This article has been a long-time coming. After all, covering the strategies that help people go from a bitter to richer mindset is part of why I started this blog! If you take away only one thing from this I want it to be that you know you can always work on something to get yourself to a better place than you’re in now – no matter what your current circumstances are. Even if you’re on top of things, there is always room for improvement.
However, if, like many people, you have found yourself down on your luck, there are always opportunities for you to have a better life. Now, let’s go over how you can develop a bitter to richer mindset by focusing on your priorities.
Stop Blaming Others
The first tip, and arguably the most important, is to stop blaming others for your problems and shortcomings. If you have had a constant and consistent interaction with “bad luck” and are always upset with the cards life has dealt you, then it’s time to reevaluate your mindset. Yes, it’s possible you have had a hard time. You’ve probably overcome a lot of things that would’ve broken some other people. However, you did overcome it, and you’ve continued living.
No matter what comes your way, if you shift your perspective it can help a lot. Be thankful for what you have, and be ready to take life’s hurdles. Blaming others gets you nowhere, but coming to terms with what you have and handling it appropriately is a must for success and happiness.
Be Introspective And Recognize Your Flaws – And Strengths
This is one people have a lot of trouble doing, even when they’re aware of the need for it. Sometimes you just need to get comfortable with yourself, your thoughts, and your emotions. Understanding yourself is the key to improving yourself so that you can have a brighter tomorrow. Learn what makes you tick, what drives you, and figure out what your strengths and weaknesses are. Everyone works differently, what you’re good at it is something your should lean into and take advantage of!
Don’t Dwell On The Past, But Learn From It
This goes without saying, but you also shouldn’t dwell on the past in general. Specifically, you shouldn’t dwell on things you’ve done (except to learn from it), or bad things that have happened that were out of anyone’s control. Obsessing over unchangeable things that have already happened is a recipe for disappointment, anxiety, and even depression. Whatever happened in the past is in the past. If possible, learn from it. However, don’t let your past hold you back from a richer and more rewarding future.
Take Care Of Yourself
This one is easily as important as being financially secure or keeping your mind sharp, but I tend to see it overlooked all the time. Your health shouldn’t be your last priority, it should be one of your top concerns. Do yourself a favor – eat healthy and make a workout routine. If you don’t have a good gym nearby, or want to save money, then buy a home gym. There are absolutely no excuses for you to not have a healthy life. Besides, the healthier your body is, the better your mind will be and the more energy you’ll have to get everything you need done.
Of course, take care of your mental health too. Your body is one thing – that is more obvious when you need to make adjustments for it. However, it’s easy to miss the warning signs that you’re dealing with too much stress or burning out. Be cautious there, and make sure you take care of yourself.
Build A Network
As I’ve said countless times, surrounding yourself with successful people will do nothing but help you. Now, don’t go around asking for handouts, but try to meet new people from many different backgrounds. You’ll learn a lot, have new opportunities, and possibly gain several great friends along the way.
With that being said, don’t force things or focus purely on what you can get out of a networking event or a new relationship. Keep your mind open and do your best to create connections that are mutually beneficial. If you try to take from people without giving in turn then nobody will want to continue networking with you, much less work with you on anything or give you advice.
Always Learn From Other People
No matter where you are, try your best to learn from others. I don’t care if you think you’re the smartest in the room. In fact, if you think that then you need to drop the ego. You’d be surprised what a lot of people have to teach you, once you’re open to the idea.
Set Goals
Set your short-term goals and be precise about it. This starts by figuring out and detailing your long-term goals and their milestones. I like to divide my goals into three categories – medium-term, short-term, and long-term. Short-term goals are things you work towards over the course of a few days to an entire year. Medium-term goals usually take anywhere from one to three years to reach. Long-term goals take at least three years to reach, and can often take decades.
I like to work backwards with my goals. I start with my long-term goals, then I figure out the medium-term goals I need to reach to make the long-term goals a reality. After that, I list out the short-term goals I need to accomplish in order to reach my medium-term goals. For a free financial goals worksheet, sign up for the Bitter to Richer newsletter – we send out one in our welcome email!
Balance Risk And Reward
If you’re a very risk-averse person, let’s get this sorted. Taking risks definitely has benefits. In fact, not taking any risks is a big risk in and of itself. You may’ve gotten bad advice from a family member or friend. Maybe they got burned, or maybe they just like to play it safe. I get it – I like to keep it as safe as possible too. However, some risks are warranted, and the potential benefits are too good to ignore. It’s up to you to find the right balance that will help you reach your end goals.
Appreciate What You Have
If you want to stop being bitter and become richer, then you need to stop with the jealousy. Envy is a disgusting thing to see, and I’m sure you’ve been disappointed with yourself for feeling it before. Envying someone else does nothing to help you out. I know it can be easy to slip into that, especially when you’re focused on improving your finances, but don’t compare yourself to anyone but yourself.
Be happy for others when they’re successful, but don’t envy them. Instead, see what you can learn from their success and figure out if you can apply that in your own life. Surround yourself with people who are in a better position than you, and you’ll see lots of areas to grow and get a lot of educational tidbits. Beyond that, just enjoy what you have to begin with, and appreciate the journey towards your long-term goals.
Swap From A Scarcity Mindset To An Abundant One
Stop thinking that in order to be richer you have to take from someone else or deprive them. That’s an option, certainly, but that’s not what you should be doing – quite the opposite. Your work should benefit those around you as well as yourself. People who do well often helped a lot of others along the way, so stop assuming the inverse is true when it’s usually not!
Take Care Of Your Budget
I’ve gone over this time after time. Budgets are a must if you want to level up your finances. For a complete guide, check out my post with all the details. If you want a more beginner friendly article, or a more advanced one, I’ve also done those. A good budget will help you make the most of whatever money you’ve made. Even if you make a lot of money, it’s easy to spend too much and fall into bad financial habits if you don’t keep track of it.
Remember That Minimalism Is A Great Tool
Minimalist lifestyles are good for curbing excessive spending and unnecessary luxuries. There are so many things that our society encourages and says will make you happy, but it rarely does. Minimalism is about cutting out what you don’t need – and removing a lot of headache in the process. In my experience, when it comes to “things” less is definitely more (assuming your needs are met), so stop forcing yourself to buy what you don’t need or want.
If you’re not a huge fan of cars, don’t spend your life savings on a car. Likewise, if you’re not a fan of watches, don’t buy expensive watches. Focus on what actually makes you happy. More often than not, you’ll find that most people are happier when they spend money on experiences (like travel) rather than luxury items like cars and watches.
Take Retirement Seriously
I’ve written articles on the details behind how to retire early as well as how to plan for your retirement. If you need help preparing and investing for retirement, I encourage you to check them out. There are tons of options available to you and the earlier you start taking advantage of them the better off you’ll be. For the best brokerage, I recommend M1 Finance. They have tons of great stocks, index funds, and ETFs, plus they’re easy to use. I also love their portfolio system that lets me customize my allocations with ease, or their prebuilt ones that let beginners jump in immediately.
Conclusion
There we have it, shifting from a bitter mindset to a richer one. If you have any tips of your own, be sure to let us know what they are in the comments. Let me know which tip resonated the most with you, and which one you wish more people would take to heart! As you can see, not every tip is easy to follow, but I believe every tip is worthwhile and can be a great boon for you and your future.
