5 Books to Read if you want to be Wealthy

Here are a few books you should add to your reading list if you want to succeed and become financially free…

Rich Dad Poor Dad- Robert Kiyosaki

One of the key messages contained within this book is that of recognising exactly what your assets are and what your liabilities are. Your own home is a liability, it costs you money whereas your rental properties are obviously assets, they make you money. It’s an interesting reflection to see your own home in this way and many successful business people choose to rent the house they live in, in order to negate of this liability.

In Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki shares the story of his two dads: his real father, whom he calls his ‘poor dad,’ and the father of his best friend, the man who became his mentor and his ‘rich dad.’ One man was well educated and an employee all his life, the other’s education was “street smarts” over traditional classroom education and he took the path of entrepreneurship…a road that led him to become one of the wealthiest men in Hawaii. Robert’s poor dad struggled financially all his life, and these two dads—these very different points of view of money, investing, and employment—shaped Robert’s thinking about money.

‘The main reason people struggle financially is because they have spent years in school but learned nothing about money. The result is that people learn to work for money… but never learn to have money work for them.’ – Robert Kiyosaki

Think and Grow Rich- Napoleon Hill

This is the original self-help business and mindset book. Written over 80 years ago, it is truly awe inspiring and the fact that it is still so relevant today proves its value. It can be a bit tricky to read with use of old language and lots of repetition but if you can get through it you will learn some real nuggets. Incredibly forward-thinking theories for the time it was written. It is very effectively broken into steps that if you analyse and implement as you go along, will improve your money mindset and inevitably your life.

Napoleon Hill, devoted 25 years to finding out how the wealthy became that way. After interviewing over 500 of the most affluent men and women of his time, he uncovered the secret to great wealth based on the notion that if we can learn to think like the rich, we can start to behave like them. By understanding and applying the thirteen simple steps that constitute Hill’s formula, you can achieve your goals, change your life and join the ranks of the rich and successful. 

The 10 X Rule- Grant Cardone

As it sounds this book is pretty straight forward, a simple rule to run your entrepreneurial life by. Do 10X what you would normally do in order to achieve exceptional results. It sounds obvious and easy in some ways and impossible in others but there is a solid principal behind it. If you want to hit a target, think about how you are going to do that, and then do 10X what you intended and you basically guarantee your results. It’s about going above and beyond and making sure you are doing EVERYTHING you can. If you set a target which is 10 times what you normally would, you will work so much harder if you truly wish to hit that target, that you will get to where you want to be a lot faster than you otherwise would have. There are useful exercises and tests at the end of the chapters which help embed the ideas you have just read about.

Achieve “Massive Action” results and accomplish your business dreams! While most people operate with only three degrees of action-no action, retreat, or normal action-if you’re after big goals, you don’t want to settle for the ordinary. To reach the next level, you must understand the coveted 4th degree of action. This 4th degree, also know as the 10 X Rule, is that level of action that guarantees companies and individuals realize their goals and dreams. The 10 X Rule unveils the principle of “Massive Action,” allowing you to blast through business cliches and risk-aversion while taking concrete steps to reach your dreams. It also demonstrates why people get stuck in the first three actions and how to move into making the 10X Rule a discipline

The Richest Man in Babylon- George Samuel Clayson

Another oldie, almost 100 years since first published (1926). This book should probably be the first one you read, it is thin and easy to digest. A simple series of stories highlighting what is necessary to become financially proficient. Although written 100 years ago the simplicity of the book means it is not a chore to read. One big lesson in here is ‘A part of all I earn is mine to keep’. It discusses the importance of putting 1/10th of your earnings to one side and investing it to earn interest. Simple but effective.

Countless readers have been helped by the famous “Babylonian parables,” hailed as the greatest of all inspirational works on the subject of thrift, financial planning, and personal wealth. In language as simple as that found in the Bible, these fascinating and informative stories set you on a sure path to prosperity and its accompanying joys. Acclaimed as a modern-day classic, this celebrated bestseller offers an understanding of–and a solution to–your personal financial problems that will guide you through a lifetime.

Eat that Frog- Brian Tracey

Productivity is the key message here. The book highlights some key points around procrastination and how to make the most of each and every day. The title is a metaphor playing on the fact that if you were to eat a live frog every single morning, you would then be able to crack on with your day well knowing that you had already completed the worst task that you would have to commit to during the next 24 hours. With this formula you choose to take on that horrible task, the thing that you have been putting off for weeks, the important but difficult job that has been stressing you out and the longer you leave it the bigger it seems to become. It’s simple, just get on with it. Start it now and get it out of the way, then you’ll have a comparatively easy time for the rest of the day, week or year depending on the scale of the task. Simple.

There just isn’t enough time for everything on our ‘To Do’ list – and there never will be. Successful people don’t try to do everything. They learn to focus on the most important tasks and make sure they get done.. There’s an old saying that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that it’s probably the worst thing you’ll do all day. Using ‘eat that frog’ as a metaphor for tackling the most challenging task of your day – the one you are most likely to procrastinate on, but also probably the one that can have the greatest positive impact on your life – Eat That Frog! shows you how to zero in on these critical tasks and organize your day. You’ll not only get more done faster, but get the right things done.