“My Favorite Half-Dozen Rich Habits” By Darren Hardy

Last week I shared with you the two Money Making Rules that I live and thrive by.
To continue our theme of wealth, I’ve picked my favorite half-dozen rich habits.

Now let’s create a 30 day Get Rich Campaign:

Just for 30 days, exercise the habits of a rich person.
Just 30, after that you can go back to poor habits if you like, but only for 30… until the next issue of SUCCESS magazine hits your mailbox, try on these habits.

You in?

Okay… the first habit is:

#1: 80% of rich people have long-term goals. While only 12% of poor people do.

So this one should be easy.
You should already have long-term goals.

But I am always amazed when I ask someone if they have long-term goals, and they say “oh ya sure!” then I ask to see where they have written them down… and that is when things get uncomfortable.

So number one, be sure you have clearly defined, long-term goals… and that they are written down. The next time we cross paths I just might ask to see them… so be ready!

#2: 88% of rich people spend 30min or more reading to learn vs. 0% for poor people.

Look, it’s so easy to separate yourself from the herd of mediocrity.
I mean really. In 30 minutes a day, doing what… digging ditches, cliff diving, swimming with sharks? No. In 30 minutes of reading a day you can join the ranks of the rich.

So how much time each day do you… spend reading a book related to success and achievement?

This also coincides with this stat:
85% of rich people read 2 or more books per month.

If you read for 30 minutes a day, you’d read two books a month.
It’s really that easy.

So for the next month, probably first thing in the morning, read something instructional, inspiring and related to your success for 30 minutes each morning.
Put this habit on a sheet and track that you do it each morning.

#3: 63% of rich people listen to audio books/programs while commuting, exercising or working around the house. While only 5% of poor people do.

So now, every morning and anytime your car is moving for the next 30 days, play success oriented CDs (like the ones you find in each issue of SUCCESS).

Even if you listen to the same program over and over it will continue to elevate your mind, stir your creativity and keep it positive and abundance seeking. You get extra credit if you also do this while you jog, cycle, walk your dogs, garden or work around your house.

#4: 67% of rich people watch less than an hour of TV each day. 77% of poor people watch more than an hour.

TV is the great Bermuda Triangle of productivity, hopes, dreams and ambition.
It’s the place all those values go and are never heard from again.
It’s a black hole, a vortex… and it sucks the time and energy of your life right away.

While it’s fine to have some entertainment and R&R, be very, very careful as it can easily suck you in and crush several hours of your life every day.

This is also something that Brian Tracy taught me in his E:E Ratio.
What separates the 5% who are wealthy and the 95% who are not?

The 95% spend their spare time on entertainment.
The 5% spend a majority of their spare time on education.

This is the great divide between the Have’s and the Have Not’s.
And I’m not saying you don’t ever have any entertainment.
Of course not.
Everything in moderation.
And entertainment’s ok, in small doses.

Hey, just for the next 30 days restrict yourself to less than an hour a day.
Not to worry, you can go back to poor people habits later.

Just 30 days.
Can you do it?
Test yourself.

#5: 89% of rich people sleep 7 hours or more each night.

This too is a big one.
I am surprised how many struggle with this one.

Arianna Huffington wrote an entire book about the PRODUCTIVE benefits of sleep as her key to success. I discussed how sleep was her single most effective productivity trick in my previous blog post on WOW Productivity.

When I asked Dr. Oz the most important factor to anti-aging, vitality and good health his #1 answer was SLEEP.

So for the next 30 days, schedule and give yourself permission to sleep AT LEAST 7 hours per night. You just might be amazed at how your life will change over the next 30 days because of it.

I have found many people are sleep deprived, and they don’t even know it.
When they force themselves to plan and stick to a sleep plan, they cannot believe what it was like to live alive versus as a zombie.

And your sixth and final 30-day challenge rich habit is this:

#6. 76% of rich people exercise at least 30min 4X/wk.

By the way, this will help you with #5.
A lot of times the reason why people don’t sleep well or long enough is because their body is not tired enough. Oh sure your mind, emotions and adrenals might be tired as all get out, but if your body isn’t exhausted and ready to rest, it will keep you up tossing and turning and waking up still mentally exhausted.

So for the next 30 days, stick to a disciplined and rigorous, AT LEAST 4X/wk exercise plan. I’d say bump it up to an hour, or at least 45minutes.

But if you can’t do that then at least do the 30 minutes 4X/wk.
You can always find 30 minutes no matter how busy you are, where you are or what you have access to.

There you have it, your 30-Day Rich Habit Challenge:
1) Clarify and write down your long-term goals.
2) Read success materials for 30 minutes a day.
3) Listen to success materials while you drive or are mobile.
4) Less than an hour of TV a day.
5) More than 7 hours of sleep a day.
6) More than 30 minutes of vigorous exercise (not walking) 4X/wk.

Easy, no problem, you can do this.
But you have to actually DO this… not just listen, say to yourself, that was interesting, then go back to your, let’s just say less than rich habits.

You in?

Tell me you are by telling us in the comments below. Tell us which habit you are going to have the easiest time with and the one you will have the hardest time with. I’d be interested in your thoughts.

Oh and PS… you probably saw the teaser page in the print edition of SUCCESS Magazine, but coming in November will be the release of my new book titled:

The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster—Why Now is the Time To #JoinTheRide

I’ve been working on it for over a year and I am really really excited about it.
The main purpose of the book is to help onboard 10 million more entrepreneurs.
You see most new entrepreneurs fail because they are unprepared for the emotional roller coaster they will experience.

So this book warns, prepares and equips them to be emotionally bullet proof.
It also teaches them the essential skills for entrepreneurial success: sales, recruiting (top talent), leadership (culture of performance) and personal productivity.

I think you are going to really love it, but even more importantly I think it is going to encourage many more people to make the leap into entrepreneurship… and not only survive now, but thrive. We’ll be releasing more information soon, but be on the lookout—it’s going to be a fun ride!