Chapter 1

Are You an Eventual Millionaire?

After you become a millionaire, you can give all of your money away because what’s important is not the million dollars; what’s important is the person you have become in the process of becoming a millionaire.

—Jim Rohn

After interviewing more than 100 millionaires, I can easily say that there are patterns to success. So many similar stories and struggles have come up in the course of years of studying them. I can also easily say that calling them millionaires almost seems trite, because they are utterly amazing people, and their net worth does not define them. I’m lucky to call many of them my true friends.

At the beginning of this study, I thought like most people think, that millionaires were somehow different, that they had something that “normal” people didn’t have. I asked questions like, “Did you always know you would be a millionaire?” because I was trying to figure out if they were born with something most people don’t have.

Are You an Eventual Millionaire?

An Eventual Millionaire is someone with a goal to become a millionaire, eventually. But Eventual Millionaires want to do it on their own terms, with an enjoyable life and an enjoyable business.

Eventual Millionaires put the process of making money into perspective. Usually overachievers, they are willing to work hard. But they don’t want to sacrifice their daily lives for their goals. Eventual Millionaires are smart. They want to enjoy the process of making money, not just the end goal (that is, the money).

There are different stages of being an Eventual Millionaire. You might be stuck in your day job, knowing that there is something more that exists for you. Or you might already be on your path, and started your own business, but you need to take it to the next level.

Having Happiness and Wealth Is Possible

In this book, you’ll learn:

• How to put your life first (which means taking control of your money and how you live).
• How to find work you truly enjoy.
• How you can get over your fears, excuses, and limiting thoughts (just like millionaires have done!).
• How millionaires start their businesses the “right” way.
• How to keep moving forward even when there are roadblocks in your way.

And the best part is that you’ll read stories of millionaires who started off just like you.

The Journey Is the Fun Part

As an Eventual Millionaire, you’ll want to adopt the mind-set that you are on a journey to becoming a millionaire. Thus, the process of making money—the fulfilling work that you choose to do—will be your journey.

And as with any journey, there will be challenges. But really, would life be any fun without challenges?

When I was younger I loved video games. One time I was playing a game called The Sims. It was a real-life simulation where you have a house and can buy furniture and upgrades. I thought the game would be much better if I had more money. I didn’t want to do the work, so I found a cheat that would give me an unlimited amount of money.

I was excited. I bought everything I wanted. It was fun! However, 20 minutes later, I realized that the game wasn’t fun anymore because there was no challenge. Suddenly, there was no point.

Each person is different. What is important is finding out what deeply fulfills you. What journey, what work, is going to make you happy? What challenges are going to make you feel alive and motivated? What type of work are you still going to enjoy after you’ve met your financial goals?

Obtaining money can temporarily make people feel alive when they are struggling to make ends meet. But money can become meaningless once you have all you need. I know this might be hard for some people to believe, but it’s really true. Think about it, if you love chocolate, but had to eat it every day for every meal, would you still love it?

(I’ve tried it before by the way, and even I, a chocoholic, felt sick at the thought of eating another piece of chocolate.)

Just like with the video game example, your goal should be to find work you love to do just for the joy of doing it. The end result—winning or “the money”—should be secondary.

Love the Process from Thousandaire to Millionaire

We tend to value experiences we can look forward to. We tend to appreciate things more when we don’t experience them on a daily basis.

Do you remember Christmas—or whatever holiday you celebrate—when you were a child? I thought the holiday season was amazing, and I couldn’t wait for it to come. I wanted those presents so badly. The build-up was intense. I remember the letdown the day after Christmas, when the glamour of the day had worn off and I no longer had anything to look forward to. I had the presents, which were nice to play with at first, but lost their luster quickly.

As an adult—especially if you have children—you realize that it’s not about Christmas day, but about the whole process of the holidays. It’s the buying of presents, the parties, the lights, and the traditions that are the true joys of the holiday. Christmas morning is the apex of it all, but as an adult, you really enjoy the whole process of getting there.

That’s what your journey to a million should be about: enjoying the whole process. The only thing that will happen on your goal date will be that you change your title from “thousandaire” to “millionaire.” That day will be special, but you’ll realize when you arrive that the time leading up to it was actually the whole point of it all, not the goal.

It’s Okay to Love Money

I’m going to say something now that might make you uncomfortable. Are you ready? Wait for it . . . I love money. I really do.

I’ve asked a lot of people this question: “Is it okay to love money?” Almost all of them have cringed. They said things like, “I love the options that money can give me. I love the things it can do for me. But I don’t love money.”

Google “define love” and you will see that love is:

noun: An intense feeling of deep affection: “their love for their country.”

We can say “I love my country” or “I love my house,” so why can’t we say that we love money, too?

Realize I’m using it as a slang word; I don’t want to debate the meaning of love.

I do, however, want to stick with the term...