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While we know better than to believe those "get rich quick” schemes, here’s a five-step plan that promises to at least perk up your financial life in just 30 days.
 
Author and financial planner Tom Corley has spent nearly five years studying the daily habits of those he characterizes as “wealthy” and “poor” and says whether you need a total financial overhaul or just a little breathing room in your budget, you can make improvements in roughly a month -- starting with what he calls the “reinvention” habit.
 
Also See: Daily Habits of the Wealthy
 
Reinvention
 
It’s the first rich habit for a reason. You need to reassess where you are in your life if you want to change. As part of your reinvention, it’s important to visualize those bad habits. He says grab a pen and a paper and be brutally honest. List your imperfections and, in a neighboring column, jot down the reverse positive. For instance, “I need to exercise” becomes “I exercise 30 minutes a day.” “I watch too much TV,” gets flipped to “I limit TV to an hour a day.”
 
Also See: 5 Ways Greed is Good
 
Set Goals
 
Put those ideas into action on a timeline. Corley says wealthy folks are extremely goal driven, whether it’s a daily to-do list or a five-year plan. A goal is only a goal when it has two things: 100% achievability and some physical action. If it doesn’t have both of those things, it’s a wish, and you can’t control the outcome of wishes, says Corley. But you can control the outcome of goals. So, for instance, desiring $100,000 in commissions is a wish, but making 10 cold calls to new clients each day is a goal that can lead to that money.
 
Ongoing self improvement
 
At number three, Corley stresses ongoing self-improvement, including reading something educational, such as a financial blog or taking a class.
 
Building relationships
 
To wealthy people, relationships are like gold. It’s the currency of the rich. They tap into these relationships they’ve built over years and years to make money and to open doors. And that’s the fourth step: Get and stay connected. Make new contacts by volunteering or joining professional organizations. And don’t just email or text. Corley says stay in touch with friends and colleagues by picking up the phone to catch up at least once a year.

Also See: 5 Celebrity Money Mistakes
 
Staying healthy
 
Finally, give your finances a jolt in the next month by exercising more. Turns out health and wealth go hand in hand. Based on Corley's research, the wealthy exercised aerobically at least 30 minutes a day and counted calories, resulting in more energy and fewer sick days.
 
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