Do you want to be rich?

It’s a silly question—I know.

Of course you do.

If this is the case, you need to understand how to think like a millionaire. As you may suspect, those in the top 1% don’t follow the same rules as the little guys. Instead, being super rich takes a type of thinking that is quite unconventional not easy to grasp at first.

Part of this style of thinking is understanding how to gain and use your assets. Assets in this context are those things that help you financially. For example, if you are a business owner, your assets are your business, your employees, your intellectual property, and yes, your personal brand.

Your personal brand is one of the most important and interesting assets you can have. Simply put, it is an asset you can grow just by being you and making the right decision. Imagine you are signing your autograph for a fan. If your personal brand is highly successful, your autograph will sell for a high price. This means that your brand is a valuable asset. Essentially, it means you can have influence (financial and otherwise) simply off your name.

The reason why there are so few rich people and so many poor people in the world is because most people don’t make the proper distinction between assets and liabilities. If an asset is something that helps you financially, a liability is something that can cost you. A good example of this is debt. Most people accrue so much debt in the hopes of looking rich (buying nice cars, houses, overextending credit, etc.) that they essentially kill any value they gain from their assets.

This is not the way to be rich.

If you are looking to turn the corner and gain valuable assets for yourself—and perhaps grow your personal brand—it is important first to understand just how you will go about doing so. The key to financial success is being able to predict what will happen in future markets and preparing accordingly. By doing your research, you can help your investments turn into assets instead of reliabilities.

And then you’ll be set for life.