While searching for a book on finance that would help chart the path to financial independence, I accidentally found a book of the same name by Bodo Schaefer. The author tells how to get a million in seven years. The currency doesn't matter here. I described the article in the form of a summary with my thoughts. In order to understand how to come to a million, read the book yourself.

She has been for many years. I read the 1998 version. This is a reissue.

Description

Book title: The Path to Financial Independence. First million in seven years.

Released: 1998

Publisher: Buchgemeinschaft Donauland Kremayer & Scheriau (book published in Germany)

There is little theory and psychological aspects in the book about why most people cannot secure their well-being and financial independence throughout and towards the end of their lives. In the second, quite specific practical advice is given.

Personal impressions

I am glad that this book came across to me one of the first. In it, I found scattered advice from articles about finance that came across on the Internet.

And the most important thing. It's never too late to start. It's just that the younger you are, the more advantages you have over those who are older.

I also realized that children are not taught how to handle money at all. E is one of the aspects why many have problems with them.

Briefly about the main

One of the main thoughts:

Either you plan your life yourself, or others do it for you.

Some save without a plan, just save. This is definitely good. But what is the purpose? Until what moment will you save, what tools to use, what to do in case of force majeure. All this needs to be calculated and accumulated purposefully.

Having a high income doesn't make you rich, it's the money you save that makes you rich. Therefore, it is important to start saving some of your income and invest as early as possible.

Schaefer advises building a career on a hobby, so as not to be a money machine for someone all your life. Here I agree with the author in part. Everyone has different life situations. If a person has the opportunity to get a high-paying job, then you must definitely do it. Even if it is not closely related to the hobby. And in parallel, you can already do what you love, which in the future will generate income.

Responsibility

Who do you accuse the one you give power. Schaefer means that you need to be able to admit guilt and take responsibility for your affairs and condition. Don't blame others for your failures.

The zone of control is all those things for which you are responsible and can influence them. If you want to expand it, you need:

1. Leave your comfort zone.
   There is a saying that all motivational books are based on the fact that a Wall Street businessman encourages Vasya from Uryupinsk to get out of his comfort zone.
   Citizens of course exaggerate. Everyone has their own way out of their comfort zone. It means that you need to do unusual things and learn new things. When everything starts to suit you and you feel good, you are in your comfort zone. But, you also need to understand that being there in itself does not carry anything terrible. If there is no need for change, you can live as you like.
2. The problem is like a growth zone. This is an opportunity to learn something new. At the beginning of the solution, the question should be asked - "How can I change the situation so that the problem does not arise again?"
3. Correct questions: Instead of why (this happened), you need to ask the question with - how (I will deal with this) ?. how- makes you look for a solution. Why- an apology for inaction. It is also worth focusing on What I can?, What do I know? What options do I have? When choosing a solution, you need to ask a question -" Can I?"
4. Frequency Universe. The author introduces such a concept and explains it as an area in which all those things that are important to you are located. If something is important to you, then you inevitably begin to think about how to expand the zone of control so that you have the opportunity to regulate as many issues as possible in your universe at your own discretion.

Success

In any book (including this one), article or video on success, you will be advised to surround yourself with people who are more successful than you. Bodo Schaefer gives a useful hint. If you meet an interesting person, ask her about the books she liked. It would be nice to know what books she (the person) can recommend and why?

Success Journal. Found in various books and articles. It is usually advised to record significant achievements in it. The author also encourages, at your discretion, to write down your successes in it every day or week, when something was successful and you were praised. This is useful because the brain tends to remember only the bad. And then sometimes return to it and view the results. For me, it's kind of redundant.

Journal of Ideas. This journal is more than helpful. And I got there myself. I write down all the ideas that come to mind.

success is the result of work

Risk is a noble cause. There are many sayings about this. And indeed, if you do not risk anything, then a large number of opportunities will pass by. By avoiding risk, we deprive ourselves of growth opportunities.

The author in this chapter talks about the importance of attending seminars, as an opportunity for growth - new knowledge and acquaintances. I am now skeptical of them. We already have a lot of seminars for fabulous money, in which at best they tell everything that is in books, and at worst - just water. Even Tony Robbins takes money to tell people the obvious.

Reflecting on luck, the author gives examples that many things seem like luck to people. Others are just lucky. But, as a rule, success is preceded by many years of training and hard preparation. Telling a person who worked tirelessly and trained hard that you just got lucky is tantamount to an insult.

Changes

Real change happens at five levels:

1. Actions (i.e. you just have to start acting towards change)
2. Technologies (If actions are not enough, you need to apply technologies / tools to achieve)
3. Personal development (Reading, learning, including with a mentor, etc.)
4. World view
5. Self-image

The last two points are self-explanatory.

If you are not afraid of a new step, then this means that the step itself is insignificant for you.

In fact, all people are afraid, worried and worried when major changes occur. This is fine.

It's easy to save 10% of your monthly income, but it's even easier not to.

If possible, you should always save more than 10%, and invest most of it. It follows from this that I have come across in books for the first time, but I can’t define it in any way. It is necessary to decide how much capital is needed and for how long. And determine exactly what you want. Set goals. Despite the apparent simplicity, it seems that you can throw a list in 15 minutes, in reality everything is not so easy. Especially when you start to calculate how much money you need to save and where to get it.

Goals

It is a question of visual labels for the subconscious. I am skeptical about them. It seems to me that they "work" by constantly reminding them of their goals ... or maybe that's the point? In any case, I don't use them.

The goal must be made your necessity. Like food. You can check whether the goal is desirable (and not imposed from the outside) by writing down and describing it in detail. Then visualize everything in detail, including the changes that will come into your life.

It is necessary to determine the goals to which you are going

If after such visualizations you feel good in your soul, then the goal is right. D. Carnegie has such a “thing”. Visualization creates opportunities. I’m not sure if this is the case, but surprisingly, when you strive for something around you, you begin to notice options that turn up.

The chapter on goals emphasizes that many rich people have had mentors. Mentors. It is important. You need to find your mentor in the area you want to develop. If we talk about money, the author advises to find your own. It should be much more successful. Have 10 times more money than you.

A mentor promotes the disclosure of talent and saves you from wasting time. He directs your efforts to higher goals that you yourself would not have dared to. I analyzed this topic. Books can be an excellent substitute for a mentor. But a mentor can still give invaluable real experience and at the right time say what you are doing wrong.

Speaking about development, the author first of all advises to develop your strengths and find a way to get around weaknesses / shortcomings. There is a lot of controversy here. You can hear from some speakers and authors that weak points still need to be tightened.

As with various books/articles about finding a purpose, it invites you to reflect on your passion. If you had a year of Shabadda - a year of doing nothing, despite the fact that there would be no need for money, what would you do?

Never take advice from a person who is not who you would like to be.

It should not be taken literally. This applies to some serious, especially financial decisions. When buying an apartment, would you listen to the advice of a person who does not and never had his own home? And what about the car? Job changes, investments, courting a girl and so on?

"The observer creates his own reality" What you think about is what you get.

It is definitely advised to clearly state the plans for what you want to have in 7 years. What property, friends, work, family. And the same for 3 years. Based on this, you see what you are focusing on under the influence of your faith. Therefore, your world will be exactly the way you imagine it to be.

1. Focus on achieving your long term goal. Ask yourself everything that you think you say and do contributes to this?
2. Never speak it doesn't matter now. Every ruble counts.
3. List all expenses. Plan your budget carefully.
4. Whenever you spend, ask yourself, do you really need this item?
5. Look for new sources of income.
6. Achieve well-being regardless of the opinions of others.
7. Discipline is the force that shapes our potential to increase income.
8. You determine your own value in the labor market. If you get a certain amount, then you are worth that much.
9. At work, for a salary increase, you need to tell why you deserve a raise. What benefits have you brought to the company and can you bring. Identify strengths and you can talk about it with the boss.
10. Be interested not in rights, but in duties.
11. Give more than what is expected of you. Even if the company does not want to reward you, you will gain experience.
12. Nothing is insignificant. Whatever you do, give 110%.
13. Take responsibility for things that are not your responsibility.
14. You need to continue to study after graduation - everywhere they write and talk about it.
15. Substitute for problems voluntarily, if something needs a solution, you need to volunteer to solve the problem.
16. If you do what everyone does, then you will have everything that everyone has.
17. Once the job is done, it's perfectly normal to demand money for it.
18. As income rises, expenses always rise. Don't confuse what you need with what you want.
19. Invest in stocks.

Stock

The chapter describes the importance of investing in this tool. Below is a summary of the author's advice:

1. Don't buy when everyone is buying. It is necessary to wait and examine the state of the firm. Buffett talked about it.
2. Bad times and good times on the stock exchange follow each other. It does not happen that long periods are only growth or only fall. The thing is that if you bought and after half a year there is a drawdown, this does not mean that it will go down to zero. Only if the company has not done something extraordinary and everyone is selling in a hurry. All companies have drawdowns and ups, the price will definitely return in the future.
3. Big profits can be achieved if you are willing to lend money to the exchange from 2 to 5 years. For investments, this is a short term.
4. Buy shares of at least five, maximum ten firms. Different industries and different countries — diversification is everything.
5. You can only talk about profit or loss when you have sold shares.
6. Record in the journal the reasons for buying and selling, as well as the target rate.
7. Profit comes when the shares are sold but there are shares with dividends. This is additional income.
8. Crash is good. Can be bought at a low price.
9. Don't listen to the crowd. Don't do what everyone does.
10. Choose stocks rationally. See if the company has prospects and what happened before with the course. Build a forecast.
11. The first repurchase can only occur if the share price has fallen below 30% of the original purchase price. There must be at least 6 months between the first and second purchases. The third rebuy according to the same rules.

Helpful information: 72 / inflation rate = the time when the purchasing power of your money will be halved. If we substitute the rate of return instead of the inflation rate, then at the output you will get a period when investments double.

At the end, there are many motivating tips that can be found in other books and articles.

How to find a mentor

Back to the mentor/mentor. Write down the reasons why you need a mentor (you need to already have some results before you go to him, you need to demonstrate something).

Find something you can help your mentor with. Show endurance. Appreciate the mentor's time, his time is more valuable. Think carefully about what you want to ask. Give the mentor feedback on how their advice is working and describe the current state of affairs.

Conclusion

The book is very useful, especially if you are just starting a dive into finance. I advise you to read or advise if they ask for such literature. I will use this article as notes to have on hand and re-read.

The writer who created this masterpiece of modern business literature is always guided by one principle - as a person acquires wisdom, his life inevitably improves. Bodo Schaefer's book The Path to Financial Independence once again proves that the author cannot be happy alone, and every day he tries to tell as many people as possible about the basic principles of financial well-being. The author has already managed to achieve significant success in terms of obtaining passive income. Many people think that it was these books that brought him fame and huge income, but Bodo Schaefer not only writes books - he is a successful businessman and already at the age of 30 began to live on the percentage of his investments.

Bodo Schaefer's book The Path to Financial Independence does not contain theoretical guesses or ideal strategies for making huge profits. She also doesn't talk about get-rich-quick schemes or how to get rich sitting on the couch. As the author himself writes, any success is a titanic work that requires discipline and constant improvement. At his seminars, Mr. Schaefer constantly notes that even if the reader memorizes a book or reads all the editions of the author, but does not apply these rules in life, then happiness in life will not increase.

Let's talk about the book "The Path to Financial Independence"

As the Russian editor of the book notes, at the moment the reader has in his hands a real revelation from a German millionaire who has achieved success through diligence, economy and innovative thinking. As we have noted, the book is not a summation of ideas or ideal ways to get rich. In fact, Bodo Schaefer's Path to Financial Independence download means acquiring a priceless treasure that will show you the way to unlocking your own inner potential. However, this edition also contains a lot of practical advice, following which many modern businessmen have already got what they dreamed of.

The author applies a special conceptual way of thinking, considering complex and "tedious" economic categories, applying his experience in the field of capital formation. The book is directly related to the philosophy of economics, but this does not mean that the publication of Bodo Schaefer's Path to Financial Independence will not be of interest to people without an economic education. On the contrary, the book is written in a simple and understandable language, and this once again proves that everything ingenious is simple. These advantages make this publication unique - it is not for nothing that the book became a bestseller. It remains to be noted that this excellent creation of Bodo Schaefer is aimed at a reader with any education and income level. In fact, in order to become happy, you do not need a lot of money or the presence of rich relatives. It is enough to have a dream and perseverance in the process of climbing to the top of success! The book Path to Financial Independence by Bodo Schaefer can help anyone who is willing to go all the way from start to finish, applying the recommendations that are detailed in the publication.

money and dreams

Have you ever thought about what prevents people from having the income they actually dream of? From day to day, we only think about money - after all, they are the measure of success and prosperity. However, the author believes that money does not come to us by chance and in financial matters we need to think not only about ourselves, but also about other people. Money is a form of energy, and the more of this energy we use for good purposes, the more income we will receive. This is exactly what Bodo Schaefer's book The Path to Financial Independence will be about - the more we direct money to serve society and help our neighbor, the more financial energy we receive.

In no case should you exaggerate the value of money. They become important to us only at the moment when they are lacking. Financial problems make us constantly think about them. It is with this question that you need to deal with before you begin to improve your “monetary” health. There is also another very important thing that will become a "guiding star" on the path to success - a dream.

In Bodo Schaefer's The Path to Financial Independence book, a lot of attention is paid to the dream and setting goals. Very often we find ourselves enemies to ourselves and feel that life is unfair. However, simple planning of your time and consistency in the implementation of plans can work wonders! The author of the book has been dealing with such issues as money, happiness and success for more than 10 years. According to Bodo Schaefer, money helps to save vitality and he wants us to be more free and able to live independently.

Bodo Schaefer's book The Path to Financial Independence describes several ways to earn your first million:

• Saving your income
• Investing the saved money in the project
• Income Boost
• Percentage saved from each revenue increase achieved.

Each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages, however, if you apply all these methods at once, then the achievement of financial well-being will not be long in coming. Very soon you will see that you have absolutely ceased to worry about the lack of money.

Bodo Schaefer's The Path to Financial Independence will only unlock the reader's potential if they apply these lessons to their daily lives. Even if you use only some of the methods, after a while you will feel how your financial “life” improves.

After attending Bodo Schaefer's seminar in November 2012, naturally I decided to re-read his most hit book, The Path to Financial Independence.

To be honest, I read it like it was the first time. I discovered so many new things for myself… And once again I was convinced that the books that hooked you need to be read at least 2 times.

The book describes a step-by-step path to your first accumulated million dollars.

In short, the book presents the following 4 strategies:

1. You save a certain percentage of your income.
2. You invest the money you save.
3. You increase your income.
4. You save a certain percentage of each revenue increase achieved.

Below, as usual, I I quote some moments from the book that hooked me:

Money in good hands makes not only its owner happy, but society as a whole.

Just as you can learn to fly, dive, or program, you can learn to create wealth.

No one has ever made real money doing something they don't like.

The rich are among the happiest people in the world because their dreams, goals, moral values ​​and strategies are aligned with each other.

Success means you are the best you can be. Happiness means that you like yourself the way you have become.

Wealth arises where we expand the area of ​​our control.

The people who have the greatest comfort zone are almost constantly outside the comfort zone.

Most of the people around you are bad teachers. .

Our income often evolves in proportion to our vocabulary.

We often assume that we do not take the next decisive step because of the love of peace or because of a certain contentment with life. In fact, these are just excuses. The reason is that we do not believe in success.

Sensational luck, on closer examination, often turns out to be nothing more than the result of many years of and not at all sensational preparation.

Really dramatic changes occur at 5 levels: actions, technologies, . View of the world and self-image.

The larger the target, the less you need to adjust it.

Many are focused on 100% return, and because of this they achieve only 80%. If you focus on 110%, then it is relatively easy to achieve 100%. you will quickly realize that 100% is a fairly relative goal.

The cornerstone for wealth creation is.

Success-oriented people do not shy away from control, but embrace it.

You can't ignore your weaknesses, but you don't have to fight them either. it won't make you rich. So find a way around your shortcomings.

Never take advice from someone who is not who you would like to be.

Your view of yourself and the world creates you.

We can find confirmation of everything, absolutely everything.

You are constantly looking for evidence that supports your faith. You see what you focus on under the influence of your faith. Therefore, your world will be exactly as you imagine it.

The Bible says that wealth is good. All the heroes of the Old Testament were also rich.

Every person who achieved a significant goal focused 9 times out of 10 on the “why” question and only one time on the “how” question.

Suppresses, as a rule, not the size of the debt, but a lot of small problems.

Never use 50% of the money you can save to pay off your debts .

Discipline is the force that shapes our potential. Without discipline, any talent will simply be wasted.

If you are proud of the result achieved, it is precisely because you have overcome a difficult, problematic situation. There is no problem that does not contain a gift for us.

Everyone can handle success, but not everyone can handle failure.

Debt is never a problem, the problem is how we deal with it.

If there is one secret to success, it is the ability to make everyday actions incredibly urgent.

Become indispensable You are ready to be responsible, and replaceable, because You are ready to delegate your tasks and authority to others.

If you're doing what everyone else is doing, you have to look for your own clients. But if you establish yourself as a specialist, then the client will come to you.

Take out of the firm regularly and finance it with borrowed money.

The best ideas come from driving or exercising, walking or half asleep.

Until you reach a certain income target, you should only focus on one activity.

Demanding money for what you have done is a matter of self-esteem.

Success is more a point of view than an ability. Work on appreciating yourself.

Delegate everything that others can do as quickly as you can.

Spend more time selling and and (and, respectively, products).

The only thing that people who do not save is debt.

If you can't make do with what you have today, you won't make it if you earn twice as much. After all, interest rates don't change.

Getting by with 90% is just as easy (or just as difficult) as getting by with 100%.

Even the highest interest rate is useless if you multiply it by zero.

In the early years, invest exclusively in large and well-known funds that have been in the market for at least 20 years.

Investing is good, but it is better to invest at the right time.

The important thing is this: don't be an expert on the little things. Or: don't make minor things your primary concern.

When creating financial protection, reliability comes first.

Those who give up are remembered as failures, while those who are persistent and persistent are remembered as great personalities.

Others may delay you for a while, but only you yourself can stop forever.

If you don't make regular mistakes, it's a sign that you aren't taking enough risks and aren't giving it your all.

Every person we meet leads us to new people and opportunities.

You need an environment that reminds you again and again of your good intentions.

You should never allow yourself to be influenced by people less successful than yourself.

While success means you get the things you love, happiness means you enjoy the things you get.

Current page: 1 (the book has 15 pages in total)

BODO SHAFER

THE PATH TO FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE

FIRST MILLION IN SEVEN YEARS

DER WEG ZUR FINANZIELLEN FREIHEIT

IN SIEBEN JAHREN DIE ERSTE MILLION

Bodo Schaefer, a millionaire, writer and businessman, was already able to live on the interest of his capital at the age of thirty. For many years, among other things, he has been holding financial seminars in Germany and Holland. Currently lives and works in Cologne.

From the editor of the Russian edition

The book you are holding in your hands is a revelation. Revelation from Bodo Schaefer, a German millionaire who came to lasting prosperity in the shortest way - through savings and extraordinary thinking. Let's clarify: he started, as they say, from scratch. "The Path to Financial Independence" is not just a summation of experience, practical advice, etc., etc., through which you can find well-being. A person cannot be happy alone. Only by making others happy, he himself will be happy. Bodo Schaefer argues that money in good hands makes not only its owner happy, but society as a whole. This is perhaps the main idea of ​​the book. The conceptual way of thinking used by the author to consider rather complex and dry economic categories gives us reason to believe that this book has a direct bearing on the philosophy of economics. For all that, "The Path to Financial Independence" is written in a common language, with humor and not without brilliance. All this makes this book a fascinating bestseller in the field of economic knowledge. We can only add that the book by Bodo Schaefer, a writer and businessman, is aimed at the general reader, so that, having reconsidered his attitude to money, he, this reader, can build his happy future without postponing the implementation of intentions and plans for an uncertain tomorrow. You should start today - immediately after you open the first page. And one more thing: for the reader who has mastered this work and has not begun the path to financial independence, there will be nothing left that would justify his inaction.

Foreword

Do you know what prevents most people from living the life they dream of? Money and more money! Money is a symbol of a certain attitude to life, a measure of success in life. But money does not come to us by accident. We can say that in money matters we are talking about some form of energy: the more this energy we direct to really important goals, the more money we will receive. Really successful people have the ability to accumulate large amounts of money. Some only save and multiply them for themselves, others use them to serve society and their neighbor. But they all know how to make money work. We must not exaggerate the importance of money. But do you know when money becomes especially important? When they are not enough. Whoever has big money problems has to think a lot about them. We must deal with this issue thoroughly enough to resolve it once and for all. And from that moment on, money will become your support in all spheres of life. Everyone has dreams. We have a certain idea of ​​how we want to live and what is due to us in life. We believe in our hearts that we can fulfill some special purpose that will improve this world. But all too often I see how the daily routine gradually stifles such dreams. Many people forget that they also have a place under the sun. They simply do not believe in themselves and that they can become independent. We are often victims of ourselves. We make compromises - and before we realize our mistake, life has pretty much passed us by. And many people often shift the responsibility for the fact that they do not live the way they would like to, on financial circumstances. For more than ten years I have been dealing with issues such as money, success, happiness. I have learned to see money differently: money can save us from running out of vitality, it helps us to be the best we can be. I am at your disposal with my book - in the role of your private mentor. I would like to convey what I have learned and experienced myself. I would like to teach you how to create some kind of magic machine to receive money. Owning money means, first of all, being able to lead a much freer and more independent lifestyle. When I realized this, a deep need arose in me to pass on my knowledge to others. I made a promise to myself to support everyone I come into contact with on their journey to financial independence. Just as you can learn to fly, dive, or program, you can learn to create wealth. And there are a few important standard tricks to help you with this. There are several opportunities to earn the first million. These possibilities describe the four strategies presented in the book:

1. You save a certain percentage of your income.

2. You invest the money you save.

3. You increase your income.

4. You save a certain percentage of each revenue increase achieved.

If you follow these tips, then, depending on your current financial situation, in fifteen to twenty years you will become the owner of property in one or two million. And it's not a miracle at all! If you want to make your first million faster (for example, in seven years), then you must apply all the strategies described in this book. And the more you apply them, the sooner you will reach your goal. How can you become wealthy in seven years? You already foresee that it is not only about the amount of X that you want to own, but also about the person that you will become by that time. It will not always be easy for you to move towards financial independence. However, it is much harder to live being financially dependent. If you follow the directions in this book, you will surely reach your goal. I have helped many thousands of people who have attended my seminars along the way. I see again and again how this knowledge transforms people. But I ask you not to think that the mere possession of this book will allow you to become wealthy. It is also true that even studying it does not promise you wealth. You must not only work with this book, but also make it a part of you. Only this will lead to liberation

Your internal energy and will help in achieving the goal. Now let's start our journey together. First of all, assess your financial situation. On the following pages you will find instructions on how to carry out such an analysis. Start reading the book only after you have established exactly what you have. I sincerely hope that this book will not only help you become rich, but will touch you in the most profound way. I don't know you personally. However, I know that if you hold this book in your hands, then you must be a very special person. A person who is not ready to be satisfied with what circumstances offer him, who wants to write the story of his life himself. Such people create their future as an artist creates a work of art, and I wish with all my heart that my book would contribute to the creation of your masterpiece. Sincerely yours, Bodo Schaefer.

2. What do you really want?

You've been looking too long. Now give up seeking and learn to find. Heinz Kerner, "John"

The classic conflict lies in the difference between what we feel in our souls and how we actually live. Our idea of ​​how we should live and reality are often as different as day and night. Each of us has a need for spiritual growth in order to be happy. Deep down, we all want to change this world for the better. And we all want to believe that we deserve a really good life.

What are our chances of becoming wealthy?

What prevents us from living the life we ​​want? What is preventing you from achieving what you want? Naturally, most of us live in an environment that is not very prosperous. Our government gives its citizens a bad example, Every year getting deeper into debt. And to pay the interest on the growing public debt, it raises taxes. School education does not give us answers to the most important questions: "How to make your life happy?" and "How to become wealthy?" We learn in school that Attila fought in the Catalaunian Fields in 451, but we don't learn how to make—and quickly—his first million. Who is to teach us how to become wealthy? Our parents? Most of us don't have rich parents. And therefore their advice regarding the achievement of true prosperity is very meager. Add to this the fact that our society encourages excessive consumption, and acquaintances and friends often cannot support us. So something disappears from the lives of many people, which I consider as the innate right of everyone to be happy and wealthy. Thinking about my life today, I feel a deep satisfaction. I live exactly the way I dreamed, and I am financially independent. But it was not always so. Like most people, I also had a time when self-doubt led me into confusion and paralyzed my will.

Strong experiences shape our character

We have all been in situations that have had a profound effect on us. And these foundational moments have changed our worldview and our opinion about people, opportunities, money and the world. They have changed our lives, for better or worse. I was six years old when I had an experience that influenced my relationship with money. My father was admitted to the hospital with cirrhosis of the liver. He had to lie there for a whole year, because he needed absolute rest. Doctors even advised him not to read. One day I heard the doctor remark to my mother that he had never seen a patient who had so many visitors. At least six people visited my father every day, although complete rest was prescribed for him. So we learned that my father continued to work in the hospital. He was a lawyer, and along with the main, paid work, there was something in his life that he called "practice for the poor." He advised the poor for free. My mother immediately called my father to account. He must stop working, otherwise he will not leave the hospital alive. Doctors also appealed to his prudence. But the father was stubborn and continued to do what he saw fit. I often sat by his bed for hours and listened to what his visitors told him. And you know what? It was always about money, people always complained about their lack. And circumstances or other people were always to blame. I didn't understand the legal intricacies of the cases. and therefore it seemed to me that I heard the same story over and over again: money problems, money problems, money problems ... At first it was interesting to listen to. But it soon got on my nerves. I grew disgusted with poverty. Poverty makes people unhappy. She makes them look for my father even in the hospital room and, bowing low, beg him for help. I wanted to be wealthy. And I made a firm decision to become a millionaire by the age of thirty.

One Solution Is Not Enough

However, this is not the beginning of my success story. Although I reached my goal by the age of thirty, but five years before that I was in debt, I was 18 kilograms overweight, and I doubted my abilities. A tense financial situation has made money the center of my life. After all, money always has exactly the value that we attach to it. And during the period when you have financial problems, too much importance is attached to money. Of course, I hoped that things would change for the better. Somehow everything will work out. But nothing happens if we only hope and do nothing. Hope is a sedative for the intellect, an ingenious self-deception. Who or what do we rely on? On God or fate? But God is definitely not a cosmic babysitter who rewards us for inaction. The old saying is right: "All fools and fools live in expectation and hope."

Our moral values ​​must match our goals

I was in despair. How was it that I was earning quite a lot of money and yet was in debt? And when I finally found the answer to this question, I was amazed. It turns out that deep down I did not believe that money is good. I sabotaged my own efforts to succeed. After eight years of illness, my father died, and people said that he tortured himself with work. In no case did I want to torture myself with work. On the other hand, I did not want to be like the poor people who came to my father in the hospital to beg for legal protection. I wanted to be rich and, if possible, do nothing for it. Added to this was the fact that my mother, after the death of my father, went into religion. She was firmly convinced that "it is more likely that a camel will go through the eye of a needle than a rich man will go to heaven." On the one hand, I thought it was commendable to be poor. On the other hand, I wanted to be rich because I was disgusted by poverty. Thus, I was torn between two opposing aspirations. And until I resolved this conflict, I was treading water. Anyway, I tried to become rich. But there is always something that keeps us from taking concrete action. We leave the emergency exit open. The one who tries to do something but doesn't really want to do it is waiting for an obstacle that will allow him to give up his attempts and not change anything. We wait for disruption because we don't really believe that change is good for us and that we're strong enough to handle it.

Optimism and self-confidence

Put all your optimism aside for a moment. I will gladly explain to you the reason for this requirement. Optimism is undoubtedly a good quality that helps you see the positive aspects in everything. However, if optimism is not associated with other personality traits, little will budge. Optimism is often and unreasonably confused with self-confidence. While optimism allows you to see the positive, believing in yourself gives you the confidence to deal with the negative. Life is not a symphony consisting only of light and joyful notes; it also has dark notes. Who is confident in himself should not be afraid of difficult situations. Self-confident is the one who, based on his own past, knows that he can rely on himself. A self-confident person will not let anything and no one stop him, because he knows that he can cope with all obstacles. He proved it often enough. You will learn how you can build self-confidence in a short amount of time in Chapter 3. Your money is extremely important for developing self-confidence. Money does not allow indulging in unjustified optimism. The status of your account is read clearly and leaves no room for beautiful conversations. So, if you want to increase your self-confidence, you must regulate your financial situation. Your money should be proof to you that you can achieve more in life. You should not allow your financial situation to deprive you of self-confidence, because without such confidence you drag out a miserable existence. You will never know what is hidden in you. You won't risk anything. You are not growing as a person. You don't do what you can do. You are not using your full potential. A person without faith in himself does nothing, he has nothing, and he is nothing. All this has nothing to do with optimism. A look at the balance should prove to you that your money is the support in your life. Looking at your finances should give you a sense of confidence in your own abilities. This book will focus on how to adjust your financial situation so that your money does not work against you, but for you. Money can make your life difficult, but it can also make it easier.

What are your financial circumstances?

Do you think you are capable of more? Do you think that "it" does not satisfy you? Do you deserve more than what you currently have? Is achieving prosperity only a matter of time? So, put your optimism aside for a moment. How has your wealth grown in the last seven years? Write down the amount by which your property has increased or decreased over the past seven years: ______________ marks. Such numbers are very sobering, but there is another important circumstance. If you continue to live as you have lived until now, then in another seven years you will see approximately the same number. And this trend will continue in the coming years. But if you want different results, then you have to do something. You must go on new paths - and you should start with your way of thinking. Your way of thinking has made you what you are today. But it will not lead you to the goal that you would like to achieve. What do you think about money? You are constantly in dialogue with yourself. If you secretly believe that money is bad, you have no chance of becoming wealthy. So what are your actual thoughts? We'll find out in Chapter 5. You'll find out how you feel about money at the very core of your soul. And you will learn how you can change your views.

Money is good!

At the age of 26, I met a man who taught me the principles of wealth. In just four years, I was able to live off the interest on my money. It became possible so quickly because my dreams, moral values, goals and strategies finally came into harmony with each other. Believe it or not, money changes a lot in life. Money won't solve all your problems, and of course, money isn't everything. But financial difficulties cast a shadow on your happiness. Money will help you solve other problems more gracefully. You will have the opportunity to meet new people and visit new places, do more exciting work. You will become more confident in yourself and get more recognition from others. You will get completely new, previously unknown opportunities.

Five areas of our life

For simplicity, I divide our daily life into five areas: health, finances, connections, emotions, and the meaning of life. All five areas are equally important. Without health, everything else is worthless. Those who do not control their emotions lack the motivation to complete the work they have begun. Good connections are like salt in soup. By the meaning of life, I mean the opportunity to do what you really enjoy, which is more in line with your talent and helps other people. And our financial situation is very important. You should never do things for the sake of money that do not give you any pleasure. Therefore, you need what I call financial independence. You can compare each of the five areas of your life with the fingers of your hand. Suppose your finances are the middle finger that has just been hit hard with a hammer. Will you say

You: "No problem, it's just a finger. I have four others..."? Or will you be busy only with the finger that hurts? It is important that all five areas of life are in harmony with each other. And you must bring each of them to perfection. One who has money problems has not reached balance. And money troubles will always cast a shadow over all other areas. Money is an important element in life balance. How do people become wealthy in a short time? This is because they want to own enough money to work for them. Because they want to have a "money machine" instead of being a "money machine" all their lives for others. Because they want to have enough money to maintain the right balance in life. Do you know why most people do something completely different from what really adds pleasure to them? Because they don't have enough money. A vicious circle is formed: people do not do what gives them pleasure, because they do not know how this business can make money. But no one has ever made real money doing something they don't like. Due to lack of funds, people continue to do things that they do not like, and therefore cannot earn good money. The solution to the problem is this: take your favorite hobby and build a career on it. However, this can only be achieved when you give yourself time to analyze what you really enjoy and in what area you have talent. Many years ago, in New York, I met a very wealthy man who had a saying hanging over his desk: "He who works all day has no time to earn money." Obviously, the implication was that you should also give yourself time to think. When I asked what to think about, he replied: "Know yourself and find out what gives you pleasure. And then think about how you can make money from it. Ask yourself this question every day and look for the best answer every day."

Are you optimizing or minimizing?

We need time to figure out what brings us joy. Because only when we do something that fills us with passion and enthusiasm, we are really good. Then the money seems to flow to us by itself. We need time to discover our talents and develop our abilities. We need time to write the script of our life and try to make it a real masterpiece. Anyone who has not found time for this is wasting his life. And we need time to make fundamental decisions and to commit ourselves to act in accordance with the decisions made. Thus, each person must one day consciously decide whether he will try to optimize his life or whether his life will be minimized. To optimize your life means to learn how to use your time, your opportunities, your talents, your money, and also other people optimally. It's about always achieving the best possible result. If you want to optimize your life. You must constantly strive to be the best you can be. Most people, however, go through life rather haphazardly and minimize it. Such people live under the motto: "The day is over - and okay." The work week is an unpleasant break between the weekend for them. They work to earn money, not to find satisfaction in their work. They do not recognize either their talents or the opportunities that arise before them.

Planning is the alpha and omega

Many people plan their vacation much more thoroughly than life. There are, however, only two possibilities: either you plan your life yourself, or others will do it for you. Many have attempted planning several times and yet failed. Someone once said: "The more I plan, the more chance interferes with me. Therefore, I stopped making plans and now I do not suffer so much from accidents." However, there is a very simple reason why so many people fail to carry out their plans: they do not tie together their dreams, goals, moral values ​​and strategies. Professor Thomas Stanley of Georgia State University in the United States has spent twelve years researching the lives of the wealthy. And he came to the conclusion that the rich belong1 to the most contented people in the world, as their dreams, goals, moral values ​​and strategies are consistent with each other. Dreams, goals, moral values ​​and strategies - these four pillars are the foundation of the actions necessary to build wealth. After all, what you do in life does not primarily depend on iron discipline, but on dreams, goals, values ​​\u200b\u200band strategies.

These four pillars will be dealt with constantly in later chapters. This is how you build the foundation for achieving prosperity within seven years. It may seem incredible what a person is capable of when he brings these four forces into harmony.

Your dreams

Your dreams are a good indication of what will make you happy. Think about what you would do if you had enough time and money. You will be amazed to see that most of your desires require money to fulfill.

Your Goals

Based on your desires, formulate your goals. This requires a conscious decision. Until we decide, everything remains just a dream. So ask yourself what you want to be, what you want to do, and what you want to have. Further in this book, you will find a very simple way to achieve clarity in your goals and make conscious decisions.

your moral values

Now we come to a very important point: Your dreams and goals must be in line with your moral values. Ask yourself "What do I really want? What's really important to me" In chapter 5, you will find out what you think about money. Your moral values ​​are not at all fixed. It is a set of possibilities. In the beginning, the choice is made for us. are free to choose your own values ​​Moral values ​​are not final Some of your values ​​under the pressure of life circumstances come into conflict with each other - as it was with me Remember: on the one hand, I wanted to be rich, on the other hand If our values ​​and goals are pulling us in different directions at the same time, we're treading water, so it's important that your moral values ​​match your goals. How to achieve this is described in Chapter 5 Only by making a conscious decision about what moral values ​​you will allow to guide you will you be able to control your life.

Your strategies

Key Ideas

Money always has exactly the meaning that we attach to it. And during the period when you have financial problems, too much importance is attached to money.

Our moral values ​​and our goals must be in harmony with each other, otherwise we are marking time.

Optimism allows you to see the bright side in everything. Believing in yourself gives you the confidence to deal with the darker side of life.

He is confident in himself who finds evidence in his own past that he can rely on himself.

Your way of thinking made you what you are. But it cannot take you where you would like to be.

Success means you are the best you can be. Happiness means that you like yourself the way you have become.

Financial problems will always cast a shadow over all other areas of life.

Decide for yourself whether you want to own a "money machine" or be a lifelong "money machine" for others.

Build a career on your favorite hobby.

Whoever works all day has no time to earn money.

Only if you consciously decide which moral values ​​you will allow to guide you. You will be in control of your life.

What you do in life depends primarily not on iron discipline, but on dreams, goals, moral values ​​and strategies.

2. What is responsibility?

Whom you blame, you give power to. Wayne Dyer, "How to become a person for whom there are no barriers"

Creating wealth is impossible until we realize that only we ourselves are responsible for everything - we ourselves, and not the state, not circumstances, not a partner, not our upbringing, not our health, not our financial situation - the responsibility always lies on ourselves. “Wait a minute,” you say, “but what about illnesses, with blows of fate? What if I am deceived? And what about an accident in which I am innocent? Is it really always our responsibility? “Imagine that someone suddenly runs over your parked car. Are you guilty? You are not responsible for the actions of others, but you are responsible for your own reaction to them. Perhaps you take a shotgun and, in self-defense, shoot the offender on the spot. Or you are rubbing your hands in satisfaction, as you instantly realized that your insurance company will pay for the painting of your car, which is still long overdue for a repaint. Under certain circumstances, you will even get some profit. You are therefore not responsible for all events. But you are always responsible for your interpretation of events and for your reaction to them.

How money works according to Bodo Schaefer

Bodo Schaefer, financial consultant, in his book talks about the steps to financial independence: wealth, faith and luck. In the article, we will consider recommendations that relate to wealth.

Financial independence

According to Schaefer, wealth has an explicit definition. A rich person is not just a millionaire. Living in an apartment for a million does not mean being rich and financially independent.

You are only rich when you can live on the interest of the capital without having to work.

Therefore, thanks to the money earned, one cannot become rich, but it is possible thanks to the saved - savings.

The path to financial independence lies through the provision of financial security and financial protection.

financial protection- a buffer for unforeseen expenses. It should allow life without lowering the level of expenses within 3-6 months.

This money should be in liquid assets, for example, in a savings account in a bank. The main thing in the buffer is not its increase and protection against inflation, but quick access at any time. Part of the money can be kept in cash and kept in a safe.

After building financial protection, you need to move on to ensuring financial security.

financial security- capital, which will allow you to live on interest.

If the buffer helps to survive several difficult months, for example, due to the loss of a job, then the capital will allow you to cover monthly expenses only with interest and constantly. At the same time, the capital itself is not “eaten away”, in contrast to the buffer.

Determine the minimum amount to feel financially free. For example, for a family it is 100,000 rubles per month.

If you invest money at 8% per annum, you need to multiply this amount by 150. The 8% rate was chosen because risky instruments cannot be used for capital, so a bank deposit is suitable.

Then 100,000 × 150 = 15,000,000 rubles. Every year they give an income of 15,000,000 × 8% = 1,200,000 or the required 100,000 rubles per month.

It remains to determine the date by which you need to accumulate this amount and how much you need to save for this every month in order to become financially independent.

Financial freedom. The main goal of wealth is not to provide yourself with a minimum for obligatory expenses for an apartment, car and products. You need to provide yourself with something bigger, dreams. For example, a country house, teaching children abroad, annual leave for a month.

Therefore, after accumulating a buffer and capital for monthly expenses, you need to start saving for financial freedom.

To get started, you need to make a list of your desires with their costs and deadlines. After that, calculate the monthly amount that you need to set aside to achieve your dream.

It is important that unlike money for financial independence, money for financial freedom can be invested in more risky instruments.

Four steps to earning capital

What you need to do to save the first million.

1. Save a certain percentage of income. This means paying yourself first before giving money to others: for rent, loans, car maintenance. If you do not make such a “payment” first of all to yourself, then the money will be spent on expenses, and there will be nothing to save. For starters, this can be an amount of 10% of income.
2. Invest the money you save. Money should work, multiply itself. Then the capital will accumulate faster. Compound interest and investments will help with this. For example, if you invest 100,000 rubles at 10% per annum without capitalization, then another 100,000 will accumulate in 10 years. If you invest the earned interest every month again, then the income will already be 160,000 rubles, 60% more. The longer the term, the greater the effect of compound interest. For 20 years, without capitalization, it will “drip” 200,000 rubles, and with a monthly capitalization, 570,000.
3. Increase income. Engage in education, advanced training, find new sources of income. After training in additional courses, you can ask for a salary increase, and by increasing the level of financial literacy, it is more efficient to invest savings.
4. Save a certain percentage of each income increase achieved. Schaefer calls this "surplus income." If earlier the monthly income was 50,000 rubles, then 5,000 of them went into savings, and 45,000 remained for life. If income has grown to 65,000, then from this difference, 15,000, you need to set aside half - 7,500. Now you have 52,500 for life, and already 12,500 for savings. As a result, the level of consumption grows more slowly than income. And savings are growing faster than before.

How to beat inflation

Inflation devalues ​​money - over time, the purchasing power of the same amount falls. If five years ago it was possible to fill a car tank with 1,000 rubles, now this money will be enough for only thirty liters, and in another five years, perhaps only ten.

Therefore, money should not lie idle, they need to be multiplied. Income on bank deposits only approaches the level of inflation and money is not multiplied, but saved. Schaefer offers another option.

If goods are constantly rising in price, that is, their cost increases, then you need to invest in goods. And better - in the production of goods, that is, to buy a share of the enterprise that produces them. The easiest way to do this is to buy shares in the company.

9 Rules for Acquiring and Owning Shares

1. Large profits can be achieved over a period of 2 to 5 years. This means never investing money that you might suddenly need. The exchange is not for investing money "for life".
2. Profit and loss is only discussed after the sale of shares. Even if now the shares have dipped and show a potential loss, after a while they can grow back and give a good profit.
3. On the stock exchange, good times and bad times come and go. If you use the exchange for long-term investments, then over time, losses in bad times will be recouped by growth in good ones. It is important not to panic in bad times.
4. There is a good side to the crisis: there is an opportunity to buy stocks far below par.
5. Buy shares of a minimum of five and a maximum of ten different companies. This is called diversification of investments to reduce risks - "eggs in different baskets." It is desirable that the companies were in different industries. Now the oil industry is not showing the best income, but energy companies are making high profits.
6. Profit is made up of the exchange rate growth of the share price and dividends. You can make money on both. Even if the stock doesn't rise much, the company can pay generous dividends.
7. Don't listen to the crowd. Who does what everyone does, gets what everyone gets.
8. An emotional investor has no chance of making good money. You can not rely on intuition in buying shares, you need to analyze the company and the market.
9. Never take loans to invest in stocks.