Control Your Financial Destiny
If I were to ask the question, Who wants to be a millionaire? I am fairly confident that most everyone reading this article would raise his or her hand. On the other hand (quite literally in this case), if I were to ask the question, How many people have a budget? the number of hands going up would not be so plentiful. This makes no sense at all. Your future is largely shaped by the decisions you make today. If you are not willing to do the work, the only place your dreams will live is in your sleep. If I just dialed your number don't get mad. Just pick up the phone because we need to have a talk.
Why the heck don't you have a budget? I strongly believe that financial freedom is the right of every single person who is willing to work for it. And therein lies (part of) the problem. People are willing to go to work every day to make money, but not many people are willing to work hard to keep it. When it comes to money management having a budget is the cornerstone of any successful financial strategy; yet, only 33% of Americans actually have a budget (and I won’t even go into the percentage that actually FOLLOW their budget). This number is ridiculously low seeing that creating a budget is virtually free. All you need is a writing utensil, paper, and the math skills of a 3rd grader. Why then, are we missing the mark so egregiously?
It is currently four in the morning and I am up writing about budgets because it’s that crucial. Nothing I say matters at all if you cannot be trusted with your financial future. If you cannot find 10 minutes in your weekly schedule to create a budget then I strongly believe that the battle has been lost. In fact, if you are not committed to creating a budget you can stop reading now. I left my job in corporate America because I was tired of corporations getting rich. I want that wealth to be distributed to the people. But if you won't even take the time to create a budget I have strong reservations about your ability to sustain wealth.
I know that some of you are thinking, I don't really have that much money to begin with so what's the point. The point is that if you continue to operate within the confines of your current situation, you will remain in that situation. The other point is that the habits that you create today will follow you throughout your life. Money management skills are not suddenly acquired once your financial situation improves.
Like anything else in life, if you want something to flourish you have to give it the time that it deserves. How much time do you spend on the phone? How much time do you spend on facebook or watching T.V? You can choose to use your time however you like but understand what that says about your priorities. If you REALLY want to become a millionaire I want you to know that it is possible beyond a shadow of a doubt. But, you have to do something revolutionary. You have to do something drastically different from what everyone else is doing. If you really want to become a millionaire I suggest that you prioritize money management in your life…starting with your budget. It's such a simple but powerful concept that I GUARANTEE will change your life forever if you do it correctly.
I am not here to make you feel good. I am here to challenge you to defy the status quo. If you do what everyone else does, you will get what everyone else has. Look around. That is not what you want. After reading this article take some time to create a budget. If you want me to look at it feel free to message me and I will. It's that deep.
