Million Dollar Habits

Success is the ability to live your life the way you want to live it.

1: Redefine Your Concept of Success

Success isn't about fitting society's definitions; it's about aligning your life with what makes you truly happy. Brian Tracy emphasizes that success starts with defining what it means to you personally.

When thinking about success, most people default to conventional ideas like wealth or fame. Tracy argues that genuine success stems from fulfilling four shared goals: being healthy and fit, forming meaningful relationships, enjoying your work, and attaining financial independence. These goals are universal and deeply tied to human well-being.

To work toward personal success, you must do a reality check. Give yourself a score in each of these areas on a scale of one to ten. This self-audit helps you focus on where you need the most improvement. Success isn't about achieving perfection in every area, but about progress toward your ideal version of yourself.

Examples

• Score your physical fitness honestly and decide which bad habits to address.
• Reflect on your relationships and consider where effort is needed to improve connections.
• Identify areas where your daily work aligns—or fails to align—with your passions.

2: Reprogram Your Mind for Achievement

Your self-concept, or how you view yourself, is the filter through which you operate. Tracy explains that to realize your potential, you need to reprogram your mind.

Your subconscious is shaped by experiences, feelings, and patterns, and it dictates your behavior. For instance, if you’ve grown up believing you’re bad at math, your mind will reinforce that belief every time you approach a math problem. Tracy offers a solution: modify your self-concept by improving your self-ideal (your vision of who you want to be), self-image (your internal view of yourself), and self-esteem (how much you like yourself).

By consciously choosing positive affirmations and images, you can adjust how you behave and perform. Simply declaring phrases like “I like myself!” can boost your self-esteem, making it easier to take productive actions toward goals.

Examples

• Think about an area where you want to excel, and visualize yourself achieving it daily.
• Replace negative thoughts with uplifting ones—e.g., swap "I'm bad at public speaking" for "I'm becoming a great public speaker."
• Affirm self-love with repetitive, positive phrases each morning.

3: Choose Health and Fitness as a Standard

Health should be a deliberate choice. Tracy highlights the connection between a long, vibrant life and simple, consistent habits.

Your weight, diet, exercise, and routine health practices are all under your control. If you’re overweight, it’s not just biology—it's choices. Tracy advises eating smaller portions, avoiding processed foods, and prioritizing fruits, vegetables, and water. Exercise, too, is non-negotiable; even walking 30 minutes a day boosts your fitness level significantly.

Beyond diet and exercise, taking care of the basics like adequate sleep, regular medical checkups, and even flossing can make an enormous difference. Set small health goals and stick to them as if your life depends on it—because it does.

Examples

• Schedule bedtime and aim for seven hours of sleep each night.
• Plan meals for the week to ensure healthy eating patterns.
• Allocate 30 minutes daily for exercise, whether it’s yoga or brisk walking.

4: Build Strong and Meaningful Relationships

Our happiness depends greatly on our relationships. Tracy underscores the importance of habits that foster warmth, connection, and trust.

One of the key ingredients in great relationships is acceptance. When you make others feel valued, people gravitate toward you. Tracy suggests practicing daily gratitude as well as offering compliments freely. These simple acts elevate both your mood and others’.

Listening is also a skill worth mastering. When you show genuine attentiveness, pause thoughtfully between responses, and paraphrase what others say, it creates deeper bonds. This is as effective at work as it is at home.

Examples

• Begin your morning by reflecting on three things you’re grateful for, and express them aloud.
• Make it a habit to compliment at least one person each day sincerely.
• Practice active listening by maintaining eye contact and asking clarifying questions during conversations.

5: Do Work You Truly Enjoy

Life is too short to settle for a career that doesn’t bring you joy. Tracy advises seeking opportunities that align with your natural talents and passions.

There are endless job options available, and not every role will fit you. Identify activities that energize you and find ways to turn them into paid work. Also, don’t hesitate to evaluate your career in terms of personal growth and satisfaction regularly.

Changing your career path may require risks, but the reward—fulfilling work—makes this a worthwhile endeavor. Establishing clear goals can further help build a roadmap for reaching your ideal job.

Examples

• List your top three areas of interest and research corresponding job opportunities.
• Prioritize self-improvement through workshops or courses relevant to your dream job.
• Write down your long-term career goals and break them into smaller steps.

6: Write It Down to Make It Real

Thinking about goals alone won’t cut it. Tracy insists on the power of pen and paper in helping us commit.

By writing down your aspirations daily, your subconscious starts working on solutions automatically. Be detailed and specific when jotting down objectives, and always plan tasks that bring you closer to completing them. Prioritize the items on your list so you’ll know where to focus your energy.

This habit creates extraordinary focus over time. Even if you achieve only 20 percent of a long to-do list, the clarity gained is invaluable.

Examples

• Set aside five minutes every evening to write your goals for the next day.
• Highlight top-priority tasks to ensure they get your attention first.
• Keep a dedicated notebook for goal tracking.

7: Adopt Habits of Financial Success

Millionaires don’t succeed by accident—they follow systematic habits to build wealth, which you can emulate.

Saving should begin now, even if it’s just 10 percent of your income. Reshape your thinking to enjoy growing your savings rather than seeing it as a loss. Tracy also emphasizes careful investment and learning to live below your means—two hallmarks of financial independence.

Lastly, grow your wealth slowly through steady returns and compounding interest. Avoid gambling on risky ventures and ensure your assets are insured.

Examples

• Open a savings account and automate 10 percent of your income into it monthly.
• Research and select basic investment options like index funds for steady growth.
• Set a goal to save half of your next raise, using the other half for enjoyment.

8: Manage Time Like It’s Your Most Valued Resource

Time management isn’t just practical—it’s life-changing. Tracy explains that focusing on strengths and eliminating distractions boosts productivity.

Start each day earlier and organize tasks so you’re tackling important ones during your peak energy hours. Cut out distractions like unnecessary meetings or excessive screen time, and concentrate on getting better at what you already do well.

Effective preparation fuels success. Whether it’s an important meeting or a family dinner, take time to plan—it saves hours in the long run.

Examples

• Begin work 30 minutes earlier to set the tone for a productive day.
• Batch similar tasks together, like answering emails or making phone calls.
• Create detailed meeting agendas beforehand to use time more effectively.

9: Develop a Winning Mindset

What you tell yourself matters. Tracy focuses on how thoughts and beliefs shape the world you create for yourself.

Replace “I can’t” statements with affirmations of capability, such as “I’m learning how to.” Envision yourself succeeding repeatedly—in your career, relationships, and physical health. This mental rehearsal strengthens pathways in your mind, making success easier to achieve.

A winning mindset also involves resilience. Instead of dwelling on mistakes, view failures as feedback and recalibrate your approach.

Examples

• Write down affirmations like “I’m confident and capable” and review them daily.
• Dedicate five minutes each day to visualizing yourself achieving a specific goal.
• Keep a journal where you record lessons learned from missteps and how you’ll improve.

Takeaways

1. Commit to writing down your daily goals to keep your actions focused and intentional.
2. Start saving at least 10 percent of your income today—compound growth happens over time.
3. Make your health a priority by investing in exercise, better nutrition, and rest.