Work to Learn

This is a summary of Rich Dad Poor Dad Chapter 7

Many people find it hard to grasp the concept of not working for money. This is because money is undeniably essential to maintaining life. So, the question is, "what does it mean to not work for money?"

Not working for money simply means that you are working to learn with a long-term goal for your business in mind. According to Robert Kiyosaki, a good question to ask yourself is "Where is this daily activity taking you?" In other words, you need to have a vision of where you want to be and organize your current lifestyle so that it is inline with your vision.

There are many talented people in the world that are only one skill away from obtaining great wealth or capturing their dreams. However, instead of developing that additional skill, they focus only on strengthening or maintaining the skills that they already have.

To illustrate why it is important to develop a broad skill set, Kiyosaki uses McDonald's as an example once more. Just about anyone can make a better hamburger than McDonald's, but the reason McDonald's can make enormous amounts of money for producing average quality hamburgers is because they have the business systems down to a science. Most people have very little knowledge of business systems outside of what they do for a living. The solution to this problem can be summed up in this quote by Robert Kiyosaki: "I recommend to young people to seek work for what they will learn, more than what they will earn. Look down the road at what skills they want to acquire before choosing a specific profession and before getting trapped in the Rat Race."

The fact is that there is such thing as being over specialized. In a way, the educational system rewards people to know a lot about a little. As people progress through school and obtain more degrees on the same subject, they feel that their skills are more valuable and that their earning potential is greater. In some cases, this can be true. However, it is risky in that those skills only pertain to one industry leaving them trapped and dependent on their employers.

Kiyosak's rich dad told him that he needs to know a little about a lot. This simply means gaining sufficient knowledge about several areas of a business. I have already discussed the importance of increasing your financial intelligence. In this chapter, Kiyosaki adds a couple more skills to the mix that are necessary for running a business. One of those skills is leadership and learning how to manage people. The other skill, proficiency in sales and marketing, is considered the most important area to specialize in by Robert Kiyosaki:

"The most important specialized skills are sales and understanding marketing. It is the ability to sell---therefore, to communicate to another human being, be it a customer, employee, boss, spouse or child---that is the base skill of personal success. It is communication skills such as writing speaking and negotiating that are crucial to a life of success."

Finally, Kiyosaki ended the chapter by emphasizing the importance of being a good student and a good teacher. He also discussed the importance of giving, as it is one of the most important laws of money.

Note: With this being just a summary of rich dad poor dad, I cannot get deep into every concept mentioned by Kiyosaki. However, I can guarantee that this book will blow your mind and give you a completely different perspective on money and life. You should have a look at it. Visit Amazon.com to find Rich Dad Poor Dad for the best price.