Happiness follows when you provide for yourself. Basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing all cost money; and your guess is as good as anyone else if they can be obtained otherwise. Would you happier with them or without them?

The point is not to have a minimum standard of life, making do with just the bare essentials. It is to have a comfortable standard of living.

“Money doesn’t make you happy. I now have $50 million but I was just as happy when I had $48 million.”
-Arnold Schwarzenegger                                                                                    

There are a lot of things we can learn along the way.

Recognise that YOU are the most important financial asset

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It isn’t what you have or what you don’t have that matters – it is what you do with what you have or what you don’t have that is important.

You could have a degree from Stanford, but that doesn’t mean it will get you a great job to earn money – there are several stories of unemployed Stanford graduates (the unemployment rate is actually 3% for those with degrees from the #1 university in the world).

Or you could have no degree at all. Bill Gates made it big without an education or work experience, because he believed in himself.

Invest in yourself, constantly learning, developing skills and making smart career choices

Find something that interests you. And then focus on improving yourself in whichever way you can.

Every step you take gets you closer to your goal of becoming financially successful. It can be more important than saving money, because inflation will guarantee that your wages remain the same while costs go up – making the amount you save from your income lesser and lesser every year.

The only way to beat the cycle is to ensure that your income increases every year, and stays ahead of the curve. This can happen when you continually strive towards a better version of YOU.

Take calculated risks.

This minimises your risk of failure, but there is still an element of risk involved.

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If you never try something out, how will you know whether you are going to be successful or not in that endeavour? Seize the opportunity – for seldom does it appear twice. If everything seems good, go for it!

Set goals

This is an essential part of your journey.

You need to set personal milestones, so that when you achieve them, you can be can be assured that you are on your way to even more success in the future.

Attaining these goals also results in a sense of self-accomplishment, which inspires you to go out and be more successful.

Three things you need to do to get started

1. Ask yourself, “What is it that I want to do with my life which will give me happiness?”
2. “How can I get there?” Make an actionable to-do list, a roadmap for the years ahead of you.
3. Start today. There is no time like the present. As long as you keep putting it off for another day, you delay financial success coming your way.

Questions you need to ask about your business

1. Will it keep me happy for the long haul?
   

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   If it doesn’t bring you happiness now, the chances of that happening later are slim. Unless you are happy, you cannot dedicate yourself whole-heartedly to your business, and that is a prerequisite for success.

2. Is it making me enough money? If not, will it make me enough money in the next 6-8 months for me to be financially successful?
   This is important. Every business exists to make money. The only question is how much. If it doesn’t generate enough income for you to lead a comfortable life, perhaps you should be looking doing things differently.
3. What would I do differently?
   This is where the process of self-improvement starts. There are always faster, better ways of doing things, and these needn’t be expensive. Successful companies are always figuring out how to improve their performance. They rarely do things the same way six months later – that is how committed to excellence they are.