Humans seem to have a need to make things overly complicated. I’m not surprised by this tendency, because if we don’t understand something, it is easy to assume that it must be complicated. It sometimes takes a great mind to reduce the complexity of reality to simple concepts. The problem is that it is all too easy to get distracted by unnecessary details. Sometimes we don’t appreciate the amazing power of simple concepts that are sitting right in front of us. I have always had an intense curiosity about what makes successful people great at what they do, and the one thing that appears to be consistent is that the great ones focus on the fundamentals far more intensely than everyone else.
“Simplicity is the key to brilliance.”
– Bruce Lee –
The Worst Kept Secret to Getting Rich
The secret to getting rich is no secret. I didn’t think it up. You may already know it or have heard it said before. The strategy for getting rich is so amazingly simple that we might not truly appreciate its power. The strategy is simply this:
Spend less than you earn, and invest the difference wisely.
That’s it. You don’t have to pin your hopes on winning the lottery. You don’t need to work extreme hours. You don’t have to be an entrepreneur. And you certainly don’t need to buy some huckster’s get-rich-quick scheme, which will make someone rich, but it won’t be you.
“A little simplification would be the first step toward rational living, I think.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt –
If it’s that simple, why doesn’t everyone get rich? The reason is because success is simple, but it isn’t easy. It requires focus, discipline, and patience. Your brain is an expert at convincing you to spend everything you earn. It will reassure you that you will begin saving and investing just as soon as [Insert favorite excuse here].
What Are Your Favorite Excuses?
Do you tell yourself that you don’t make enough money to save and become rich? Tell that to Paul Navone, a millionaire who has never earned more than $11 an hour and donated $2 million to two schools in New Jersey. His example is a little extreme, but it is a great example of spending less than you earn and investing the difference wisely. Do you tell yourself that you are going to start saving in the near future just as soon as such-and-such happens? Do you really believe that? How many times have you told yourself this in the past? Do you tell yourself that you don’t know how to invest but you plan on learning any day now? Then read my post Beat the Pros by Being a “Know-Nothing Investor” and get started today!
“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”
– Benjamin Franklin –
The human brain is an excellent excuse-generating machine. Don’t let it get in the way of your success.
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