When you are asked about your five-year plan, do you aim high or imagine yourself following the easiest possible plan to just “get by?” In our hearts, sometimes we tell ourselves that we are more than mediocre, but then never make an effort to achieve what we hope for. It takes a lot of work to rise above mediocrity, and even more to make millions along the way. But it ironically starts by simply changing the way you think.
Over time we develop one of two mindsets: either we become okay with staying stagnant, exactly as we are, or we won’t stop until we are our best selves. Maybe you find yourself leaning towards the first mindset, but have some small, innate desire to be more than mediocre. If this is the case, here are a few “mindset changes” to help you rise above the ordinary and the average, to become your best self, and to make some big bucks along the way.
If anyone can make millions, believe that YOU can
Like many things in this life, you first have to have believe before it can become possible. It’s like riding a bike: why would you get on a bike in the first place if you didn’t even believe that you could ever learn to ride it? One of the most cliché pieces of advice we get is, “Believe in yourself,” but perhaps it’s so overused because it rings with truth.
If you truly want to be more, believe that you can be. Believe that people, even you, can change. That no matter where you are at in your life right now, earning a million and more is within your reach. Hope is an empowering feeling, one we too often take for granted.
And then get to work
Belief will take you far, but not all the way. Saying you believe in yourself won’t amount to anything unless you actually get on the bike and start pedaling. And then get back on and keep pedaling even when you fall off.
One of the biggest flaws in our digital age is that we want results as soon as we click a button, but life hardly ever gives us what we want that quickly. Even more rare is when life actually gives you what you want, that is, unless you work for it. Opportunities for greatness aren’t always going to be handed to you, so if you want that greatness, get working for it.
You may be under the impression that your business is going to take off right as it starts. Perhaps it is a good enough idea that it does immediately gain traction and a large following of customers. But even quality business ideas can fail if you don’t put in the effort to keep them alive and thriving. Making millions doesn’t happen overnight. It can, but not often enough. Put in the work now, and years from now, you’ll be amazed at how that work reaped more benefits than you could have imagined.
Don’t be afraid to be you
The people who think differently are the ones who change the world. This can either be for the better or for the worst, but we see time and time again that the ones who own their personal brand and don’t apologize for their different thinking leave their mark. Stubbornness is a weakness if you think yourself not needing to change, but it’s an asset when it’s translated as grit, that resolve to do what you believe is best and to remain you through it all. It’s a strength of character to be yourself. Making millions won’t matter if you lose that goodness within you along the way.
Look for the good, even (and especially) when you mess up
Tearing down pessimism is a good habit even if you don’t want to make millions, but it’s even more important as a business owner. Those who are successful look for opportunities, even in poor or unfavorable situations. If you purposefully look for the bad, then the good passes by unnoticed.
Optimists can get a bad rep for being naive. On the contrary, they are incredibly resilient (a quality that is essential to making millions). Optimists are better able to handle difficulties when they come because they know something positive is just around the corner. They don’t give up, even when it’s so easy to give up when one enterprise fails. But if you look at each mistake or failure as a chance for something better, then suddenly that’s what they become.
Get outside your box
This means more than just having big and creative ideas, although those will also get you far. Getting out of your box requires looking beyond yourself, and realizing you can’t do this alone. You’ll need a well-functioning team once your business grows more and more, but you’ll also need investors, suppliers, customers…if you think earning millions is a one-man job, think again.
The people who make millions know how to network. They look around at a party, not to find the most isolated area to plant themselves for the rest of the evening, but to see who would be the most beneficial to talk to. Who is going to lead to greater investments along the way? Who can help me get to where I can’t get alone? If social skills aren’t your forte, work at improving those, because they lead to huge dividends in the long run. And if you find you’re more self-absorbed then you realized, it’s also time for some major changes.
Share your thoughts below if you would like to add other ways you’ve found to think and act above mediocrity. Although it takes time and continual effort on your part, once you begin thinking like a millionaire, that’s eventually who you become.
Courtesy: Digital Altitude (DA)