7 "contrary" habits that help you become rich and successful

Be “lazy”

Bill Gates once famously said, "Choose a lazy person to do a difficult job. A lazy person will find an easy way to do it."

Even the winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Economics, Richard Thaler, was described by his colleagues as “lazy”. However, the professor believes that thanks to this quality, he has the ability to distinguish between what is truly important and what is useless.

According to expert Elle Kaplan, founder and CEO of LexION Capital, the word “lazy” may sound negative, but in reality, some lazy people are just people who are constantly innovating to find more efficient ways to work. In other words, work smarter instead of harder.

Slow and steady

“Slow and steady” may seem counterintuitive in an age of fast decision-making, but some experts say overnight financial or personal success is a myth.

In fact, many entrepreneurs tend to think the opposite. For example, when it comes to investing in stocks, many investors choose a long-term approach rather than a short-term one. Billionaire Warren Buffett once said, “The person sitting in the shade today planted a tree a long time ago.”

Like to listen to criticism

Negativity can be hurtful. But some highly successful people crave criticism and are willing to give it to them honestly. They do so because they want to get different perspectives so they can learn and be more successful.

Many people accept criticism. However, few people are able to turn criticism into a lesson and use it to develop themselves. After all, harsh comments will damage your ego. But if you start accepting it, no matter how much, you will find that it helps you become better every day.

Don't take chances

We often think that successful people are those who always know how to seize all new opportunities. However, for billionaire Richard Branson, time is the most valuable and limited asset. Therefore, he prioritizes and protects it rather than promoting seizing opportunities. “Business opportunities are like buses. There is always another one,” he likened.

Valuing time is important. It helps us to consider what is truly important. There are so many distractions that waste your time. Learn to eliminate them and focus on your top priorities to maximize your time and energy.

Be frugal

“You have to spend money to make money.” This is a saying you hear often. Moreover, many people often think of the rich with supercars and flashy mansions. However, if you look at the world’s self-made millionaires and billionaires, you will see that they are often not lavish consumers. For example, Mark Zuckerberg, who has a fortune of 70 billion USD, still drives a Volkswagen Jetta.

Truly successful individuals understand that true luxury is something that allows them to pursue their dreams, rather than wasting money. They work every day to grow their wealth and invest in their future, rather than chasing the latest fad.

Failed many times

“It is impossible to live without making mistakes, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all. In which case, you fail by default,” JK Rowling once said.

Failure is something we all try to avoid as much as possible. However, innovators and pioneers not only see failure as part of the process, but also deliberately set “impossible” goals to fail more often.

You need to accept that failure is necessary for progress. If you dream big, you must understand that you will face many challenges and failures. Accept it and just remember that you have the right to try again after each failure.

Don't try to be the best.

There is a common notion that successful people are those who try to do better than others. However, instead of surpassing others, many people get rich by “swimming in a different lane”, with their own creative path. The question is whether you have the courage to face the hesitation of others.

“When you innovate, you have to be willing to be told you're crazy,” says Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle.