Being a millionaire is the dream of many people. There are songs about it, TV shows about it, and a national lottery that prays on those dreaming of one day becoming one. But becoming a millionaire isn’t a matter of being magically gifted with a no-strings-attached suitcase full of money, it’s about having a clear goal and vision, making smart decisions, and lots of hard work.
For example, if we look at the stock market, one year ago you could have bought ten shares in Tesla at £150 each for a grand total of £1,500. In August 2020 (the time of writing), those shares would be worth £1,500 each and you would have £15,000. Similarly, when COVID-19 struck in March and April, you could have picked up one Bitcoin for £7,000, which is currently worth £12,000. With Bitcoin fluctuating in price, it is worth looking at buying bitcoin as an investment for the future as it doesn’t look to be going anywhere soon. Though, if you are considering buying bitcoin with Commsec, you may need to head to a dedicated currency exchange instead, as it doesn’t currently support crypto and digital asset-buying.
However, the stock market is just one way of many to make money, but that is just the ‘how’, and what you need to start with is ‘why’. Start with Why is a fantastic book by Simon Sinek and the concepts he discusses in his book can be applied here.
Ask yourself ‘why’ you want to be a millionaire and what you would to do with it. If the answer is that you could travel, get fit, live by the sea, get a new car, look after your family, then these are the starting blocks from which to form your goals. If you want a new car, then set that as a goal. Then make that goal ‘SMART’, which stands for:
- Specific: Well-defined, clear, & unambiguous
- Measurable: With specific criteria that will help you measure your progress
- Achievable: Attainable and not impossible to achieve
- Realistic: Within reach, realistic, and relevant to your life purpose
- Timely: A clear timeline with a starting date and a target date to create urgency.
So for a car, you might say that you want a pre-owned sports car (you name your brand) that costs £20,000 within two years. Then you break it down into its component parts, such as, how much you will need to save each month and what cutbacks you can make to achieve the goal. Then you can print a picture of it to keep you on track and focus. Similarly, you could use financial calculators such as these on https://pigly.com/ that have specific goals and useful tools on how to reach your financial target. If you want to double up on goals then create a fitness goal at the same time, you may end up eating less, running more, getting fewer takeaways and by the time you get your sports car you’ll be lean and buff as well.
Other great examples of smart goals can be found here.
Ultimately, no project manager expects a project to start and finish in a day, no doctor expects a sick patient to feel 100% in 24 hours and no director expects to have the perfect company in a week. Each of them makes a long term plan with a clear end goal. Eventually, the project gets delivered, the patient gets better and the company is a success. However, it all takes a clear plan, a realistic timeframe and lots of hard work.