I Got Rich by Doing the Opposite of What Every Financial Guru Told Me

If you spend enough time online, you’ll start to notice something: everyone is suddenly a financial expert.

They tell you to stop buying coffee, track every penny, invest in index funds, wake up at 5 a.m., start several side hustles, and read 47 books a year if you want to "escape the matrix."

I did all that. I tried the formulas, followed the routines, and even downloaded those productivity apps that make you feel guilty if you take a break.

But something strange happened: I didn’t get rich. I got burned out. Financially stable? Barely. Emotionally? Exhausted.

So one day, I decided to do the opposite of what every financial expert suggested. Not out of rebellion, but out of necessity.

That’s when my life actually changed.

I Stopped Saving Every Penny and Started Spending on Myself

They say to save 10-20% of your income no matter what. I say: Invest that 20% in becoming someone who can earn 10 times more.

I stopped hoarding my money like a squirrel stocking up for winter. Instead, I spent it wisely.

I took expensive online courses in writing, storytelling, and digital entrepreneurship. I booked one-on-one coaching sessions with people who were actually living the life I wanted not just talking about it. I bought tools that saved me time instead of clinging to free versions that wasted hours.

The result? I increased my income fivefold in less than a year, not because I saved, but because I spent smarter.

I Quit My Side Hustles and Focused on One Passion

Most experts will tell you to juggle 3-4 side hustles to diversify your income streams. That seems smart until you find yourself exhausted, making only $100 from each.

I had a blog, a drop shipping store, a freelance gig, and an affiliate marketing site. But I also had zero focus and constant headaches.

One morning, I deleted all of them except my blog because writing was the only thing I truly enjoyed.

• I committed to it.
• writing every day.
• I improved my storytelling.
• built an audience.
• and monetized my work with premium content and digital products.

By the end of that year, my blog was earning more than my old job and it didn’t feel like work at all.

The lesson? You don’t need five average projects. You need one exceptional project that deserves your full attention.

I Stopped Budgeting and Started Tracking Energy Instead

Budgeting is helpful until it becomes a burden.

I was obsessed with spreadsheets. Every latte, every Uber ride, every rupee spent had to be logged. It drained my energy more than it helped.

So I ditched the spreadsheets. Instead of tracking money, I started tracking my energy.

• What energized me?
• What drained me?
• What activities were joyful and still paid?

I concentrated on more high-energy, high-reward tasks like writing, networking, and content creation. I dropped low-energy, low-return activities—like chasing small freelance gigs or cold emailing 100 people daily.

The outcome? More money, less stress, and better sleep.

It turns out money flows where energy goes not where spreadsheets direct it.

I Didn’t Wake Up Early I Woke Up Aligned

"Waking up at 5 a.m. is for billionaires." I’m not a billionaire—I’m a person.

I tried the 5 a.m. routine for months. I hated it.

I wasn’t creative in the morning. I was groggy and irritable. So I asked myself a simple question: When do I feel most alive?

For me, it was late at night. That’s when I became creative. So I changed my entire schedule.

I began working from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then again from 8 p.m. to midnight. No guilt. No alarm clocks. Just flow.

And guess what? My productivity soared.

You don’t need to copy billionaires. You need to find your own rhythm.

I Didn't Chase Money I Solved Problems

Every expert says, “Make money online!” I say: Create solutions; money will follow.

Once I stopped focusing on getting rich and started concentrating on how to help others, everything changed.

I asked myself:

• Who do I want to assist?
• What problems do they face?
• How can I solve them better than anyone else?

That mindset led me to create a digital guide for new writers on how to grow their audiences on Vocal Media and Medium. It sold well, not because I marketed it perfectly, but because it genuinely solved a real problem for real people.

You don’t need to trick people into spending money. You need to serve them so well that they want to give you their money.

The Best Thing I Did? Disconnect From the Noise

The biggest change wasn’t in my bank account it was in my mindset.

I stopped watching every finance video. I stopped buying every success book. I stopped letting strangers online dictate how I should live.

I looked inward. I asked myself what I wanted, what success meant for me, and what freedom really looked like—not the Instagram version, but the true, peaceful version.

Slowly, I built a life I didn’t need to escape from.

Final Thoughts: Wealth Isn’t What You Think

I didn’t get rich by following the rules. I got rich by trusting myself.

Yes, money is important. But how you earn it—and who you become while earning it is more important.

Here’s my unconventional advice:

• Don’t save every rupee invest in your growth.
• Don’t hustle endlessly focus obsessively.
• Don’t chase noise follow your energy.
• Don’t mimic success define your own.

If you’re tired of the financial noise, listen to your own voice. You might be surprised by where it leads you.