re forced to say no to doing the things that could further your business, your income, and your happiness. On the flip side, when you have a clear vision for your life, you’ll stop wasting time on the things not serving your dreams, goals, or aspirations. Your actions will have purpose and your hours will be spent achieving those goals. Your procrastination will cease because you’ll know with 100 percent certainty what you cannot put off anything until tomorrow. So let’s get your vision dialed in using the habits I’ve learned over time—habits I’ve acquired through my own trial and error, as well as those that I’ve borrowed from other supersuccessful people. Once you develop a vision for yourself, things will become so clear, it will be as if you got a new pair of glasses and realized your old pre- scription was outdated. We all know that setting goals is an extremely important part of success. I believe that Benjamin Franklin was one of the first people ever who documented his goals and knew where he wanted to go in life. But what we are about to go through togeth- er in this chapter transcends the typical “goal-setting” process. Sometimes setting goals is hard when so much around you is noisy, busy, and even scary. But together we are first going to get honest about where you are in life right now. Then I am go- ing to give you a secret tool that will allow you to look into the future to discover your path. After that, we will anchor where you want to go with your true “why.” Then the only thing left is learning how to do it. Fortunately, this entire book is designed to give you the tools, techniques, and, of course, the habits to accomplish the “how.”
14
The Foundation for All Success
WHERE ARE YOU? DON’T LIE Before I ask you to take stock of your life at this moment, let me make a request: be honest. Here, and throughout the book, I’m going to be asking you some tough questions. Don’t try to answer what you think I want to hear or what makes you feel good. This is what most people do without thinking, and though I understand the reflex, I’d like you to think about the importance of being truthful. It is only once we are honest with ourselves that we can move onward and upward to our dreams, aspirations, and desires. So with that thought in mind, let’s start with where you are in your life right this second. What does that mean exactly? What I don’t mean is for you to answer literally— that you’re reading this on your couch or on vacation or in the bathroom. I’m not talking about where you are physically. What I mean is: What situation or situations are you currently experi- encing in your life? Why are you reading this book? Maybe you’re struggling with the feeling of having untapped potential or you fear you’re living just an “okay life” rather than the life of your dreams. Maybe you’re trying to find something that can secure your finances because your back is against the wall and your mortgage and student loans are kicking your backside. Maybe you just want to start something new to help change your life for the better. If you can relate to any of these situations, great. Maybe you’re just getting out of college, or going through college, and you are confused about your future. If so, congrat- ulations for being at this place in your life! Maybe you think it’s time to reinvent yourself completely. Maybe you’re just sick of listening to someone giving you orders at the same mundane job you’ve had for a decade. If so, congratulations! Maybe you’re a business owner who is ready for more profits, ready for that next level, or ready to get the secrets that can catapult you to the next level. If so, I congratulate you for being here as well. I suggested these examples to help you think about your own situation, as well as to reassure you that wherever you’re at in your life, you’re not alone. So dig deep and just be honest
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