I was interested to read this at entrepreneur.com recently.
Thomas Corley spent five years studying the lives of both rich people (defined as having an annual income of $160,000 or more and a liquid net worth of $3.2 million or more) and poor people (defined as having an annual income of $35,000 or less and a liquid net worth of $5,000 or less). Among the many things he discovered were nine particular behaviours that rich people exhibit but poor people don't.
Of course, you have to take all such data with a pinch of salt but it makes interesting reading nonetheless.
1. Rich people always keep their goals in sight.
Rich people who agree: 62%
Poor people who agree: 6%
Not only do wealthy people set annual and monthly goals, but 67% 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." A goal is only a goal, he says, if it has two things: It's achievable, and there's a physical action you can take to pursue it.
2. And they know what needs to be done today.
Rich people who agree: 81%
Poor people who agree: 19%
Not only do the wealthy keep to-do lists, but 67% of them complete 70% or more of those listed tasks each day.
3. They don't watch TV.
Rich people who agree: 67%
Poor people who agree: 23%
Similarly, only 6% of the wealthy watch reality shows, compared to 78% of the poor. "The common variable among the wealthy is how they make productive use of their time," explains Corley. "They 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 behavior — reading."
4. They read … but not for fun.
Rich people who agree: 86%
Poor people who agree: 26%
Sure, rich people love reading, but they favor nonfiction — in particular, self-improvement books. "The rich are voracious readers on how to improve themselves," says Corley. In fact, 88% of them read for self-improvement for 30 minutes each day, compared to 2% of poor people.
5. Plus, they're big into audio books.
Rich people who agree: 63%
Poor people who agree: 5%
Even if you aren't into audiobooks, you can make the most of your commute with any of these commute-friendly self-improvement activities.
6. They make a point of going above and beyond at the office.
Rich people who agree: 81%
Poor people who agree: 17%
It's worth noting that while 86% of rich people (compared to 43% of poor) work an average of 50 or more hours a week, only 6% of the wealthy people surveyed found themselves unhappy because of work.
7. They aren't hoping to win the jackpot.
Rich people who agree: 6%
Poor people who agree: 77%
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. "People like this aren't afraid to take risks."
8. They watch their waistline.
Rich people who agree: 57%
Poor people who agree: 5%
Wealthy people value their health, says Corley. "One of the individuals in my study was about 68 and worth about $78 million. 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.' If he can extend his career four to five years beyond everyone else, that's about $7 million for him."
9. And they take care of their smiles.
Rich people who agree: 62%
Poor people who agree: 16%
Oh well. 7/9. Must try harder.