Millionaire Thinking: 5 Ways to Think Like a Millionaire

Ever wondered what truly sets millionaires apart? As someone with a degree in psychology, I have always had a fascination with human thinking. I believe that our mindset has the power to directly affect our success in life. I have always believed that while we can’t one day just decide to be millionaires and manifest tons of money in the bank, we CAN set ourselves up for success by changing our mindset to that of the top percent. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to understand some of the similarities in millionaire thinking, to see which little habits I can pick up for myself. In this post, I’m going to show you some of the patterns I’ve noticed, and things I try to implement every day and highly suggest you pick up as well. Let’s dive into the exact thought patterns that separate millionaires from the average thinker!

Many of us have been taught that when you earn money you should learn to save it. While yes, we should all have savings to fall back on, stagnant money doesn’t grow. Wealthy individuals see money as a tool to create more opportunities.

Think about it like this: if you had a hammer, would you spend all day admiring it in your toolbox? Of course not! You’d use it to build something. That’s exactly how millionaires view money. Instead of hoarding it in a savings account, they ask themselves, “How can I use this money to build something bigger?”

When most people get a bonus, they think about what they can buy. But when millionaires make money, they think about how they can invest it to create more value. They might put it into their business, invest in real estate, or fund a new venture. 

Building wealth is about understanding that money’s true value isn’t in its ability to sit in an account – it’s in the potential to create more opportunities and value. They don’t just work for money; they make money work for them.

The next time you receive money, before you spend or save it, ask yourself, “How could I use this money as a tool to create more value?” This simple question can transform your relationship with money and open your eyes to opportunities you might have missed before.

Don’t get me wrong, hard work is necessary to get anywhere in life. But the unfortunate truth is the person with the most success isn’t always the person who works the hardest. Now this isn’t me enabling lazy behavior or complacency. Working smarter is about being more efficient so you can allocate your time to other things.

This same principle applies to business and wealth creation. Instead of thinking, “I need to make more sales calls,” a millionaire thinker asks, “How can I create a system that consistently generates leads?” Rather than manually posting on social media every day, they develop a content calendar and use scheduling tools.

Here’s where it gets really powerful: Systems are scalable, tasks aren’t! You can only complete so many tasks in a day, but a well-designed system can work 24/7, and probably complete tasks more efficiently.

Think about Amazon – do you think Jeff Bezos built his fortune by personally processing every single order? No, he built systems that could handle millions of transactions automatically, he learned to delegate tasks to others and create systems so he could focus on other tasks that would encourage growth. 

Now yes for most of us, building our wealth will not be anywhere near the same scale as Amazon or Jeff Besos but that doesn’t stop us from building systems or regulating parts of our lives so we can put our focus towards other ways to grow.

Try this: Put your millionaire thinking cap on. Ask yourself:

• Can this be automated?
• Is there a way to eliminate this task entirely?

For example, instead of manually managing your credit card each month, set up automatic payments. Not having to worry about manually doing this every month can save you a lot of time and can even guarantee you don’t accidentally forget to pay it. Potentially improving your credit score and your utilization ratio. If you want to learn more about credit utilization read this!

Remember, the goal isn’t to find ways to be lazy – it’s to simplify your life and work. When you simplify things, you suddenly have more time to spend on things that will bring more growth, and happiness to your life.

Time is money! The richest people in the world all know how to manage their time. Proper time management is one of the best ways to guarantee productivity and efficiency. In fact, many wealthy people, and people in high positions even hire people to help manage their time because they understand a fundamental truth – you can always make more money, but you can’t make more time.

Think about it this way: if you have an unexpected expense or emergency come up, you can usually put in a few more hours or pick up an extra shift to make up some of the money you lost. But if you waste an hour scrolling through social media, not to be dramatic or anything but, that time is gone forever. Now this isn’t to say that you are not allowed to have fun, or take days off, or even have time for yourself. In fact, I encourage it. If you never take time for yourself, you’ll burn out which is the worst-case scenario.

Now how can we apply this concept to our everyday lives? Here are just a few of many ways:

Using a planner can be a fantastic way to stay on top of what needs to be done and to visualize how much time you actually have in a day. You’ll be surprised by how much time you actually have in a day when you write it out (if you guys are interested in some daily planner apps let me know! I’d be happy to make a post about some of my favorite ones).

This goes hand-in-hand with my last point about working smarter, not harder, and creating systems. If you can find ways to automate different parts of your routine, then you free up more time for yourself. For example, if you’re creating content, make a content calendar!

List all the tasks that you complete on an everyday basis and try to find ways to clump them together. For example, try to do all tasks involving your computer at once (emails, bills, etc…), then move on to house-related tasks. This way you can be slightly more efficient than jumping randomly from one task to another.

Remember, valuing time over money doesn’t mean never enjoying leisure – quite the opposite. It means being intentional about how you spend every hour, whether it’s making money, learning new skills, or recharging with family. Because at the end of the day, time truly is one of your most valuable assets.

Networking is such a powerful tool. The unfortunate truth is that sometimes the more qualified person will get passed up for opportunities for someone with connections. I’ve learned that building the right connections isn’t just about having a packed contact list; it’s about creating a network that actively generates opportunities.

Think of networking like dropping a pebble in a pond. One strong connection can create ripples that have the potential to reach far beyond the one individual you may have networked with. For example, a colleague might mention your name to their boss, who happens to be looking for exactly what you offer. Suddenly, you’re in the room with decision-makers you wouldn’t have met otherwise. Meeting one person has the potential to result in meeting 100 others or even just one person with the power to get you where you want to go.

Another key to good networking is connecting with people who share your goals and mindset. These aren’t just friends who support your dreams – they’re active participants in your success journey. When you’re part of a circle where everyone is focused on growth and opportunity, you naturally elevate your own thinking and actions.

 The richest people often become friends with those in similar positions to them. This isn’t an accident. Keep your circle full of positive influences; people that will either support you emotionally or help you achieve your goals. My mom used to tell me this growing up and I still think they are some great words to live by:

Remember, building these relationships isn’t about collecting business cards or LinkedIn connections. It’s about creating genuine, mutually beneficial relationships with people who inspire and challenge you to grow. You never know – that one relationship might be the catalyst for your next big opportunity.

At the end of the day, you have to be your own biggest cheerleader. According to “The Millionaire Next Door”, about 80% of millionaires are self-made and first-generation wealth builders. These aren’t people who inherited their success – they earned it. They fought for it.

Think about Oprah Winfrey, who grew up in poverty but never let her circumstances define her future. Ed Sheeran at one point in his life was homeless when he was trying to pursue his music career. There are a ton of stories of people who came from nothing and became successful. It’s easy to come up with reasons why you can’t succeed, but you have to continue to believe in yourself. 

We all have things that could easily be limiters if we allow them. Me personally, I have always struggled with knowing if I will be good enough. For others, it could be friends and family telling them to “get a real job” or “play it safe,”. Regardless of whether your obstacles are external or internal, you must continue to push yourself and never relent. 

Every successful person has faced setbacks that would make most people quit. The difference? They see obstacles as temporary challenges rather than permanent roadblocks. When they hit a wall, they don’t ask “Why me?” Instead, they ask “What’s next?”.

I challenge you to take a serious look at your goals. Decide what you want. Build a plan and then go for it. Once you start on that path, never look back. Don’t allow yourself to be set back by your own personal battles or by the words of others. If there’s one investment that you will always see returns on, it’s BETTING. ON. YOURSELF.

It’s all about manifestation. If you want to build wealth and live a comfortable life one day, you have to take steps to accomplish that. Not every step has to be a colossal investment or some crazy new business venture. Sometimes all it takes to get you heading in the right direction is a simple change in your way of thinking. 

Life is all about constantly learning and growing. If we are going to be learning, why not learn from those who have already built success? I truly believe that if you adapt some of these techniques into your everyday life you will start seeing changes in not only your finances but your thinking as well. Mindset is the key to setting yourself up for success. I challenge you to start looking for ways to grow your money. Build systems for yourself. Learn to network and build meaningful connections, and always bet on yourself. Try some of these strategies and let me know if you start seeing any changes in your life.