Five Habits of the Rich...and How They Apply to Writers

So, like the rest of the free TV-watching world, I am watching the Olympics.  There are some amazing stories and some even more shows of excellence.  I am also amazed at the mind-boggling money spent on the event and the even more that simple families came up with to send one, two, three, four, and more family members to watch loved ones compete.  Like always, my frugal scrutinizing wasn't far behind.

Like how do you even afford a ticket to a place halfway across the world?  Of course my answer is you have to be rich.  Then my brain goes to work.  Why are rich people rich?  How do they get there and better question: how do they stay there?

In my travels I came across an article giving me the five
traits of the world's wealthiest people,
They aren't what you think.

1. They eat less junk food
2. They exercise regularly
3. They don't procrastinate
4. They keep learning
5. They nurture relationships

Simple rules, but I always have to know how to live them as a writer.  So I came up with my own list, after studying the most prolific or successful writers of my and past generations.

1.  Eat less junk food.  Okay, most of us exist on coffee and cheese puffs (or fill in your own favorite go-go juice and snack)  For me as a writer, this means ice tea and tangerines.  Or Sprite and trail mix.  The idea is to make the snack an actual snack.  Oftentimes the lure of good food keeps me off the laptop.  So I make sure my snacks are not filling and don't weigh me down.  Oh, BTW, ice cream does not count.  Ice cream is approved for any situation any day of the week. But, I digress.  (And there is none in the house right now.  Whatever.  Move on.

2.  Exercise regularly.  As one who eschews any kind of formal anything, I don't do jumping jacks or the like.  I exercise my brain.  The internet is my vice of choice and I am on it constantly.  I make sure I am subscribed to thought-provoking sites as well as TMZ.  A girls gotta have her gossip, mmkay?

3. Don't procrastinate.  Well, duh.  I have an appointment to have that tattooed across my body. But, maybe I'll do that later.  If you don't write it today, it will be gone tmrw.  Even if you jot down a note, today's thought will NEVER be the same the next day.

4. Keep learning.  Even the greats like Stephen King and James Patterson say they learn something new every day.  As early an adopter as Mr. King is, he is always willing to take on a new challenge. And Mr. Patterson, with the easy way he collaborates with, well, anyone, proves that you are never too old to learn a new trick.  And by old, I mean experienced.  And by trick, I mean multi-million dollar making novel.

5.  Nurture relationships.  Like those authors I named, they are always making new friends, meeting new people and nurturing the right relationships.  The proofer you use for your very first book may become the editor-in-chief at the most sought-after publisher.  And that freelance editor? She may just become The SuperAgent of the future.  *wink*  You never know.

I would keep these five reasons handy.  I actually typed mine up and am laminating it tmrw.  But don't tell anyone.  I have a rep to protect.  *giggle*