Eight things wealthy people do differently every day

Eight things wealthy people do differently every day

Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are some of the world's richest billionaires.

What you do today matters. In fact, your daily habits may be a major determinant of your wealth. "The metaphor I like is the avalanche," says Thomas Corley, the author of Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits Of Wealthy Individuals. "These habits are like snowflakes — they build up, and then you have an avalanche of success." Corley spent five years studying the lives of both rich people and poor people where he managed to segment out what he calls "rich habits" and "poverty habits". So what are those rich habits that are so influential? Here are a few:

Rich people always keep their goals in sight

Not only do wealthy people set annual and monthly goals, but 67 per cent of them put those goals in writing. "It blew me away," says Corley. "I thought a goal was a broad objective, but the wealthy said a wish is not a goal."

And they know what needs to be done today

Not only do the wealthy keep to-do lists, but 67 per cent of them complete 70 per cent or more of those listed tasks each day.

They don't watch TV

Similarly, only 6 per cent of the wealthy watch reality shows, compared to 78 per cent of the poor. "The common variable among the wealthy is how they make productive use of their time," explains Corley. "The wealthy are not avoiding watching TV because they have some superior human discipline or willpower. They just don't think about watching much TV because they are engaged in some other habitual daily behaviour — reading."


They read...but not for fun

Sure, rich people love reading, but they favour non fiction — in particular, self-improvement books. "The rich are voracious readers on how to improve themselves," says Corley. In fact, 88 per cent of them read for self-improvement for 30 minutes each day, compared to 2 per cent of poor people.

Plus, they're big into audio books

Around 63 per cent of the rich people surveyed said that they listened to audiobooks to make the most of their commute.

They make a point of going above and beyond at the office

It's worth noting that while 86 per cent of rich people work an average of 50 or more hours a week, only 6 per cent of the wealthy people surveyed found them- selves unhappy because of work.

They aren't hoping to win the jackpot

That's not to say that the wealthy are always playing it safe with their money. "Most of these people were business owners who put their own money on the table and took financial risks," explains Corley.

They watch their waistline

Wealthy people value their health, says Corley. "One of the individuals in my study was about 68 and worth about $78 million (Rs 468 crore). I asked why he didn't retire, and he looked at me like I was from Mars. He said, 'I've spent the last 45 years exercising every single day and watching what I eat because I knew the end of my career would be my biggest earning years.'".