How to Get Out of Poverty

Probably the most challenging thing I've done in my life so far is get from what's considered the U.S. poverty level to a middle-class income. This didn't happen overnight but over the course of 5 years. In this article, I'll share tips that I think will help other people who want to do the same.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• The desire to get out of poverty.

1. The First Initial Battle is the One Inside Your Own Mind
   
   When you want to make any change in life, there is some fear and self-doubt that you have to overcome if you want to move forward. We all have things in life that we can't control, but it is a decision whether to make excuses because of those things or to win in spite of them.
   
   You have to develop a strong internal reason why you want to be financially successful--this is usually much more than just something material. If you've seen the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness" (which I highly recommend), for Chris Gardner it was the desire to be a responsible father and to not abandon his son that eventually got him and his son out of homelessness--Gardner is now a multi-millionaire.

2. Focus on What You Can Control--Your Work Ethic and Your Education
   
   Success is not just random luck--people often have to work for several years before they can look back and see real progress. You have to be persistent--whether it's in a job or your own business--and be willing to go the extra mile.
   
   Education is not just sitting in a college classroom--not to put that down, but even a college degree is not a guaranteed ticket to success. I went to college on scholarship and loans and got my degree, but I also read books that could help me with money and business--Dave Ramsey, Robert Kiyosaki, Dan Miller, Bruce Wilkerson, Napoleon Hill, and John Maxwell are great authors to start with--you can find their books at most public libraries. Reading how money and businesses work will actually put you ahead of most people--the average person quits reading or rarely reads after they get out of school.

3. Stick With People Who Will Encourage You and Try to Avoid People Who Drag You Down
   
   There is almost a guarantee of three different responses from the people around you when you try to move forward in life--some people will be happy for you, others will try to bring you down (because you trying to succeed makes them uncomfortable), and a third set of people don't really care one way or the other.
   
   It is critical to your success that you keep feeding the positive side of your life more than the negative--the people around you, the books your read, the TV and movies you watch, the music you listen to--all of them can have an impact on your mood and ability to stay motivated.

4. Try to Find a Mentor That You Can Learn From
   
   My husband and I both worked for small businesses where we were in direct contact with the owners every day. Friendships developed, and even though they couldn't afford to pay us a lot of money the education we gained was very valuable.
   
   Some jobs allow you to work at an entry level and learn skills working for the business owner until you can get licensed in the same field and start your own business--according to your interests, that may be something to consider.
   
   If you can find a mentor in person, inspiring biographies and movies can often give you a boost right when you need it most.

5. When You Do Succeed, It's So Much Fun to Pay-It-Forward and Help Others
   
   I'm writing this article today because some people took the time to help me without asking a thing in return. I just was willing to learn as much as I could, work as hard as I could, and delay gratification (not go into debt)--it's paying off more and more each year.
   
   Being able to give my time and money to my church and other charities during this whole process has been something that's changed me for the better just as much as the people who directly benefited from it.
   
   Best wishes to you! If I can do this, you can do this--it takes some time, but it's worthwhile.

Tips & Warnings

• The majority of millionaires in America are 1st generation rich--a good book to look at on that topic is "The Millionaire Next Door" by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko. That book pretty much debunks most stereotypes our culture has about wealthy people and is useful knowledge if you want to get ahead yourself.

Resources

• Dave Ramsey's Website (Finances)
• Dan Miller's Website (Careers)
• List of Legitimate Paid and Reward Websites (Have Been Tested)
• More eHow Articles by Cougar1002

[mattchew25]

on 6/9/2009 Change. Where have I heard that before?

[MrBB]

on 11/1/2008 Everyone can benefit from knowing stuff like this, even if you dont strive to be a millionaire. Good article.

[ViktoryaHale]

on 10/30/2008 What a spectacular article!! I totally agree, too.

[leanan]

on 10/23/2008 Fabulous, very informative and inspiring!

[listenhere101]

on 10/22/2008 5 stars! :)