“He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have” – Socrates

Although we’d probably prefer not to admit it, a lot of us want to be rich. And there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, I think we should all aim to be rich simply because that means we can live the lives we want to live and give back to others who aren’t so lucky. So, why not try the following:

Set your goal. How much would it take for you to consider yourself rich? It’s amazing how many of us forget to answer this question. Most of us simply say we’d like to have “a lot” or “enough” but never actually define what this means. So sit down and put some concrete numbers to your goals. If you’d like enough to travel the world, find out exactly what that would cost. If you’d like to live in a mansion, call some realtors and find out. You absolutely must have a specific number that you can lock in place. If you don’t know where you’re going, how on earth will you know when you get there?

Have your reasons. I’ve said before that why you want something often comes before how you get it. Spend some time figuring out the motivations behind your goals. Why do you want to live a life of abundance? For me it’s about independence. It’s about being able to go places, do things, see things, and buy the things I want. It’s about having the freedom to enjoy all the little pleasures of life and share those with the people I love. Powerful reasons like that make it a lot easier to stay focused.

“A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.” – Henry David Thoreau

 (To download your completely free copy of the South African or International edition of Work in Progress, right-click and save the relevant link. Then open, enjoy, and repeat as needed.)

“Mathematics may be defined as the subject in which we never know what we are talking about, nor whether what we are saying is true.” - Bertrand Russell

Math is complicated. There’s no denying that when even the professionals find themselves stumped. So, what are we supposed to do? We can’t ignore the problem, especially when mastering this skill is part of the road toward financial knowledge. Fortunately, there are ways of making things easier. Yes, math is complicated, but it really doesn’t have to be hard.

 (To download your completely free copy of the South African or International edition of Work in Progress, right-click and save the relevant link. Then open, enjoy, and repeat as needed.)

“I’d like to live as a poor man with lots of money.” – Pablo Picasso

It’s hard to ignore the current economic climate. Not a day goes by without us being bombarded by talk of depression, recession, meltdown, collapse, cash, crisis, credit, or crunch. And even though it may sound like a tune in disguise, this is no song and dance. We need help. Fortunately, Rich Dad is here to give us just that.

Act Rich

“There is nothing more demoralising than a small but adequate income.” – Edmund Wilson

The secret to getting beyond scarcity is to start beyond it. Feel a sense of abundance right now by living your life as though you were already financially free. Don’t simply aim to be secure or comfortable. Aim to be rich! Make the choice to be rich everyday. Instead of saying, “I can’t afford it,” ask, “How can I afford it?” And watch your spending. Ask yourself, “Is this the way a rich man would spend his money?”

The only way to become rich is by adding more value than anyone else. This is because life is about being generous and helpful. Give for the sake of giving, not to receive something in return. And don’t expect any gratitude! Find a way to gain leverage by serving more and more people. Ask yourself, “What did I do today that added value to the world?”

Get smart

“Gold avoids those unwise in its use.” – George S. Clason

Money without intelligence is soon gone. But if you have education about how money works, you can gain power over it and can begin building real wealth. Don’t invest if you don’t know what you’re doing. Read as many articles about the economy and market as you can. Try The Economist’s Business This Week and Corporate Leadership from their RSS feeds.

Spend time with the right people. Get in touch with business owners, entrepreneurs, investors, and join a network to meet more. Find a mentor you admire and take him or her to lunch. Financial intelligence is no longer purely for the born gifted. We can all learn.

Take action

“Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons.” – Woody Allen

To become rich all you have to do is buy or create assets you love. This enables you to convert earned income into passive and portfolio income as efficiently as possible. Then you must continuously reinvest back into assets. It’s about creating pipelines so you don’t have to keep hauling buckets.

Cast away your fears, doubts, cynicism, and arrogance. Take action! Do something! Do anything! Take risks and remain focused. There is always a chance things won’t work out. Some seeds will grow and some won’t. You must still keep planting them! At the end of the day, you’ll never know unless you try.

(To download your completely free copy of the South African or International edition of Work in Progress, right-click and save the relevant link. Then open, enjoy, and repeat as needed.)