According to T. Harv Eker, author of Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, there is a secret psychology to money—the problem is that most people don't know about it, which is why many of us don't reach our financial potential. As a successful entrepreneur and millionaire himself, Harv says he's cracked the mental code to wealth building—in fact, he says if you give him five minutes with anyone, he can predict their financial future. Jean talks to Harv about some of his secrets that can help anyone boost their financial reach:
Each of us has what Harv calls a "money blueprint" ingrained in our minds, and that's what he says will determine how much money you'll make in your life. "You can know everything about business or real estate or stocks, you can be the best at your job, but if your subconscious money blueprint isn't preset for a high level of success, you will probably never amass a large amount of money, and if by chance you do you, you'll somehow manage to lose it," he says.
Harv says it is human nature to develop behaviors and attitudes that are identical to one or both of your parents in the arena of money—unless you consciously decide and strive to go in another direction. "Their ways of being and thinking just naturally became our ways, and that becomes our money blueprint," he says.
Groom your children to be good with money by being a good role model. Harv says to make money a positive topic of conversation in your home and not to treat it as a secret.
Harv says that because humans are creatures of habit, you have to turn your positive financial steps into habits. If you consistently and repeatedly do something right—for example, pay your credit card bill in full and on time—it will become a habit and you'll continue to do it subconsciously, he says.
Do not resent the rich, apply negative stereotypes to them or tell yourself that rich people are bad. "If you believe in any way, shape or form that rich people are bad and you want to be a good person, then guess what you can never be? You could never be rich," Harv says. "Why? Because unconsciously you think rich people are bad and why would you want to be that?"
Perhaps not everyone is destined to become a millionaire, Harv says, but everyone can do a lot better. People aren't born knowing about money, but you can make an effort to learn and grow in the process of creating more wealth.
Despite popular thought, Harv says it doesn't take money to make money. "I think it takes creativity to make money, I think it takes an intention to make money, I think it takes a willingness to contribute and to add value to other people's lives and service them to make money," he says.
