Customer Reviews

Million Dollar Habits

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A lot in this book is very helpful. Ringer says the habits are simple. Well, if they are so simple, how come everbody doesn't follow them? But then I read the founder of Gateway (or was it Dell) Computer's quote when he was listed on the "Forbes 400". He was on that list as a billionaire. He said, "Business is simple. It's not easy, but it's simple." And it made me think of this book. Losing weight is simple. Even Forrest Gump could comprehend that to lose weight, you need to eat less than you burn off. But then 54% of the USA is overweight-to-obese, despite how simple it is to lose weight (it's just not easy). Well, same with this book. The rules related are simple, but not easy. And one thing that makes Ringer's advice something worth listening to is, he has messed up a lot. He made and lost a fortune twice, and was $1/2 a million in debt after the second time. But climbed his way back to wealth a third time. So that suggests his rules work. A lot of people get rich through luck. But if they went broke, they'd stay broke (as some do). But if Ringer can become rich three seperate times, maybe so can the rest of us. He messed up, but learned not to mess up, so maybe we can learn too.(He relates some of this in the "financial hurdle" chapter in his book LOOKING OUT FOR NUMBER 1).

Starting in 1983, I read every success manual I could get my hands on. Think and Grow Rich. How To Get Control of Your TIme and Your Life. Laws of Success. But my life never permanently changed and I couldn't figure out why. Then, about a year ago (2000)I reached a low point and started making some real changes. The way I saw things in my life, in other people, got away from people who sucked the life out of me, etc. Things have continued to get better and better than ever! As I reflected on why my life started to change, I came across my old yellow copy of "Million Dollar Habits." (Complete with stuff written in the margins that I can't even relate to anymore!) As I read through the table of contents and began re-reading the book, I realized what I did last year was I started living each and every habit listed in the book! Now, I am buying myself a new copy and rereading it again. I am also giving it to my teenage daughter for her birthday and my best friend. If you read, believe and put into practice each and every habit (the order in which they are given is not random, it is the order of importance) you will be amazed at the changes that take place in your life. This book should be taught in every school.

I've read a lot of books on success, and they all say basically the same thing: Have a goal, keep a good attitude, work hard. But reading it isn't enough. Some fundamentals have to be constantly reinforced. Ringer presents ten basic principles for success and presents them well. He adds a couple of important principles many writers neglect, like how to deal with people who drain you of your enthusiasm.

It is easy reading, and will reinforce your commitment to doing the fundamentals. Sometimes you just have to hear something one more time to make it stick. I'm the author of the book, Self-Help Stuff That Works, and I am an expert on effective self-help material. Million Dollar Habits fits the bill. Definitely worth reading.

Robert Ringer discusses 10 habits (in order of importance) that contribute to success:

1. Accurate perception of reality

2. Developing an attitude to objectively evaluate alternatives and creative out-of-the-box thinking in the face of difficult situations.

3. Keeping problems in relative perspective, e.g., comparing day-to-day problems with true catastrophes such as death of near-ones, life-long disability / disease enables one to not panic unduly from more "normal" problems

4. Live in the present - identify what you enjoy doing and are naturally good at. Then, continuously seek opportunities that enable you to spend more time on these activities.

5. Morality - Every action has a consequence although the final result may be delayed. Taking short-cuts eventually come back to bite you and damage you in a variety of ways.

6. Numerous ways to improve human relations including brevity, compassion, assertiveness, discretion, closure, genuineness, refined behavior, responsibility & commitment, tolerance, and win-win.

7. Simplicity - evaluate your time / frustration costs and let more grievances slide,

8. Discontinue reltionships with folks that drain you

9. Self-discipline

10. Action / persistence

The habits are easy to understand and are intuitive. Reading the book will help you identify and act on several improvements.

I love Ringer's books. Though I've never met the man, over the years I have come to regard him as a kind of trusted advisor.

When I screw up (and that happens a lot) I can always pick up "Looking Out For #1", Ringer's previous book, and see why. Invariably, the cause of my failures can be easily traced to my lack of adherence to the "Universal Truths" found in Ringer's books.

These "Universal Truths", however, are found in just about every other book on success ever written. What makes Ringer special, then, is his humorous, no b.s. style of writing. He goes out of his way to relate his own failures in life--something few success authors do--with such self-effacing humor that you won't mind when he slaps you in the face to point out where you need improvement.

With "Million Dollar Habits" Ringer somewhat rehashes his earlier material--thus the four stars. He uses the time-tested technique of all successful authors in fluffing up a spin-off to his earlier works. Indeed, you will find that "Million Dollar Habits" feels surprisingly familiar to "Looking Out For #1", and it is.

Nevertheless, I will likely buy and read just about anything Ringer publishes. I need to hear what he has to say from time to time. We all do.

...will set you on your way to success. Ringer drills home the point of improving a little each day. Hits it right on the head when he states that success is not revolutionary. This is a sleeper of a personal development book...a book that does not get as much credit as it should considering all the sage information that can be sifted out of it.

I loved the empathy that he showed when describing his troubles with the psychological hangup he encountered with overeating. I thought I was hearing myself talk when I read Ringer say things like "I've eaten so much already, what the heck, I'll go for broke and really pig out and see what kind of damage I can do." This "exception rule" was my favorite.

If I had ten thumbs, all of them would be up with regards to to "Million Dollar Habits". I normally don't bother writing reviews...but Ringer deserves every ounce of praise that I pour on him in this A+ review.

Million Dollar Habits is a book which will make you think about success and what it all means. The habits such as: simplicity, attitude, perspective, morality, human relations, drain people habit,present living, self discipline, and the action habit are habits that people face everyday. The book is packed with a lot of commonsense practical ideas which can only help anyone improve. The present living questions such as what do you enjoy? are an excellent way of oneself reflecting on what one wants. The perspective habit where Ringer goes to mexico with his pregnant wife and lands himself into some tricky situations is a moving experience. One of my best chapters is the human relations habit there are list of qualities which may be achieved with God in a persons life. They may be simple like compassion, discretion, genuineness, graciousness, refinement, responsibility, tactfulness, tolerance these are not your everyday TV qualities. There are many excellent examples where these ideals have shown the author that they are important. Reading Million Dollar Habits is worth more than the price paid. This is one of my best books the insightful ideas have inspired me to grow especially the action habit. I am surprised that this book was not put in audio form; furthermore all of Ringers books have not been released in audio. Their are blind people around who can only hear; moreover it is common for authors to use audio format. There was 'living without limits' which I have which has Million Dollar Habits ideas in it. Which is a great audio programme. Ringer is an excellent speaker one of the best I have ever heard. His new book 'Use Your head to Get what you want' will be interesting to read and I hope that is in audioform. I want to mention ' Thank you '

I love all of Ringer's books, but this is his best. Much of his previous books were an offshoot of Ayn Rand's objectivist ethics, an attractive, but not always viable worldview. Ringer seemed to have written this book as an addendum to his previous works, when he was a hard-core Ayn Rand disciple. In Million Dollar Habits, he admits that Ayn Rand is great stuff- for people who live on a planet of Howard Roarks and Dagney Taggerts. Million Dollar Habits isn't for people who live on that planet- it's for the people of planet earth! In this book, he takes a more flexible, positive world view. The advice here is much more practical a real-world. Those who found Ringer's previous works good but impracticle should read this.

I was led to this book through another book that I was reading about my business. It gave a list of books to read that were great and worth reading and this was one of them. I never would have picked this book up, had it not been recommended to me as the title would not have attracted my attention as a book I would like to read. I guess the old saying "never judge a book by it's cover" rings true in this case!!
This book was fantastic in my opinion. I have read many many many self-help books and this one is one of very few I have read that I feel will stick with me through my life. The advice and "habits" in this book are so basic and yet presented in such a way that you realize them in a new light. It is no-nonsense, no flowery words, no "affirmations", or cutesy-lingo...Ringer tells it to you straight and from his own experiences. He is funny and likable and so very wise.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who really wants to live an authentic, successful life and who isnt looking for something for nothing.....GREAT BOOK!

This is the first, but not last book I'll read by Robert Ringer. He has an excellent writing style that wouldn't let me put this book down. I do feel that million dollar habits must be cultivated. They don't come natural- unless you have been born into several generation wealth. Even in that case they must be worked on. This book was not merely about becoming financially rich, rather, changing ones lifestyle. I do not know of the writers origin, but he seems to have lived a rags to riches life. Great read.