One of the wealthiest individuals in Asia, as well as the 37th richest person in the world, is Li Ka-Shing.
His rise from poverty to wealth is a remarkable American success story. As a young boy, he was compelled to stop going to school in order to help support his family.
The financial advice that Li Ka-Shing provided in his Five-Year Plan was quite interesting to me.
- Your monthly income, in whatever amount it is, should be split up among the five different funds. On the order of about 30%, 20%, 15%, 10%, and 25%.
- The first portion of cash is designated for day-to-day living costs. Live simple. Consume some kind of breakfast. Consume a simple meal for lunch. Have a simple meal for supper. Since you are still young and hence still somewhat robust and adaptive, your body won’t suffer too much from adhering to a simple diet.
- The second kind of fund is for growing your social network by making new acquaintances and friends. Try to keep your monthly phone cost as low as possible. But you are required to treat two guests to lunch or supper once a month on the house. Who are these individuals, exactly? They are those who have more experience, knowledge, or wealth than you do, or who have assisted you in moving further in your professional life.
- Make it a point to pay for the lunches and dinners of those who put in more effort than you do and have loftier goals than you do. If you keep doing this on a monthly basis, within a year your sphere of influence will have increased significantly; this is an investment that will pay benefits in the future. Your reputation and influence will spread across the community.
- The third kind of money is for education. Spend part of your money on books on a monthly basis. You want to learn as much as you can about business, but money is tight right now. When you purchase a book, make sure that you read it covers to cover and take in all of the information and advice that it contains. After you have finished the book, you should make it a point to attempt to explain the concepts to someone else using your own words. According to a number of studies, doing so improves one’s ability to learn the material. You should also try to save money so you can go to a training school. Many successful people have taken training courses.
For instance, Warren Buffet previously participated in the public speaking course offered by Dale Carnegie. You not only learn new things, but you also make connections with others who share your values.
The fourth category of finances is designated for travel, particularly to foreign countries. At the very least once a year, give yourself the gift of travel. Your life experience will be enriched and broadened as a result of your travels across the globe. After a period of time, you will have been to a variety of places, interacted with a wide range of people, and participated in a wide range of activities. Your outlook on life will shift, and you will develop personally as a result of engaging with it. You might think of it as a way of honing your skills or recharging your batteries every time you go through such events.
The fifth group of money is designated for investments. Maintain a consistent effort to put money away in your bank account. Make effective use of this cash as early beginning funding for anything like a new small company. If you run a small business, you are less likely to go bankrupt because you are less likely to lose a lot of money. Even if you do lose a lot of money, it won’t be a lot. However, once you do start making money, you will find that it gives you a boost in both confidence and bravery. After a few years have passed, you will be able to start putting money down for your long-term security. It will serve as your emergency fund for when things go wrong and will maintain a consistent level of quality of life.
If you haven’t seen an increase in your wage after working hard for a year, you haven’t grown as a person, and you have plenty of reasons to be ashamed of who you are. “Do yourself a favor and go on over to the grocery store, where you can pick up some of the firmest tofu. You have earned it, so take it and smash it over your head because you deserve it.
You still need to put in the work, even if your monthly income is going to be higher.
It is strongly suggested that you look for part-time work, preferably in sales. Why? Although it might be difficult, selling is a talent that will serve you well for the rest of your life. People will be able to buy into their aspirations, ideas, and visions thanks to your skill at selling them. You will also make a lot of connections with other individuals who will end up being very important in your life. You will also get an awareness of what sells well and what does not, as well as what has the potential to be successful and what will not.
Make an effort to assist commercial enterprises; there are entrepreneurs in every community that want assistance. Put yourself out there and make it known that you are available for part-time work. This will not only help you become more skilled, but it will also help you become more sophisticated.
You should always split your revenue into five equal parts, regardless of how much money you bring in. Always make an effort to demonstrate your worth to others and to be helpful. Grow your circle of contacts. Putting money into yourself is the best way to boost your self-worth. People will start taking notice of you as you become more valued, which will lead to an increase in your revenue. Always put money towards things like education, building your self-confidence, experiencing new things, traveling, and planning for your future.
After a few years, you ought to start amassing a surplus, sometimes known as a larger war chest.
As you begin to pay more attention to both your diet and your health, you will notice that your body gradually gains strength. You will have a large number of companions and connections at your disposal. You will get access to greater training, as well as the possibility to work on larger projects and take on more responsibilities. You will soon be well on your way to achieving your goals, and you will have enough extra money to purchase a home, a vehicle, and an education for your children’s future.
Some words of wisdom about “The Art of Living”:
One of the best-known schools of thought in the world, Harvard, postulates that a person’s destiny is predetermined by how they choose to spend their leisure time between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. Make the most of these two hours by learning, talking to people about things that matter, and thinking. If you keep at it for a number of years, eventually success will find you and knock on your door.
There is absolutely no problem with being a youthful person. You have no need to be concerned about your financial situation. You should continually be working to better yourself, both in terms of your knowledge and your status in the world. It is necessary for you to have the ability to differentiate between what is essential and worthy of financial investment. You need to have an understanding of the things that are deserving of your financial investment. This is the fundamental principle behind discipline. Make it a goal to limit the amount of money you spend on clothing. Make it a goal to eat out less.
Avoid spending an excessive amount of money on clothing, shoes, or other material objects. When you have enough money, you can purchase as many of them as you like whenever you desire. Put some of your money aside so you may purchase presents for the people you care about. Give them an explanation as to why you are frugal and talk about your hopes, aspirations, and plans for the future.
When times are tough, remember to be kind to those around you. Don’t keep a tally of favors.
Spend money so that other people may see that you are struggling financially. When you are wealthy, there is no need to flaunt it. When times are tough, you have no choice but to be charitable. When you have a lot of money, you don’t want others to think of you as a wasteful person. You may say that everything in your life has finally come full circle. This should be the final objective. At this point, you will reach a place of tranquility.
When you are no longer concerned about how you will pay your bills, you can put the rest of your money into pursuing your ambitions. Spread your wings and try not to be afraid of your dreams! Be sure to lead a life of great significance!
Whatever transpired in the past can no longer be changed. Do not dwell on previous mistakes. There is no use in lamenting about something that has already happened. Everybody makes errors. It is not the errors themselves that are important, but what you take away from them. Don’t beat yourself up over missed chances; you can’t take advantage of every door that opens.
Conclusion
It takes a certain kind of person to be able to keep their composure and a grin on their face while they are being misunderstood. It is a show of kindness when, after being mistreated, you can keep your composure and grin. When someone takes advantage of you and you grin about it, it shows that you are willing to have an open mind. It is a show of composure to grin even when you are in an impossible situation. When someone looks down on you and you grin, it shows that you have confidence in yourself.
It is possible to engineer life. A person’s professional life can be planned. It is possible to create happiness. You need to start making plans right now. When you are struggling financially, you should spend less time indoors and more time outdoors. When you are affluent, you should behave in the complete opposite manner. When you are in a financial bind, you should give money to other people. When you have a lot of money, you should spend some of it on yourself.
