Rafael Badziag is the author of a new book called The Billion Dollar Secret: 20 Principles of Billionaire Wealth and Success, and for the book he interviewed some 21 billionaires to try and determine if there was anything that they all had in common (besides luck, that is!).
Badziag spent five years conducting interviews and analyzing the results, and he found not just one but six commonalities in the archetypal successful billionaire. Here's a rundown on what they are:
1. Discipline
In his book, Badziag claims that "billionaires I interviewed are the most disciplined people I have ever met," and that they all "put a high standard on themselves and on the people around them." He draws a connection between their drive towards achievement and their massive fortunes, claiming that even when they "feel lazy" they continue to "take up the struggle to overcome their weaknesses."
2. Routines
Humans are naturally creatures of habit and ritual, and according to Badziag your average billionaire is no different. A strong, almost religious devotion to their morning routine is common among the billionaire class, with special attention paid to those rituals and routines that begin one's workday.
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3. Introspection
Taking time out of each day to think, either through active meditation or during other relaxing activities, is an important part of the billionaire lifestyle, says Badziag.
4. Reading
Going hand-in-hand with number three on this list, a devotion to books is also a commonplace trait among billionaires found by Badziag. He says almost everyone he interviewed professed to spend a significant portion of the day reading up on trade publications, industry magazines, biographies, and other informational texts. But at least one of them was more honest: Nordic Choice Hotels co-owner Petter Stordalen, who prefers mystery novels.
5. Health
Wealth affords one the ability to pay a little more attention to one's physical wellness compared to the average person, and most of the billionaires interviewed by Badziag don't let it go to waste. They keep regular gym schedules even as they get older, and a surprising amount of them were athletes in their younger days.
6. Early Rising
The early bird gets the worm, and in the case of the 21 billionaires interviewed by Badziag, the old adage seems to hold some truth. On average, Badziag says that the most typical wake-up time for his selection of billionaires comes to 5:30 AM.
