How to Become a Self Made Man or Woman

Overcome poverty., Educate yourself.Education could be formal or informal., Start your own business., Engage in politics.The self-made person often takes advantage of the opportunities of an open, democratic government in order to attain a political...

5 Steps 3 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Overcome poverty.

    A defining characteristic of the self-made person is being born to a poor family, then later achieving great financial success.

    Oprah Winfrey, for instance, grew up wearing potato sacks to school, but is now worth over $3 billion.

    There are several ways to overcome poverty:
    Work hard at your job.Working hard is a crucial part of bettering yourself.

    Even if you hate your job, if you work hard, you could earn a raise, a promotion, or open the door to other opportunities later.

    Save your money.

    Save all your receipts over the course of a month to draft a personal budget.

    In one column, calculate all the money you spent, and in the other, calculate all the money you earned.

    Identify expenditures you can reduce or eliminate in order to save as much of your money as possible.

    Always be on the lookout for new opportunities.

    Browse classifieds in your local paper or online.

    Sites like Craigslist, LinkedIn, and Monster.com offer opportunities to connect with employers and post your own resume for employers to look over.
  2. Step 2: Educate yourself.Education could be formal or informal.

    A formal education is more expensive, but it will also expose you to more ideas and open you to new opportunities.

    If you wish to pursue formal education, talk to financial aid officers at local colleges and universities to find out what kind of incentives they offer.

    When you find an institution of higher education that seems like a good fit for you, complete the necessary applications and attend classes faithfully.

    If you wish to simply pursue informal education, read widely (both fiction and nonfiction) on a variety of topics.

    Your local library is a great resource for learning more about the world.

    Community education classes are often available for free, or at discounted rates. , The world’s most famous self-made people are generally good capitalists.Think of an idea that you think would improve the world (or, at least, something that would make money).

    Draft a business proposal and present it to a loan officer at a financial institution.

    Obtain a loan, and hire qualified professionals who are as driven as you are.

    Your business does not need to be radical or terribly original.

    For instance, you could start a magazine or self-help website.

    If you are more scientifically inclined, you could use your talents to invent something that will improve people’s lives
    -- a new, more efficient medicine or water purification device, for example. , Using your political position to affect positive change will bring you personal fame and success.

    Start small.

    Run for a city council position and get a feel for how the legislative process works.

    Other local positions like mayor or county commissioner might be open to you as well.

    Work your way up to the state level.

    Run to represent your county in the state congress as a representative or senator.

    It’s good to have a bit of money at this level, since campaigns can get expensive.You could raise money from donors or fund yourself.

    If you feel especially ambitious, you could continue to the national level as a senator or representative in Washington.
  3. Step 3: Start your own business.

  4. Step 4: Engage in politics.The self-made person often takes advantage of the opportunities of an open

  5. Step 5: democratic government in order to attain a political position.

Detailed Guide

A defining characteristic of the self-made person is being born to a poor family, then later achieving great financial success.

Oprah Winfrey, for instance, grew up wearing potato sacks to school, but is now worth over $3 billion.

There are several ways to overcome poverty:
Work hard at your job.Working hard is a crucial part of bettering yourself.

Even if you hate your job, if you work hard, you could earn a raise, a promotion, or open the door to other opportunities later.

Save your money.

Save all your receipts over the course of a month to draft a personal budget.

In one column, calculate all the money you spent, and in the other, calculate all the money you earned.

Identify expenditures you can reduce or eliminate in order to save as much of your money as possible.

Always be on the lookout for new opportunities.

Browse classifieds in your local paper or online.

Sites like Craigslist, LinkedIn, and Monster.com offer opportunities to connect with employers and post your own resume for employers to look over.

A formal education is more expensive, but it will also expose you to more ideas and open you to new opportunities.

If you wish to pursue formal education, talk to financial aid officers at local colleges and universities to find out what kind of incentives they offer.

When you find an institution of higher education that seems like a good fit for you, complete the necessary applications and attend classes faithfully.

If you wish to simply pursue informal education, read widely (both fiction and nonfiction) on a variety of topics.

Your local library is a great resource for learning more about the world.

Community education classes are often available for free, or at discounted rates. , The world’s most famous self-made people are generally good capitalists.Think of an idea that you think would improve the world (or, at least, something that would make money).

Draft a business proposal and present it to a loan officer at a financial institution.

Obtain a loan, and hire qualified professionals who are as driven as you are.

Your business does not need to be radical or terribly original.

For instance, you could start a magazine or self-help website.

If you are more scientifically inclined, you could use your talents to invent something that will improve people’s lives
-- a new, more efficient medicine or water purification device, for example. , Using your political position to affect positive change will bring you personal fame and success.

Start small.

Run for a city council position and get a feel for how the legislative process works.

Other local positions like mayor or county commissioner might be open to you as well.

Work your way up to the state level.

Run to represent your county in the state congress as a representative or senator.

It’s good to have a bit of money at this level, since campaigns can get expensive.You could raise money from donors or fund yourself.

If you feel especially ambitious, you could continue to the national level as a senator or representative in Washington.

About the Author

T

Teresa Jackson

Specializes in breaking down complex home improvement topics into simple steps.

54 articles
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