Billionaires don't see the world like most others do.
That's why they're billionaires. They have their own unique habits, traits, principles, and ethics that play a role in helping them achieve, and acquire their wealth.
The good news? By replicating and mimicking a few of their habits, mentalities and business rules, we can become more and more like them in the business world.
With that in mind, here are eight ways that billionaires are different than us, and what we can do to become more like them.
1. They never settle.
Most billionaires would agree that having passion is the most important way to achieve success. As opposed to chasing the money, billionaires opt to chase their dreams. And, they don't waiver when it comes to this because they believe success will follow as a result.
"The most common thing I remind people of is to only pursue something you love, because a small business is going to be very demanding of your time, your energy -- it just eats your life," Sam Adams founder Jim Koch told Business Insider. "And if you're doing something you love, then you will accept and even enjoy that. If you're just doing it to get rich, you're gonna lose heart. I tell everyone, getting rich is life's biggest booby trap. It comes down to what would you rather be, happy or rich? I say do what's gonna make you happy."
If that doesn't inspire you, then memorize these iconic words from Steve Jobs 2005 Stanford Commencement address:
"You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."
2. They work harder than everyone else but still enjoy life.
Billionaires work hard -- sometimes harder than everyone else. In fact, they're known for their insane work ethic.
"You just have to put in 80- to 100-hour weeks every week," Elon Musk told Vator. "If other people are putting in 40-hour workweeks and you're putting in 100-hour workweeks, then, even if you're doing the same thing, you know that you will achieve in four months what it takes them a year to achieve."
Mark Cuban spent all-nighters learning how to code and didn't take a vacation for seven years. That seems to have paid off for Cuban, who appears to enjoy living his life.
Even though billionaires work hard, and they'll make sacrifices for the short-term because of it, they also don't forget to have fun, to recharge their batteries, and well, enjoy the fruits of their labor. Just look at Richard Branson. Who wouldn't want that lifestyle?
3. They keep things simple.
"Don't bother to have a plan at all. All that stuff about planning, throw that out," said Eric Schmidt, former CEO and current executive chairman of Google, in a commencement address at Carnegie Mellon University in 2009. "It seems to me that it's all about opportunity and make your own luck."
Schmidt may be onto something when he suggests to throw out your plans. If you look at most billionaires, they didn't have complex and massive goals. They had a simple purpose. Henry Ford wanted to make the automobile affordable for everyone. Bill Gates wanted a PC in every home. Jeff Bezos started an online bookstore. Mark Zuckerberg wanted to connect people.
While these billionaires had a defined purpose -- they were simple.
Additionally, billionaires are known for constructing a simple plan, instead of detailed or elaborate plans. The reason? It makes it easier for them, and their team, to focus on activities that will benefit their business the most.
4. They still rely on others.
Billionaires realize that they can't do everything on their own. And they are well aware they're not the smartest person in the world. That's why they absolutely associate themselves with people who are smarter than they are and have insider knowledge on investment opportunities.
They also rely on everyone from managers, assistants, and manufacturers, because they're the people they need the most on a daily basis.
5. They require communication to move forward.
Billionaires expect their team to deliver relevant information to them, as opposed to spending the time conducting their own research. Remember, time is money. Having the info and data they need, without asking for it, billionaires can make calculated decisions on where they should focus their time, money, and energy.
6. They leave things better than they found them.
It's no secret that billionaires want to make the world a better place. Take Elon Musk, for example. From SpaceX and Tesla to Solar City and beyond, Musk is radically attempting to make the world better then he found it by focusing on creating a clean, renewable-energy future and reopening space for exploration.
On a smaller scale, this explains why billionaires are known to clean up after themselves. "Those who do their chores and keep their living space tidier tend to make more money," writes socio-economist Randall Bell, PhD. "For example, those who make their bed in the morning are up to 206.8 percent more likely to be millionaires." It puts your mind into a productive mindset, he explains.
7. They don't gamble, but they aren't timid.
When studying the habits of the rich and poor, author Thomas Corley found that "Seventy-seven percent of the poor in my study gambled every week on the lottery. They are relying on random good luck to bail them out in life rather than the opportunity luck that the rich rely on. Gambling involves risk you have no control over."
The rich, however, take calculated risks they can control -- even if it's a bit out there.
"No one ever made a million bucks by being cautious or timid or reasonable. I was 22 years old and recently married when I had the crazy idea that I should give up my career as a CPA and become a homebuilder. I didn't know anything about building houses. Sometimes the craziest ideas are the ones that yield the greatest payoffs," Warren Buffett said in his 2006 commencement address at UCLA's School of Arts and Architecture.
8. They mind their manners.
Corley also found "Self-made millionaires have mastered certain rules of etiquette, principles you have to master if you want to be a success." This includes dressing properly for certain situations, using table manners, acknowledging important life events, and sending handwritten thank-you notes.
Why?
Because this sets you apart from others, shows your gratitude (which is good for your brain), and it's just the right thing to do for the people who have helped you reach and maintain your wealth.
Correction: An earlier version of
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