I spoke to a multi-millionaire content creator, who knows other millionaires, and here’s the advice he gave me.
One of the keys to financial freedom is to surround yourself with like-minded people. If you’re looking to break out of the rat race, people around you, even those closest to you won’t understand you or your journey.
So I take my advice from those who already have what I want and have got to where I want to be.
I’m going to give you an insight into what makes millionaires, millionaires. You can apply this advice to almost every aspect of life.
Not Everyone Deserves a Say
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but not everyone deserves a say.
There are certain topics people know a lot about, and there are other things they know nothing about. I know a good amount about making money online, but I don’t know much about fixing a car, besides the basics.
If someone brought up the topic of car repairs and asked for my opinion, I’d tell them I don’t know enough about it to make a comment.
This applies to your parents, your friends, and other members of your family. The people closest to us feel especially entitled to make a judgment or have a ‘say’ about something we’re doing. Most of the time, it’s about business.
If you want to start a business venture, most of them will tell you it’s pointless, or that you’re wasting your time because ‘people like us’ don’t make it. My father’s favorite saying was that I have ‘delusions of grandeur’. He’d tell me to get a 9 to 5 job and stick to it.
I’ve proved him wrong, but the point here is that my father was in a 9 to 5 job and lived paycheck to paycheck. He knew stuff about other things, such as his career, but he definitely didn’t know anything about being rich. That caused some self-doubt for me, and it put my mission at the back of my mind for years.
Don’t let people’s judgements of your journey, cloud that inner motivation or direction you have for your life. Let them have their opinions, there’s nothing you can do to stop that but do not let them have a say in how your life should go. If that person isn’t successful in the way you’re trying to be, who are they to tell you what to do?
Become a Morning Person
The morning always sets the tone for the rest of the day. If you sleep in and waste your morning, the rest of your day’s going to go crap.
Most millionaires wake up when it feels right for them. Some wake up at 6am, others at 8am, and some wake up at 10am. But they’re already millionaires.
You need to find a time that works for you, but it has to work for you. Don’t just go by what your body is telling you, in other words, if you feel tired when you need to wake up, don’t go back to sleep. Chances are you went to bed late last night, so you’ll have to force your body to change its internal clock or Circadian Rhythm. I’m talking about a wake-up time where you can all your tasks done.
If you’re super efficient and productive, and you only need 4 hours to check off all the items on your to-do list, then wake up at 10 a.m. if you want. Always keep in mind that what you see the rich doing on social media, they do because they’re already rich. You’re not there yet so it’s going to be hard work and early mornings.
I wake up at 8am and that works for me. I manage to get to the gym and have all my tasks done plus more, and it gives me time to chill and watch a movie at night.
The Less You Talk, The More People Listen
Sometimes we get a little over-excited and we feel the need to fill a silence or share every opinion or thought with the people we’re with.
The less you talk, the fewer mistakes you’re going to make and the less trouble you’ll get yourself into.
If you’ve ever spoken to a millionaire in a social setting (I have), they’ll usually let you lead a conversation, and they nod away. I’m a talker, but after hearing what they have to say about talking less, I’m working on that.
They’ll analyze what you’re saying and listen to you. They don’t do it in a ‘secret society/macho man/boss woman’ kind of way. It’s simply to get other people’s opinions and it allows them to judge the character they’re speaking to.
By doing so, they can take a deeper dive into the mindset of others, and it gives them a more holistic view of the topic of discussion.
If you feel you can add value to the conversation beyond just noise, then share it with the group. Otherwise, if you’re in doubt, or aren’t 100% sure as to what’s being said, then nod away and listen so you can understand. By talking less, people will know that when you do actually talk, it’s going to provide value, so they’ll listen to you carefully.
Do As Successful People Did, Not As They Do
Most ‘financial gurus’ will tell you to do it the other way around, but this millionaire says it’s absolutely wrong. Here’s why.
Social media content creators are probably the worst when it comes to this.
They’ll look at other people with millions of followers, millions of views, monthly revenue of $20,000+, brand sponsorship deals, paid advertisements, etc. They’ll then do exactly what that content creator is doing, and expect the same success.
What you need to remember, and this is important, is that those successful people you’re looking at, have been in the game for years. You can not do, what they are doing years down the line, whilst you’re starting out.
What you should do instead, is look back at how they started, and the steps they took to get to the next levels.
Mr Beast’s YouTube Journey
At the start of his YouTube career, Mr. Beast created videos with his webcam at home, in his bedroom. This allowed him to build a personal brand and a closeness to his viewers. He’d optimize his YouTube description for keywords, along with his title.
He then bought some video camera equipment and started recording more complex videos. Following that, he kept stepping it up until now, where he has millions of dollars at his disposal, and a huge team behind him to create great videos that resonate with his fans. He’s set up his own charity, Mr. Beast Burgers, and other business ventures.
If you’re starting out, and you do as he is doing, you’ll fail. You can go out there and spend money to create a video like his, but people don’t know who you are. It’s Mr. Beast’s early webcam videos that built his loyal following, Where’s your loyal following?
Mr. Beast doesn’t use keywords in his video descriptions anymore, and his titles are usually a few words that no one would search for. If you do that, who’s going to find your videos? They don’t have a clue who you are?
You could start your own burger chain like he has, but why would people buy burgers from you? They don’t know anything about you, so why should they trust you? Which stores are going to allow you to set up the burger store in them? Where are you going to get the money from to keep it up?
Don’t look at successful people and try to emulate their success by doing what they’re doing now in their 10th year of business. It doesn’t make any sense and it won’t work. Instead, look at how they started and always keep in mind, that you’re in year 1 of your business. They’re likely in their 10th.
Very rarely do people become successful overnight, and 99% of those who do, have tried for years to become successful before they get it right.
Keep Your Circle Small
You might be a popular person, and a lot of people may know who you are, but those people in your actual circle, those who are closest to you and whom you consider friends, keep them to a minimum.
There are only a few people that will truly understand your journey. Most will try to bring you down if they don’t get it, or if they don’t have the same hunger for success.
Be polite, be friendly, and network with people, but don’t confide in everyone. The saying ‘Loose lips sink ships’ actually has a foundation here. If you confide in everyone you meet, they’ll spread your secrets, your ventures, and your plans with everyone they know, and eventually, it’ll come back to bite you.
Today’s society is a selfish society. Don’t automatically give people your trust, let them earn it.
Final Thought
If you want to become financially free, there are no better people to take advice from than those who have already achieved what you want. I spoke to a millionaire, who keeps millionaire friends and this is what he’s learned on his own journey and from other successful entrepreneurs.
Talk less, listen more, know that not everyone deserves a say in your life, and give yourself more hours in the day by getting up earlier. Don’t compare yourself to successful people because they’ve spent years perfecting their craft and ultimately, keep your circle small to protect yourself and your journey.
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