BUILDING WEALTH STEP ONE: MASTERING YOUR MINDSET

If you truly want to reach the heights you dream about—the luxury car you admire, the home you once thought was out of reach, a seven-figure bank account in dollars, the fulfilling marriage and family you desire—then the first step is understanding your current mindset.

Your mindset shapes your reality. Without knowing where you currently stand, how can you chart a course to your ultimate destination? Just like a ride-hailing service (Uber, Bolt, etc.), which calculates your fare and estimated time of arrival based on your starting point, you must first assess where you are before plotting your journey to wealth.

Your Mindset is the First Price You Pay for Success

Before you achieve anything substantial in life, the first thing you must "pay" is belief—belief in yourself and your ability to grow.

Imagine walking into a pharmacy to buy medication for a headache. If the pharmacist offers you a brand-new drug you've never heard of, you won’t hand over your money immediately. The first thing you give is your trust—your belief that the medication will work.

Your belief system is what drives your actions, and it is deeply influenced by your mindset.

What is Mindset?

Mindset is the belief system that governs how a person thinks and acts. It is shaped by the environment, the people we surround ourselves with, and the information we consume.

A powerful illustration of mindset is the story of a lion cub raised among sheep. Having grown up believing it was a sheep, the cub behaved just like one—meek, timid, and unaware of its true power. It wasn’t until it encountered another lion that it realized its true nature.

Like that lion cub, many of us live below our potential because of the limiting beliefs we’ve absorbed from our surroundings. The good news? Your mindset can be changed, and in doing so, your entire life can transform.

Two Types of Mindsets: Fixed vs. Growth

There are two primary mindsets that determine whether you succeed or remain stagnant:

1. The Fixed Mindset

People with a fixed mindset believe that intelligence, talent, and abilities are set in stone—you either have them or you don’t. Because of this, they shy away from challenges, fearing failure.

A Tale of Two Travelers

Two young men were on a long journey when they encountered a steep hill.

• The first traveler immediately saw the obstacle as insurmountable. He complained that they lacked hiking gear and insisted on turning back to prepare.

• The second traveler, however, studied the hill and believed it was climbable. Without hesitation, he started the ascent and reached the other side in just over an hour.

Meanwhile, the first traveler wasted an entire day returning to gather equipment, then spent another day retracing his steps. By the time he finally crossed the hill, the second traveler was already at his destination.

This is the reality of a fixed mindset—it causes delays, hesitations, and self-imposed limitations. People with this mindset often believe that success is reserved for the “naturally talented” and that failure is proof of incompetence. As a result, they rarely push beyond their comfort zones.

2. The Growth Mindset

A growth mindset, on the other hand, thrives on the belief that abilities can be developed through effort and perseverance.

A Personal Story of Transformation

I once hated mathematics. If you had told me in high school that I would study it at university, I would have laughed—or even argued with you! Numbers intimidated me, and I avoided them at all costs.

But when circumstances forced me to confront my fear, I realized something incredible: I wasn’t bad at math—I just had a fixed mindset about it. Through consistent practice, I mastered it.

That’s the power of a growth mindset. It acknowledges that skills aren’t fixed—they can be developed. People with this mindset see challenges as opportunities, not threats. They are resilient, adaptable, and committed to lifelong learning.

Which Mindset Do You Have?

Take a moment to reflect on where you stand. Do you approach challenges with fear and avoidance, or do you see them as stepping stones to success?

Here’s a simple comparison to help you identify your mindset:

The Choice is Yours

Your mindset is the foundation of your wealth-building journey. If you recognize a fixed mindset within yourself, don’t worry—it can be rewired.

The first step? Make the decision to grow. Surround yourself with positive influences, feed your mind with empowering information, and embrace challenges as stepping stones to success.

Wealth starts in the mind before it manifests in reality. What mindset will you choose?