Why Bad Things Happen

Do bad things happen to you?

How often?

Seldom, occasionally, more than occasionally, all the time?

If bad things are a part of life for you, it’s time for some serious introspection.

We are creatures of habit.

That means we do things without consciously being aware that we’re doing them.

When life goes wrong too often, that’s a red flag that your repetitive behaviour, thinking and choices, also known as habits, are to blame.

Relationship Problems

Relationships are the currency of the wealthy.

Wealthy people build strong, powerful and lasting relationships with upbeat, optimistic, enthusiastic, can-do people.

If you’re having relationship problems, there are two main causes:

#1 Your Relationships Are Toxic

You have surrounded yourself with toxic people.

Toxic people have Toxic Traits that throw wrenches into our lives and those Toxic Traits eventually become intolerable:

• They constantly complain
• They constantly criticize
• They are negative
• They are pessimistic
• They are an endless search for problems
• They struggle financially
• Their lives are filled with drama
• They have addictions

#2 You Are Toxic

You possess Toxic Traits and those Toxic Traits eventually become intolerable to others, destroying or impairing your relationships.

Job Problems

Wealthy people make themselves Unfireable.

They do this in three ways:

#1 They Become Virtuosos

Every day they invest in themselves by growing their knowledge and perfecting their skills via daily practice.

This transforms them into Virtuosos, experts in some particular niche.

And because they are Virtuosos, they are indispensable to their employer or customers.

Those who struggle to keep a job have not invested the time in improving their knowledge or developing superior skills.

As a result, they are expendable, and among the first to be fired.

#2 They Are Likeable

Successful, wealthy people are likeable.

People want to work with them and do business with them.

As a result, they have strong relationships with the people who matter the most – superiors and customers.

Those who struggle to keep a job may be victims of their own lack of likeability.

#3 They Build Relationships With Decision-Makers

Wealthy people work hard to build strong, powerful relationships with decision-makers.

They talk to them regularly, they make an effort to learn more about their lives and their interests and they do whatever they can to help make their job easier.

They acknowledge birthdays and life events.

Money Problems

There are essentially three ways to create wealth:

1. Save/Invest – These millionaires reduce their standard of living in order to live off 80% or less of their income. Then they prudently invest that 20% prudently, every year, for many years.
2. Become a Virtuoso – These millionaires either have a unique knowledge-based expertise or developed some expert skills that set them apart from their competition. As a result, they are able to charge a premium for their products or services or are able to rise up the corporate ladder and become beneficiaries of wealth-building stock-based compensation.
3. Entrepreneurship – These millionaires pursue a dream and keep pursuing that dream until they succeed.

If you’re struggling financially, it is most likely because you are living beyond your means.

You could be living beyond your means because you don’t earn enough to meet your living expenses or you make a good living but spend too much money.

Health Problems

The wealthy in my Rich Habits Study habitualized good health.

They did this a number of ways:

• Eating Healthy
• Daily Aerobic Exercise – Aerobic exercise has five important benefits:
  1. Improves Mental Functioning
  2. Improves Health
  3. Boosts the Immune System Which Helps Prevents Disease
  4. Reduces the Effects of Chronic Stress
  5. Makes Us Feel Happier

• Sleeping 8 Hours a Night – There are many benefits to a good night’s sleep:
  1. Sleep Repairs Cell Damage
  2. Sleep Creates Memories
  3. Sleep Clears Out Waste Material Within Each Cell
  4. Sleep Helps Grow & Repair Muscles
  5. Sleep Erases Bad or Unimportant Memories
  6. Sleep Grows & Distributes New Brain Cells
  7. Sleep Restores Willpower
  8. Sleep Reduces Inflammation and Helps You Think Clearer
  9. Sleep Cleans Brain Cells

If you want to get off the problem treadmill, you have to make yourself aware of the habits that are causing those problems.

Self-awareness is always the starting point of change.

About Tom Corley Tom is a CPA, CFP and heads one of the top financial firms in New Jersey. For 5 years, Tom observed and documented the daily activities of wealthy people and people living in poverty and his research he identified over 200 daily activities that separated the “haves” from the “have nots” which culminated in his #1 bestselling book, Rich Habits – The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals. Visit the website: www.richhabits.net