Million Dollar Habits: 10 Simple Steps to Getting Everything You Want in Life by Robert Ringer - book review

"Success is matter of understanding and religiously practicing specific, simple habits that always lead to success".

The author rightly claims that "habits can be developed by anyone who is willing to put forth the necessary effort".

"success is not dependent upon one's being blessed with superior intelligence or special skills, nor does formal education, hard work, or luck play a major role in an individual's climb toward success".

This is a positive message. Success is an outcome of your habits.

The author talks of 10 major habits that contribute to success.

Reality Habit

People have illusions about reality. They develop mental models in school, and never change them. This is where the expression '50-year old with high school mindset' comes from.

People take the intellectually lazy way out when making decisions. "when it comes time to take action, we often suppress our intellect and allow our emotions to guide us".

"Truth is abhorred by the masses". Instead, they try to make true that which they love—a self-delusive practice that virtually guarantees frustration and failure.

They have beliefs which cannot be challenged or explored or questioned.

"Unfortunately, most people live in an unreal world; i.e., they create a world in their own minds based on the way they would like it to be rather than the way it actually is".

"positive results rarely find their way to people who harbor a faulty perception of reality". They fail and fail. Then they develop a fantasy based model of life and use it to fit reality. Some examples are conspiracy theories, hidden factors, secret dark forces, evil capitalists etc.

Attitude Habit

Author recommends us to have right attitude when facing challenges. Explore all alternatives.

Morality Habit

Have clear values: that you can articulate and share with others.

Avoid little white lies and exaggeration.

Avoid omissions.

Good People Habit

Brevity: keep your explanations short. Don't bore people or waste their time.

Simplicity Habit

Avoid Overcommitment

Don't dilly dally and get nothing done.

Division of labor: dont do everything yourself. Delegate. Don't expect one person to do everything.

Drain People Habit

Cut off people who achieve nothing or are dysfunctional.

Self Discipline Habit

Cultivate self discipline and look for discipline in others. This extends to discipline regarding time, money, attention, commitment etc.

Action Habit

Probably the most important habit. All other habits mean nothing without habit for action. There will be no results without action.

The biggest obstacle to action is "Waiting for Something to Happen".

Summary

Checkist for Habits of Success
Assess from these habits if there is likelihood of success or not.
Reality Habit	Do we suppress our intellect and allow our emotions to guide us	or
	Beliefs which cannot be challenged or explored or questioned	or
	Looking for a good fantasy	or
Attitude Habit	Explore all alternatives	or
Morality Habit	Have clear values that you can articulate and share with others	or
	Avoid little white lies and exaggeration.	or
	Avoid omissions.	or
Good People Habit	Brevity: keep your explanations short. Don't bore people or waste their time.	or
Simplicity Habit	Avoid Overcommitment	or
	Don't dilly dally and get nothing done	or
	Division of labor	or
Drain People Habit	Cut off people who achieve nothing or are dysfunctional.	or
Self Discipline Habit	Cultivate self discipline and look for discipline in others. This extends to discipline regarding time, money, attention, commitment etc.	or
Action Habit	The biggest obstacle to action is "Waiting for Something to Happen".	or

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