7 Habits That Rich People Follow (And Poor People Ignore!)

Photo by Bruno van der Kraan on Unsplash

 I wasn’t born into wealth. I was born into a very modest family and started my journey with very limited resources in Morocco. Through persistence, I climbed my way to the top of Wall Street, earning the title of Shewolf of NASDAQ, becoming a multi-awards winning trader, a member of the American Chamber of Commerce, and an entrepreneur.

The first habit is having an absolute clarity about what you want in life. When I started my journey, I was living in Morocco with no resources, no connections, and no road map — but I knew where I wanted to go. In my early 20s, when I first discovered the stock market, I made a vision board. I kept out magazine pictures of Wall Street trading floors, the kind of house I wanted to live in, the cars I dreamed of driving, and the places I wanted to travel to. That board sat on my desk as a daily reminder of my "why". And you won’t accept it — it all came true.

But having a clear vision isn’t just about dreaming big. It’s actually about breaking it down into smaller actionable steps. For example, if your goal is to earn your first $100,000, ask yourself: what skills do I need to develop? What industries can I excel in? And why does this goal matter to me?

Writing down your goals is the first action step. Studies show that when you write something down, your brain begins to work towards it. This small act triggers your subconscious mind, which starts aligning your actions with your goals.

One book that really helped me understand this is Limitless by Jim Kwik. In it, he explains how to unlock your brain’s full potential. He talks about reprogramming your mindset, building better habits, and training your brain to focus on what truly matters. When you combine these principles with a clear vision, every decision you make becomes aligned with your goals.

Daily Visualization

This is where your mind becomes your most powerful ally. Visualization isn’t just about daydreaming — it’s the mental rehearsal. I’ve used this habit before every major milestone in my life. Before my first big presentation on Wall Street, I spent hours visualizing myself walking into the room, presenting with confidence, and closing the deal. The more I saw it in my mind, the more I believed it was possible.

Studies have shown again that your brain cannot distinguish between a vividly imagined experience and reality. So if you constantly visualize success, your mind starts looking for ways to make it happen.

When I put this into practice, I would spend like 5 to 10 minutes every morning visualizing my goals as if they have already been achieved. Picture details — like the very, very small tiny details. What does it feel like to achieve this dream? What am I wearing? Who’s there to celebrate it with me?

It sounds crazy, but only people that have actually tried this — and it worked — would agree with me.

Daily Goal Setting

This is where dreams meet expectations. Early on, I set a goal to make my first million dollars by the age of 23. But I didn’t stop there. I broke it down into actionable steps. How much do I need to earn each year? What industries or investments will get me there? And what daily habits do I need to build?

One thing that worked for me was using the SMART method: setting goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For instance, instead of saying, “I want to be rich,” say: “I want to save $50,000 by the end of the year by investing 30% of my income and cutting unnecessary expenses.”

Start working towards how to save that amount of money, and start researching about which assets would give you the 30% returns you’re looking for. This way, you’re actually putting this dream into action.

Reading Books

When I first started, I invested in books, courses, and mentorships because I knew that self-education was my first ticket to freedom. When I couldn’t afford expensive courses, I saved every penny to invest in just one — then two, then ten.

I also made use of every free resource I could find: libraries, YouTube tutorials, books, and podcasts. I treated every book as a personal conversation with the author — extracting lessons and applying them directly to my life.

Some of the books I would highly recommend are:

• The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham — often called the Bible of value investing.

• The Man Who Solved the Market by Gregory Zuckerman — tells the story of Jim Simons, who built one of the most successful hedge funds in history.

• Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Edwin Lefèvre — reads like a novel but is filled with lessons on the psychology of trading, inspired by Jesse Livermore.

Successful people are always holding a book, reading an article, or diving into something that pushes them to learn more. And it never stops there. The world is changing so fast — and you have to be up to date with what’s going on.

Embracing Discomfort

This is one of the weirdest habits that high achievers in life do — they embrace discomfort all the time. And this habit has changed everything for me.

Early in my career, I took on tasks and projects that scared me. I said yes to opportunities before I even felt ready — and I had no choice but to push through. One example was my first pitch to a room of senior executives in Morgan Stanley. My hands were literally shaking. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I was pitching in front of smarter people than I was — at least that’s what I was thinking at that time. But I did it anyway.

Moments like this teach you that fear and growth often go hand in hand. So every time you step out of your comfort zone, you expand it. If something scares you — it’s likely the thing you need to do next.

Self-Reflection

I haven’t seen a single successful person who doesn’t sit with themselves at least once a week, alone, and just does deep reflection.

Each Sunday, I sit down and reflect on the week. What progress have I made toward my targets? What challenges am I facing and how can I overcome them? What did I learn this week?

You will learn so much about yourself just by being by yourself.

Consistency

Success is not about working hard for a week or even a month. It’s about showing up every single day — even when you don’t feel like it.

When I started trading, I made it a point to review the markets daily, track my performance, and learn from every mistake. There were days when I didn’t see results, weeks when I felt stuck, and moments when I doubted myself. But I stayed consistent.

Consistency builds momentum. It’s like planting seeds — you won’t see the results immediately, but with time and persistence, you will have a thriving garden.

I suggest that you set non-negotiable routines — whether it’s dedicating 30 minutes daily to learning, exercising, or building your business — and just stick to it. Do it every single day, even when you don’t feel like it.