Would you be surprised if I told you that making millions, or even being a ‘savvy saver’, has more to do with your attitude towards money than how much you make or spend?
Those who become wealthy possess certain characteristics that influence their relationship with money.
They are more frugal and less inclined to waste what comes their way and it’s largely because of these 10 defining personal traits…
1. Patience – the ultimate virtue.
We live in a world of consumption, where people seek immediate gratification with the latest and greatest gadgets and products as soon as they hit the shelves.
Think about Apple and the ridiculously long line of people who queue for their updated iPhones!
When it comes to money management though, patience and delayed gratification makes all the difference.
Patient people are more likely to save their pennies than seek ‘easy’ (and expensive) credit, because they are happy to wait for a new car or big screen TV.
They don’t have to have it all yesterday!
2. A sense of satisfaction.
One of the reasons people seek gratification from ‘stuff’ is because they feel something is missing from life.
The problem is, in failing to address their true underlying emotional needs, these people are never quite satisfied and therefore, end up spending even more money chasing down the one magical ‘thing’ that will make their lives better.
On the other hand, those who are satisfied with their life expect less and accept more, meaning they don’t fall for clever marketing campaigns that convince you buying X will make you more attractive, happy, thin, smart or liked.
Feeling good about oneself means a healthier relationship with money.
3. Discipline and drive.
There is no easy way to ‘get rich’.
Successful saving and investing takes careful planning and foresight, along with the necessary discipline to focus on your objectives and the drive to execute well thought out strategies.
4. Being organised.
Getting your financial life in order is essential if you want long-term security and wealth.
When the extent of your planning is shoving bills in a top drawer and forgetting about them until reminder notices stacked with late fees start rolling in, you are doomed to an existence of living pay cheque to pay cheque.
Organised people attain their desired wealth because they make and execute well-constructed plans around the best use of their cashflow.
5. A creative streak.
Sometimes even the best-laid plans fail to prove fruitful when unforeseen developments throw a spanner in the works.
External influences or unexpected divergences on our life’s path can bring undone even the most elaborate of financial plans.
Being able to think creatively means having the capacity to not only deal with these little ‘hiccups’, but also respond accordingly and with the necessary changes to reflect the new circumstances.
If you can’t ‘roll with the punches’ to some degree, you’re more likely to stumble and lose your way when things don’t go as anticipated.
6. Self reflection.
Being able to look back on the financial decisions you’ve made thus far and reflect on how well you have fared is essential to future planning. Importantly, you must not only acknowledge your accomplishments, but any perceived ‘failures’ or ‘mistakes’, so that you can learn and grow from them.
7. Being a risk-taker. To build wealth with any type of investment vehicle comes with an associated element of risk.
I’m not suggesting that you ‘dive in at the deep end’ without first ‘testing the waters’ however. You need to understand who you are as an investor and then take carefully calculated risks accordingly.
8. Curiosity.
Always wanting to know that little bit more means you will continue learning well beyond your designated school years.
Learning leads to personal growth and when you have the patience, discipline and creativity to apply the lessons learnt to your financial planning, success is sure to follow.
9. Working hard and working smart.
We are all taught from a very early age that without hard work, very little will ever be accomplished or attained.
Sitting back, waiting for the money to roll in without lifting a finger is simply unrealistic, unless you win the lotto.
But just as important as hard work, is how smart you work or more to the point, how well you make your money work for you.
Investing according to your own personal goals, with a well thought out strategy, means taking the money you earn from all that toil and making it work smarter for you over the long term.
10. A big picture perspective.
When you go through life without setting and working toward clear, tangible and realistic goals, chances are you’ll keep chasing your tail in circles and running the proverbial rate race.
Establishing and keeping your future financial objectives in sight is a great motivator to get on with the job at hand and will prevent you from getting distracted by products and people that don’t serve your plans.
Do you have what it takes?
Don't despair if you read through the above and thought that one or more of the listed traits elude you right now.
Just knowing that it takes a combination of these personal characteristics to succeed financially and being curious enough to learn and grow as a person in order to get ahead, means you’re already on the right path to accumulate real wealth according to your own personal goals.
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She is a regular commentator for Michael Yardney’s Property Update 
Kate Forbes is a Property Strategist at Metropole Property Strategists in Melbourne. She has 15 years of investment experience in financial markets in two continents, is qualified in multiple disciplines and is also a chartered financial analyst (CFA).
Read more Expert Advice from Kate here!
Disclaimer: while due care is taken, the viewpoints expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Your Investment Property.
