Listen to Reason
I am convinced that you can listen to reason to build a better mindset for money. Why do I say that?
There are many who are willing to share good reasoning, why they learned to live better than most. And, usually, it was because they listened to someone, a mentor, or some other voice of reason.
Jim Rohn was one such person. He was given considerable good advice by his mentor, Mr. Earl Schoaff, with whom he worked during his mid-to-late twenties. One key point of advice that Jim took in was, “Guard the door to your mind.” Essentially, he learned that what you hear and read needs to be filtered with reason. He learned “to be a student, not a follower.”
Why Self-Education Is Important
Basic education will help you make a basic living. However, the lessons taught by the successful and wealthy are not included in your basic education. Those things you must learn on your own. There are a wide range of media available to glean that information. However, the greatest detail comes through books.
Jim Rohn often referred to his mentor telling him about making reading a very important part of his life. In fact, it was so important that he must build a reference library for his home. Jim was taught that you can tell how successful a person is by his library.
The habit of daily reading is so beneficial to your self-education. By reading just 30 minutes to an hour per day, you should be able to read at least one book per month. The benefits will build faster in applicable skills learned if you read specific books for a reason not just for fun—although fun reading is important, too. Purposeful reading that gives you business insights, relationship insights, and spiritual insights will accrue greatly over time, depending on consistent effort.
Bargains on eBay
“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” That reflects the success of eBay.
Consider this: There are a great many useful and important books for your reading that others bought but never used. They are cheap compared to buying new! (On eBay!) What is your excuse for not building a library for added skills that could translate into better-paying jobs, insight for better investments, or building stronger relationships?
Jim Rohn noted, “What you don’t know will hurt you. And ignorance is not bliss.” This is important to your future!
His mentor, Mr. Schoaff, suggested reading the Bible—a lot of success and failure stories and lessons on faith. Then, he told him about Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, which covers a lot of good habits for building wealth.
There are many, many more books to consider reading. You can never read too many books. However, you can read too few books and cause yourself to be ill-prepared for the opportunities that will come your way!
As you consider what to read, I should note that Jim was told to read about both good and bad. Understand their reasoning. Then, make up your own mind about what will be useful to you and your future.
Be Sought Out for What You Know
If you read and apply what you learn, many will seek you out for what you know. Jim Rohn followed this habit of self-education and became a sought-after speaker and businessman. His range of influence became international.
I realize you may not want that kind of fame. However, I do think you would enjoy the business possibilities that can come with extensive knowledge.
It May Take Some Time
Be patient but have intent. Set some goals.
Setting goals can make your prize for the future clear. Then, the price you pay in time and energy becomes easy. That paraphrase came from Mr. Rohn, as well.
Your effort will affect the time it takes to get there. Some things are harder to learn than others. But they can be learned. Let your natural talents and a lot of prayer lead you to what you will find most enjoyable and most rewarding to you.
Reflect as You Grow
Growth in understanding comes from gathering facts and reflecting on them. So, you might consider keeping a journal of what you find as being important to leave a trail to reflect on that.
Your reading will help you see things through the eyes of others with a wider variety of experiences than you. You can learn about various procedures, how to develop skills, how to get stronger, how to stay healthy, and how to avoid the mistakes that so many of us have made.
And, as related to building a better mindset for money, you can learn how to build savings, live on less than you earn, and how to invest for a brighter future!
Be the Guard
Think about that. If you do not evaluate what goes into your mind to influence your life—good or bad—then, who will?
Whose goals are you working on?
What are you becoming in your job?
Jim Rohn’s mentor, Mr. Schoaff, also noted that “you should work harder on yourself than you do your job.” Your future depends on just that. You have a choice to be successful or not.
What or who will you allow to influence your habits—what you think, what you eat, what you learn, what you do for exercise, etc.?
Are you good at just going along and doing what everyone else does? Do you find yourself making a lot of excuses, like I used to do?
Excuses are expressions of being too lazy to make changes that could improve your life. There are no excuses for not knowing what to do.
Be the guard! Make the changes you need to make. Learn what you need to learn. “Form new habits and become their slave.” (From the Ten Scrolls in The Greatest Salesman in the World, by Og Mandino.)
See, reading offers many little pearls of wisdom!