8 not-so-secret HABITS to LIVING a RICH LIFE
In today’s post we’ll chat thru…
① 8 HABITS of a RICH LIFE + HOW YOU CAN LIVE IT OUT, too.
LET’S DIVE IN. 🖤
Hello hello friends! I’m excited to be back on the show today with an episode that came about bc of a book I’m reading by my FAVE author, Robin Sharma. He has a new book out called “The Wealth Money Can’t Buy” where he breaks down the 8 hidden habits to living a rich life. We’re reading it as a pick in our SUMMER SISTERHOOD MEMBERSHIP bc the theme is all about MONEY MINDSET and I really felt like one of the places we should look at when it comes to our mindsets surrounding money is what a RICH LIFE really looks like.
Spoiler. Money isn’t the only thing that creates a rich life. And after finishing this book I wanted to do almost like a little book club recap with ya’ll about the key ideas and a few takeaways I’m bringing with me in real time to my journey.
LET’S DIVE IN. 🖤
8 NOT so secret habits of a rich life…
① PERSONAL GROWTH
This is the habit of working to improve yourself each and every day. There is much insight that as humans, we are happiest and genuinely wealthiest when we are steadily growing into our unique gifts and talents. To grow into all you were designed and created to be is a prize far more precious than anything you can buy…mainly bc when we die we can’t take anything with us. And all we leave is our legacy and imprint on those who knew us. How do you want to be known? One of the wisest investments you can make is in YOURSELF.
HOW YOU CAN SHOW UP TO THIS HABIT IN YOUR LIFE:
Read Daily: Dedicate at least 20 minutes a day to reading books or articles that expand your knowledge and perspective. I pick books focused on areas I’m struggling in to seek improvement + insight. You can also choose audio books or podcasts, but the key is to allow others who have gone thru what you’re currently facing guide, support, and mentor you with their expertise.
Learn a New Skill: Choose a skill you've always wanted to learn, such as a new language, cooking, creating a webpage, or playing a musical instrument, and commit to practicing it regularly.
Practice Mindfulness: Meditation, deep breathing exercises, or journaling all enhance your mental clarity and emotional well-being.
Set Personal Goals: Create G.R.O.W.T.H. based goals (see last week’s episode for more!) for different areas of your life (career, health, relationships) and track your progress towards them.
Seek Feedback: Regularly ask for constructive feedback from peers, mentors, or loved ones to identify areas for improvement and gain new perspectives.
Exercise Regularly: Maintain a consistent exercise routine to boost your physical health, which in turn enhances your mental and emotional resilience.
② HEALTH + WELLNESS
And on that note, let’s talk your physical health and wellness. Health is a type of wealth bc if you don’t FEEL good physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually , all of the money and material possessions in the world will mean nothing. You need your health, amen?!
HOW YOU CAN SHOW UP TO THIS HABIT IN YOUR LIFE:
Eat like you love yourself: Eat a variety of nutritious foods, focusing on whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Move your body in meaningful ways: Whether it's walking, jogging, cycling, yoga, strength training, swimming, etc…find ways to move your body. Bc an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion is more likely to stay in motion.
Prioritize Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night to support overall health and well-being.
Manage Stress: Incorporate stress-reducing activities into your routine, such as meditation, unplugging from your devices, or spending time in outside.
Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep your body hydrated and functioning optimally.
Cold Plunge: Science confirms that cold immersion (getting in temps sub 60 degrees F) can lead to more positive moods, enhanced cognitive functions and immune response, quicker recovery times after exercise, and even better cardiovascular health. So get in the cold friends.
③ FAMILY
Let’s be real…family’s aren’t perfect and dynamics can be sticky, but to have the love of your family - the people who will witness you (and hopefully love you) in every version of YOU throughout life - well, it’s one of life’s best gifts. Robin talks a lot in the book about not being able to call yourself “rich” if you end up in poverty when it comes to human connection and I agree. I used to think I didn’t need anyone, but the older I get, the more I value the people in my life who will miss me most when I’m gone. I don’t want to live with regrets and I also don’t want to end up alone, ya know? So family is important.
HOW YOU CAN SHOW UP TO THIS HABIT IN YOUR LIFE:
Schedule Regular Family Time: Set aside dedicated time each week for family activities, such as game nights, movie nights, or shared meals, to foster strong connections.
Communicate Openly: Make an effort to communicate openly and honestly with family members, sharing your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. I know this is tricky, but so much of our hurts and conflicts would be solved if we could just talk it thru, right? And if you’re in a dynamic where you can’t, know that setting boundaries around communication is also a valuable habit to grow into.
Celebrate Milestones: Acknowledge and celebrate important milestones and achievements within the family, such as birthdays, anniversaries, and personal accomplishments.
Practice Active Listening: Show genuine interest in your family members’ lives by actively listening to their stories, concerns, and aspirations without interrupting or judging. Ask deeper questions, too. I love to hear my family answer things that I never would have know if I didn’t have the courage to ask.
Offer Support: Be there for your family members in times of need, offering emotional support, practical help, or simply a listening ear when they face challenges. And again, if boundaries seem to be disrespected in areas like this or muddied and blurred, don’t be afraid to build new habits surrounding how + when you support one another.
Create Traditions: Establishing family traditions has been one of my favorite things to do with Charles. They don’t have to be big…one of my fave traditions we have is running a Turkey Trot every Thanksgiving morning. It’s just something fun we look forward to that kicks off the day. I love traditions from when I was a kid, but remember that you don’t have to have kids in your home to build traditions…AND you can build new ones in your life after they are grown!
④ YOUR CRAFT / CALLING / JOB
One of our deep desires as humans is the need for meaning and purpose. And for me…this is a big deal. Having meaning attached to my pursuits is everything and when I no longer feel like there is an IMPACT I’m making in my work, I have to pivot, adjust, or make shifts. But there are a lot of people who treat work like it’s the enemy. Most people hate their work and constantly complain about it. Yet we forget that we often have A CHOICE over where we’re working and why. Here’s the truth - work will make up a significant portion of your living hours, so why not treat it as a vital piece of your life? I promise you that you can make shifts that help you realize your work can be a source of fulfillment and purpose.
HOW YOU CAN SHOW UP TO THIS HABIT IN YOUR LIFE:
Be Exceptional at Your Craft: Why show up and go thru the motions? Instead I want you to strive to be EXCEPTIONAL in your work. This looks like sharpening your skills, staying up to date with trends, and consistently working towards high-quality results.
Don't Be Afraid to Start Small or Silly: This is a habit that stops so many people from really leveling up in their work bc we’re so afraid of being small at the beginning or others thinking what we’re doing is silly. Friends. Embrace humble beginnings and really crappy first drafts.
Keep Going: Resilience and perseverance will be your superpower. Continue pushing forward despite setbacks, knowing that persistence often leads to success bc I’ve learned that you can’t beat the person who never gives up.
Start a "Stop Doing" List: You probably make a TO DO list each day. But what if you started a STOP DOING list? Identify activities or habits that drain your energy or don't contribute to your goals and then make a conscious effort to eliminate or reduce those from your routine ASAP.
Maintain a Blending of Work and Life: Ya’ll know I don’t believe in any sort of “balance” when it comes to our best selves. There will always be a blending. Sometimes work will take up a lot of your space, energy, and time. Other times you gotta turn down the volume on it and turn up the volume on other things (like living). Simply put - aim to blend + constantly adjust that blending of your professional and personal lives. Find ways to align your work with your personal values and interests, and ensure you make time for both.
Never Stop Growing/Learning: Commit to continuous improvement in your craft by seeking new knowledge, learning from experiences, and embracing opportunities for professional development and personal growth. My dad always said that the day he stopped wanting to learn would be the day he should stop being a teacher and I totally agree.
⑤ MONEY
Having enough income and a strong relationship with your financial self care to be able to live life on your own terms is not only an important element of a rich life, but I think it’s essential. I’m not deciding what enough income looks like for you, but I will say that having financial abundance allows you the freedom to make the choices that are in your best interest (and the interest of those you love most) rather than being forced into decisions bc you can’t afford something. Money isn’t evil. It provides you and your loved ones with opportunity and the best thing you can figure out for yourself is what ENOUGH of it looks like and how you can go about getting it.
HOW YOU CAN SHOW UP TO THIS HABIT IN YOUR LIFE:
Heal Your Relationship with Money: This is huge friends. And something we’ve been diving into in REAL TIME in The Sisterhood Membership this summer - reflect on your beliefs and attitudes about money. Figure out where they came from (most likely the people you were influenced by as you grew up). And then identify any negative patterns or limiting beliefs and work on replacing them with a healthier, more empowering mindset. You will get out of life what you believe + expect, so let’s raise our vibrations of what we believe and expect.
Serve More to Make More: This is here for a reason. I know you want to make more money. Awesome. So focus on providing MORE VALUE and serving MORE PEOPLE in your work or business. By genuinely helping others and addressing their needs, you’ll increase your income and build stronger relationships.
Get Grateful + Be Generous: What good does all the money in to the world do if we are stingy and tight-fisted? Cultivate a habit of gratitude for what you have, and practice generosity by giving back to others. This mindset can attract more abundance and create a positive financial flow.
Become a Professional Problem Solver: For me, everything is figureoutable. When women were trying to decide if they could afford The Sisterhood Retreat, this showed up in a lot of the conversations I was having. Women who were professional problem solvers figured out unique ways to generate the money they needed and this is so possible for you, too. If your first reaction when someone tells you a price is “I can’t afford that” I challenge you to start figuring out HOW you can afford it. If it matters to you…I promise there’s a way.
Do a Time-Waster Audit: How much of your time are you giving to meaningless pursuits that pay you jack squat?! When I was in the MLM space, specifically, I really learned the value of monetizing my scroll and this is something ANYONE can do. We all probably have a device in our hands. How can you use things like affiliate marketing or digital products to help you build wealth? My advice here is simple - stop wasting time on activities that do not contribute to your financial goals and eliminate or reduce time-wasters so you can increase productivity and focus on what truly matters. And while you’re at it…really figure out how much time you waste WHILE you’re working. Most of us only truly have about 4 productive hours in us/day, so figure them out and use them wisely.
⑥ COMMUNITY / YOUR SOCIAL CIRCLE
There’s a common proverb that says “your network determines you net worth” and you can adjust this to include the fact that your associations also determine you SELF WORTH. Community and who you surround yourself is HUGE bc it will influence every other area that we talk about today. My circle influences the way I see + talk about money, how I show up and take care of myself, the books I read and the podcasts I listen to, how I pursue my calling and the way I talk about work, I could go on…your circle is wildly important for a rich life. The more amazing the people are that are in your personal circle, the better you’ll feel about yourself. Simply put. I want to spend the rest of my days being highly selective with who is in my circle bc I know what it’s like to be in circles that drag you down, gossip, and live out low level habits on the daily. I want different and I hope you do, too.
HOW YOU CAN SHOW UP TO THIS HABIT IN YOUR LIFE:
Engage in Meaningful Conversations: I used to be the woman who tore others down with her words and I really work hard to not gravitate into those tendencies. It’s easy to talk about people and current events, but I find deeper connections come when we engage in thoughtful and meaningful conversations. Go deep. Share your goals, dreams, and aspirations. Ask others what their’s are. Talk to your partner about more than just your day or the schedules.
Be around people BETTER than you: This is huge. If you’re the smartest person in the room…get in a new room. If you’re the kindest friend you have…get new friends. If you’re the most creative mind in your office…get a new office. If your marriage is the best in the neighborhood…get a new neighborhood. No seriously. Nothing has helped me more than getting into rooms where I wasn’t the best. Surround yourself with GREAT HUMANS who think, love, produce, and live better than you and watch how you level up.
Support and Celebrate Others: Be genuinely supportive of your friends’ and colleagues’ successes and milestones. Celebrate their achievements and be there during their challenges. The people that matter the most to me DO LIFE with me. They are there thru it all and I strive to be the same.
Build up your Local Community: Get involved in community service, outreach, or local volunteering events to build a sense of belonging and make positive contributions to your community. It’s so simple to do yet simple not to do, but I promise you I always walk away from serving in my community feeling VERY rich.
Set Boundaries to Protect Your Peace: Boundaries are not walls we put up to shut others out, but rather fences we put up to protect ourselves. If you feel like your emotional, mental, or physical wellbeing is off even a touch when you’re in the presence of someone else…it’s time to set boundaries surrounding access to you.
⑦ ADVENTURE
This one is honestly really dear to my heart bc one of the core values my husband, Charles, has is ADVENTURE. Once I knew this about him, it made me much more aware of how I could show up and live this out in our home. Too many people live the same day for eighty odd years and call it a life. Waking up the same way. Thinking the same thoughts. Being consumed by the same worries. Eating at the same places. Seeing the same faces. We were not meant to live like this. We were not meant to live complacent. We need adventure in order to thrive. More memorable experiences over material possessions.
HOW YOU CAN SHOW UP TO THIS HABIT IN YOUR LIFE:
Explore New Places: Make it a habit to visit new places, whether it’s a different neighborhood, city, or country. Far too often I see people go on the same vacation every summer and while that’s awesome…what about the rest of this beautiful world you only get one chance to explore?! Where are those places you’ve always wanted to visit? Go visit them.
Try New Activities: Step out of your comfort zone by trying new activities. This is such a simple one for fueling my husbands sense of adventure…we bought an inflatable kayak to try out new waters, we took up pickle ball this year to get our brains learning a new game, and even learning new things like how to build a deck become small, and memorable adventures when you treat them as such.
Be Spontaneous: Okay this is coming from the girl who LOVES a GAME PLAN and ROUTINE, but hear me out…there should be WHITE SPACE in your lives for random spontaneity. When we have white space on our calendars (aka nothing to do) it allows us the chance to say yes to unplanned opportunities, invites, and adventures. This happened to us this year with a trip to Alaska. It wasn’t on our calendar but when we got invited, the white space in our calendar allowed us to turn that into a YES and an adventure we’ll always remember.
Intentionally Create Memories: Very little of my highlight reel is happen-stance. It’s mostly curated. It's way too easy to get caught up in our day to day routines that we forget to plan for the memories we want to make and the highlights we want to look back on. Very few of my memories are accidental. They are planned for and intentional. What memories can you intentionally craft for yourself this season and into next?
⑧ SERVICE TO OTHERS
Nothing comes with you when you die. I said that before and this habit is where it truly comes into play. We talk about self care in this space as taking care of yourself in a way that fills your cup SO THAT you can go out into the world and love + serve from the overflow. What’s the point of the rest of these habits if you don’t DO SOMETHING FOR OTHERS with it? We were built for community and no one is an island. So be good to people. Help others when you can. Leave people better than you found them. A life that is rich is a life where you make the lives of others better.
HOW YOU CAN SHOW UP TO THIS HABIT IN YOUR LIFE:
Live with the End in Mind: I don’t want to sound morbid, but it helps me to live in the present by reflecting on the legacy I want to leave behind. What if today was the last day of your life? Who would you love? What conversations would you have? Would that thing you’re upset about matter? What would you do? Living with this kind of focus helps to make choices and take actions that align with the positive impact you wish to have on others and the world and not sweat the small stuff.
Be an Energy Thermostat, Not a Thermometer: I love to think about being a thermostat in my circle and not a thermometer. Let me explain. Thermostats set a temp and hold the room to it. If the room starts to get a little hot, the thermostat kicks on and brings it back down. On the flip, a thermometer takes on the temp of it’s surroundings. Meaning it’s always changing with who it’s surrounded by. Are you a thermostat (steady and reliable) or are you a thermometer (always shifting to whatever the atmosphere is like)? Set the tone and create a positive environment wherever you go. Instead of merely reacting to situations, actively influence them with your positivity and kindness.
Pay It Forward: This one is simple. Whenever you receive a good deed or act of kindness, pass it on to someone else. This creates a ripple effect of generosity and just helps people feel really freaking good, right?! And if no one paid it forward to you lately, maybe you can be the fire starter for that trend.
Treat Others How You Want to Be Treated: Practice the golden rule by showing respect, empathy, and kindness to everyone you encounter. You never know the battles someone else is facing or what someone has gone thru. What if we extended grace and lived from a posture that everyone is trying their best. Treat others how you want to be treated…even if you don’t think they deserve it.
Make Every Day the "Best Day of Your Life:” Okay IDK if you have a dog, but I have two and ya’ll…they act like EVERY DAY is the BEST DAY OF THEIR FREAKING LIVES. We do a car ride and they are so happy. We go to the backyard…it’s like it's the first time they’ve sniffed it out. When the sun shines, they have their nose tilted up soaking it in. When I come home, even if all I did was check the mail box, they act like they haven’t seen me in years. So let’s do like our dogs do. Embrace each day like it’s the best day of your life. Look for those moments of joy in the little things and spread that joy to those around you.
SO there it is…8 NOT SO SECRET habits of living a RICH LIFE and hopefully you can grab onto these, too:
Personal growth.
Health and wellness
Family
Your craft, calling, or job
Money
Community and your social circle
Adventure
And serving others over yourself.
And as we wrap up I have to admit, I’ve been stuck in this loop that a RICH LIFE was one where I had business success in monetary ways. And that the only way I’m truly contributing is if I have money to do so. And while I still value financial abundance, this book The Wealth Money Can’t Buy really showed me how rich I ALREADY am and it’s been nice to acknowledge that for a change instead of beating myself up for not being “more successful.” Can you see after today’s episode how RICH YOU ALREADY ARE?! And that the riches of this life…a lot of them…are completely in your control? Friends…figure out what RICH looks like to you. Maybe it’s these 8. Maybe some of the habits I shared are things you’re going to commit to so you can move towards your own definition of RICH. But don’t get caught in the trap that wealthy = money. There’s so much more to life than simply money in a bank.
I love you. I’m rooting for you. And I’ll see you right here next time on The Self Care Sisterhood Podcast. 🖤🤟🏼
PS…This website includes affiliate links. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products + tools that I have personally reviewed, love, and/or use. You can read the full statement HERE.
