Yes, SUCCESS SECRETS is a blog about success secrets and we stop at nothing to share with you whatever can be of help in this regard. Today, I came across a young man's post on nairaland about the financial mistakes that almost ruined his first five years of work! Truly, many of us could have experienced same but have not taken the time to reconsider our steps and learn from our mistakes.
I DECIDED TO REPRODUCE HIS OBSERVATIONS HERE WITHOUT EDITING. JUST SO YOU MIGHT LEARN A THING OR TWO ABOUT IT. ENJOY AND FEEL FREE TO DROP YOUR COMMENTS BELOW:
A colleague and I were chatting this afternoon as we were having our break. And we discussed how far we have come, financially. We've not done too well. As we talked on, we all agreed we made certain financial Mistakes that are responsible for our present financial status. We didn't arrive there by error; certain errors are responsible, and it's these I intend to share with us. Maybe we can learn a thing or two.
Inadequate financial literacy: It took me over 3 years to even understand how money works. All I did was to get my salary, spend it and desperately waited till another comes and the cycle never ended. Most of us do not really understand how money works, and our educational system never even dared to give us a crash course on money. We were simply bombarded with Fourier Series, Calculus and other theorems that do not really matter in the real scheme of life. Life is totally different. Money has rules and till we actually understand them, we won't do well financially.
Impulse Spending: This one is a killer. Most people are aware of this medium of waste. Practise this act and you're damn sure of being in lack. This was one major weakness I HAD. Not anymore. I've bought countless things purely on impulse. I didn't think through; I just bought. And the consequences of impulsive spending is poverty or lack. Now, I buy things when it's absolutely necessary. Emotions are a major factor when it comes to money. And the poor are always emotional when it comes to money. The rich have mastered their emotions. They only spend money when they want to meet their NEEDS. Only the poor and thieving politicians throw away money.
Indiscipline: To be rich requires work. Hard work. And the poor are averse to hard work. It takes a lot of discipline to follow a budget. I hardly followed my budget then. It takes a lot of discipline to think on the appropriate means to make more money. The poor only likes spending. And spending doesn't involve much work. Just dole out the cash and it's gone. It takes discipline to keep money. I lacked it too.
Inability To say NO : This was one major financial flaw I had back then. I can't recall ever saying NO anyone's financial demands. That was a fatal character flaw. You can't be wealthy meeting all of people's needs. I've practically taken loans to meet people's needs. Their needs never end. Now I know better. I still give but I won't hesitate to say NO if I have to. I've got to be true to myself. To be rich is to be sincere and prudent with money.
Especially when it comes to relatives and even.loved ones, one can hardly say NO. I had to work on myself. In the past years, it's being others before I. Now, no more. We erroneously believe people will die if we don't always meet their needs. Nothing could be further from the truth. Last December, I sincerely asked my parents to bear with my inability to meet their demands. They're still live and kicking. Even if you're there, people will live on. That's life. I know our African culture requires we shoulder others problems but there's clearly a limit, and we must endeavour to strike a balance. Keep spending the cash on them, and you're tagged a GOOD MAN. You will remain poor as far as you wanna be a good man. Good men are almost always poor 
Careless giving: There have been countless times I've given out money immediately I saw some people. I just thought they needed. It's very good to give, but it must be done with wisdom. Money shouldn't be spent anyhow. Giving must be meaningful and purposeful. Now, I know better.
Trying To Impress Others: Sometimes we do it even without knowing. I've done this a few times. It's a terrible habit. We need to live realistic lives. And we must live within our means. It's silly to live an exaggerated life so as to impress some people. It's epic foolishness. Oftentimes those we intend to impress hard notice us. Why the bother? It another habit of the poor to try to give people a false sense of their financial status. Now, I don't give a hoot. I simply live MY life. Anyone can make their conclusions; it's their business.
Lack of Project: My first give years were indeed experimental. The errors are so depressing. Money must go somewhere. Nature abhors vacuum. Something must take your money. Since I didn't have my projects taking the money, others simply get me theirs. Wicked people. U go blame them? No. Blame me. Now, I've a lot of projects ongoing and I barely have enough for my self and loved ones, let alone OTHERS. No more vacuum.
Not Involving My Woman: Ego has hardly paid any man. It has caused more pain than it has given joys. I didn't actively involve my woman in my finances those years. Now I do. Women can be an oasis of wisdom. Mine is a bundle of financial wisdom. I've hardly listened to her. I used to just her the family upkeep and limited her foray. Now, she plays a crucial role in decision making and the results have been excellent.
If we don't make deliberate and conscious efforts at money, we won't be rich. If I understood these principles before now, I would have certainly being in a better position finally. This I know.
We need to start taking money seriously. When the chips are down, we're all left on our own. No one can eternally shoulder your problems. We need to be smart with our money. It hardly comes without effort. Why spend it without effort? Be disciplined. Enjoy with tomorrow in mind. It comes so fast. Without financial discipline, we will be stuck in the rat race forever. The rich are highly disciplined when it comes to money. They hardly give it away. That's why we hate them. We tag them as miserly and stingy. They simply understand how money works.
It's never too late to begin doing the right thing. Now, I hardly fall into these death traps. Take your financial future seriously. Work. Save. Invest. Give. Apply wisdom.
Please, avoid these financial Mistakes. Follow them, and lack is sure. It takes a lot of discipline to be rich; that's why many are poor.
To be poor is the easiest thing to achieve in life. You do nothing to be poor. Just find excuses. And excuses abound. You don't need to look far.
