20 productive habits of successful people & founders

SHARED. EMMANUEL “MANNY” OMIKUNLE SHARED: BJ MANNYST (BJMANNYST.COM)
20ProductiveHabits
ofSuccessful (and
VeryWealthy)People

20ProductiveHabitsofSuccessful(andVery
Wealthy)People-SharedByMannyofBJ
Mannyst
The vast majority of rich people didn’t get there by accident or luck.
Accumulating wealth [in all forms] requires hard work, dedication, and—most
importantly—maintaining a specific set of habits that foster prosperity. As
Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act,
but a habit.”
If you’re looking to train your focus in work and in life but don’t know where to
get started, these 20 good habits of wealthy people can help illuminate your
path to success.
1.Wakeupearly.

There are plenty of axioms about the benefits of getting up early, and they’ve
remained popular for a reason: Rising early is a powerful path to success.
Millionaires simply do not sleep in – they have too much to accomplish every
day.
Author [Blanked]spent five years studying the lives and habits of rich people
and poor people before writing Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of
Wealthy Individuals. [Blanked] found that 44 percent of wealthy people wake
up three hours before work starts, compared to just 3 percent of poor people.
2.Don’tcheckemailfirstthing.
If wealthy people get up earlier than others, what are they doing with that extra
time? Well, here’s what they’re not doing: checking their email. Many people
believe starting the day with a perusal of the email inbox is productive, but
wealthy folks know there are better things to do with that early morning time.
Some make a habit of meditating or writing in a journal, reading something
educational, or getting a head start on an important project. Some simply have
a healthy breakfast and get some exercise. Generally, wealthy people leave
their inbox for later in the day and don’t make email a top priority.
3.Eathealthy.
Wealthy people value their health and structure their eating habits accordingly.
[Blanked] found that 57 percent of wealthy people count calories every day, as
opposed to 5 percent of poor people. He also found that 70 percent of rich
folks eat fewer than 300 calories of junk food per day, but 97 percent of poor
people eat above that mark.
There are many reasons wealthy people watch what they eat, but the most
significant could very well be to ensure a longer life—and therefore an
extended opportunity to earn more.
4.Exerciseregularly.
Coupled with healthy eating, wealthy people also believe in staying fit by
exercising. Millionaires may be busy people, but they nearly always find time in
their days to work out. In fact, [Blanked] reports that 76 percent of wealthy folks
do aerobic exercise at least four days per week, compared to 23 percent of
poor people.
5.Haveaprimarygoal.
Wealthy people choose a primary life goal and focus on it with laser-like
precision—even if it seems outrageous or unattainable. Everything they do,
every decision they make and action they take, is done with this primary
objective in mind. Intense concentration of this nature is what enables the
wealthy to accomplish what others only dream about. According to [Blanked],

80 percent of wealthy people focus on achieving a single goal, compared to
only 12 percent of poor people.
6.Writedowngoals.
Setting goals is crucial to achieving wealth, but if it were the only requirement
then nearly everyone would be rich. For the wealthy, setting specific goals and
writing them down is a winning habit that works. Of course, broad
objectives—simply wishing to be rich, for example—are not goals. Specific
goal-setting involves planning something tangible, such as earning X amount
by Y time through Z activities.
Successful goals are actionable, and the wealthy are deliberate, dedicated
goal-setters. In fact, [Blanked] states that 62 percent of rich folks focus on their
goals every day, as opposed to 6 percent of poor people—and 67 percent of
the wealthy put those goals in writing.
7.Keepadailyto-dolist.
In order to achieve an overarching goal such as attaining wealth, you need to
accomplish a number of smaller goals that feed into that main objective. For
this reason, the majority of wealthy people create daily to-do lists—81 percent
of them, in fact, compared to 19 percent of poor people. What’s more, [Blanked]
finds that 67 of wealthy folks actually complete 70 percent or more of their
to-do lists every day.
8.Believethattimeismoney.
In general, wealthy people work hard to achieve their goals, to the exclusion of
most other activities. They avoid wasting time on nonproductive things like
social media, and that’s because of their belief that time is money, and time
misspent is money lost. Instead of considering their weekly, monthly, or annual
incomes, the wealthy focus on how much they should be earning every
hour—and how much money they would lose by engaging in tasks that don’t
produce money. This allows them to avoid the time sinks that most
non-wealthy people engage in on a regular basis.
9.Befrugal.
There’s a popular saying that you have to spend money to make money. While
this is true, most non-wealthy people don’t take into account the fact that the
more money you spend, the less you have—and spending more than you earn
does not result in wealth.
Rich people avoid overspending. Just because they could throw down half a
million dollars for a brand new car doesn’t mean they do. The wealthy invest
their time in comparison shopping and negotiation, getting the best deals for

their dollars and saving more money than they spend. They develop
reasonable budgets, and stick to them.
10.Takelonglunches.
Many wealthy people take breaks of an hour or more for lunch. This may seem
to go against the idea that time is money, but the rich also understand how to
work smarter, not harder—and taking breaks is an important part of that. A
long, relaxing midday lunch allows you to refresh yourself, and return to work
ready to put in more productive time.
11.Readalot—butnotforpleasure.
Wealthy people tend to believe in the importance of self-improvement and
continuing education, and they typically turn to reading to fulfill these needs.
[Blanked] states that 86 percent of wealthy people love reading, as opposed to
26 percent of poor people. What they read is just as important as how much:
The rich person’s reading material of choice is nonfiction, usually
self-improvement. 88 percent of wealthy people spend at least 30 minutes
each day reading on that subject.
12.Takecalculatedrisks.
Wealthy people understand that risks lead to rewards, and as a result they’re
more willing to go out on a limb—though they generally take calculated risks,
not reckless ones. Furthermore, the rich know exactly what they stand to lose if
a risk fails to deliver its reward. They are more likely to have contingency plans
in place to minimize potential fallout in the event that things don’t go according
to plan.
13.Networkwithsuccess.
The wealthy understand that in order to be successful, you must surround
yourself with successful people. Networking with other rich people, or people
with the drive and potential to become rich, is crucial for your own success.
[Blanked]finds that 79% of wealthy people spend at least five hours a month
networking—whether it’s at a conference, client event, online webinar, or just
over coffee—while only 16 percent of poor people network consistently. This
allows the wealthy to align their mindsets with others who have achieved
success.
14.Knowwhentostopworking.
Hard work is critical for rich folks, but they also understand the importance of
personal time for relaxation and self-improvement. For this reason, they rarely
burn the midnight oil. Knowing that if you push yourself to continue working

every waking moment, you’re only going to end up exhausted, inefficient, and
unable to produce worthwhile results is essential to success. The wealthy
typically walk away from work by 5 p.m. or 6 p.m., and don’t return to it until the
next morning, according to Inc.
15.Giveback.
Charity and philanthropy are hallmarks of the wealthy. Those who are rich and
successful tend to be generous with their wealth. Examples throughout history
support this—from Nelson Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie, to Carlos Slim
and Bill Gates.
Giving back to the community and improving the world is an important
characteristic for the wealthy.
16.Avoidtelevision.
According to [Blanked], 67 percent of rich people watch television for one hour
or less per day, while only 23 percent of poor people limit their TV intake. They
also generally avoid reality shows—only 6 percent of the wealthy watch them,
compared to 78 percent of the non-wealthy. Rich folks simply choose more
productive ways to spend their time.
17.Avoidgambling.
Winning the lottery would make anyone instantly rich. For the most part,
though, the wealthy don’t believe in luck. Instead, they believe that actions and
habits create the opportunity for luck.
That’s why only 6 percent of rich people play the lottery regularly, compared to
77 percent of poor people. Wealthy people believe you have to create your
own luck through focus and hard work.
18.Controlemotions.
There’s a general assumption that wealthy people can afford to be honest and
blunt, but the rich understand that not every thought or emotion should be
aired. Good relationships are a crucial foundation for financial success—and
speaking your mind can damage those relationships. Only 6 percent of the
wealthy say what they’re thinking regularly, compared to 69 percent of poor
people.
19.Listenmoreandtalkless.
Effective communication is another critical skill for the wealthy, and listening is
an essential part of it. In general, rich people spend five minutes listening for
each minute they speak. This enables them to truly understand where others

are coming from,and to facilitate conversations that further relationships and
foster success.
20.Don’tretire.
While the wealthy may have extensive savings and vast retirement portfolios,
they generally have no intention of retiring—or at least, not as early as others.
According to a Gallup poll, the average retirement age for Americans is 61, but
the majority of wealthy people don’t plan to retire until at least 70—not because
they have to keep working, but because they want to.
The longer you continue to work, the more money you can make. The drive to
stay healthy is connected to this goal. Rich people often choose not to retire,
and since the majority enjoy what they do, the idea of continuing to work is
both welcome and comforting.
FinalWord
Money doesn’t solve every problem, but it’s often a sign of passion, capability,
and drive in those who have acquired it. Try incorporating these strategies into
your daily living and working routines, and put yourself in a position to increase
your own riches, both in money and in life.
***This article was originally published by a different writer and we are just
sharing it. Awesome founders should also check out
www.foundersunder40.com

20 productive habits of successful people & founders

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