Lewis Howes

When I was younger, I had no idea how to make money. I knew I wanted as much of it as possible over a short time, but I didn’t know what it took to achieve that goal. And what held me back the most was my mindset around money — I didn’t know about the strategies I could use to create a life aligned with who I wanted to be.

It’s not the pursuit of money but the fear of money that keeps us back. There is a prevailing sense of taboo regarding talking about money or planning your long-term wealth. Money is often discussed in hushed whispers, which is not the right approach. It’s time to bring it out of the bubble, discuss it openly, and share as much knowledge and ideas for well-rounded growth as we can.

Wondering where to begin? It’s simple — all things are achievable in the world if you master the correct habits. If you ask someone successful how they reached where they are, they are most likely to tell you the habits that worked for them. Your finances may be all over the place right now, but if you start taking the proper steps, you can turn your fate around pretty quickly. 

And that’s what excites me the most about today’s episode of The School of Greatness, where I will be opening up about the things that I have learned. I’m sharing all about the good investments, the bad investments, and the mindset that has helped me throughout this entire process around money. And of course, I will be introducing you to some of the millionaire habits that changed my life. Let’s get into it —

Overcoming the Fear of Money

When I think about what shifted in my life that helped me go from being broke to actually having money, the biggest thing for me was overcoming the fear of money. I didn’t understand money initially, as my parents were paying for things, be it food, rent, or any other expense. I didn’t know anything about the language around money, about accounting, saving, or investing. I was so afraid to talk about it and wanted to run away from any conversation around it. 

If you don’t understand money and don’t have a sense of peace when you hear or talk about money, or when money is in your hands, and if you constantly feel afraid, then how will you control and handle it? To get over my hesitancy, I found a few things that were very helpful for me, and which I would now recommend to you:

Number one is to surround yourself with people who have more money than you. Usually, when you are around people who have it, you can start finding out and learning about what it is that they are doing differently. One way of doing that is by asking questions. 

Number two would be to talk about it constantly because if you start talking about money, it stops being scary, and you can have more peace of mind. If you resist something or do not talk about it, then the process will be much more challenging.

Number three would be to read and learn about it. Money is a language because of the terminology and the way people communicate about it. I consumed a lot of books, listened to a lot of podcasts, and watched a lot of TV just to try and learn from the people who were making money and to hear their language.

Number four is to be patient and be prepared for the money. I remember the time when I was lost and overwhelmed with the stress of not having enough to pay for things. That’s when my mentor, Chris Hawker, said to me, “Money comes to you when you are ready.” This means that you have to be prepared for money to come by learning and talking about it before it comes to you.

Number five would be learning how to earn it, spend it, and invest it, along with a gradual shift in mindset. When you start attracting money, it’s going to be hard for you to utilize it well, but if you start learning about investments and the best way to spend your money, you will have taken a very practical step toward a life of abundance.

The Best Investments of My Life

My best investments have always been in myself and my business. I have invested in building teams and making tools for them and in software to automate things within the team — these have always been an excellent investment. Putting back into the business is always rewarding because it allows you to reach out to more people.

That being said, I also invest back into myself. Health takes the forefront in this, because without health, it is hard to build wealth. As long as you are unhealthy, your entire energy is focused on getting better, and you don’t have the time or energy to focus on building wealth. . But when your health is on track, you can boost your skills because you are in a position to get in touch with even more people.

A rich life is about much more than just financial riches. It comes down to having a fulfilling life and doing things you enjoy doing — things that inspire you and make you feel alive. For me, I think about how I can enrich myself with activities, hobbies, adventures, and magical moments that bring me more joy.

Another thing I strongly believe in is investing in your friends and loved ones. Whether it involves taking them out for lunch or coffee, investing financially, or just investing my time and energy into the people I love, those investments always pay off.

Finally, I also like to invest in experiences and adventures. I’ve experienced so many cool things in my life because I invested in travel. I invested in experiences, trips, and adventures with good people, and it’s great to be able to have these memories and experience these moments consistently. This is all a part of investing in myself, and that has been the best investment for me in life.