Image by 3D Animation Production Company from Pixabay
Before we talk about how to become a millionaire, let’s start with a game. It’s called:
“If I was a millionaire…”
Start by saying out loud the following sentence, and complete it automatically:
“If I was a millionaire, I would…”
“If I was a millionaire, I would…”
“If I was a millionaire, I would…”
“If I was a millionaire, I would…”
“If I was a millionaire, I would…”
“If I was a millionaire, I would…”
“If I was a millionaire, I would…”
“If I was a millionaire, I would…”
“If I was a millionaire, I would…”
“If I was a millionaire, I would…”
Repeat it 20 times, and record yourself.
Or write it down, and fill out the blank:
If I was a millionaire, I would carefully cherry pick which projects I work on, which ones I invest in, and how I would spend my time.
If I was a millionaire, I would work for the evolution of consciousness, and allocate my resources: time, energy, attention, money, network in that direction.
If I was a millionaire, I would work on projects that create beautiful artistic and natural spaces where Nature is restored.
If I was a millionaire, I would write books that change the world for the better.
If I was a millionaire, …
Last week, I was facilitating a retreat for the 3 co-directors of a world-shifting company that organizes participatory democratic dialogues for citizens to express their views on the most important topics for the future of mankind. I coached them on their Prosperity, one of the six pillars of a Conscious Business. One of the clients said:
“I would love for us to have 20 million euros in our bank account.”
I said:
“That’s great ! What would you do if you had that money?”
I asked him to write down all the things he would do, and then I told him:
“Well, that’s great, because I have good news for you. You have 20 million that just arrived in your bank account during this retreat. You have the money. Now what?”
At first, he didn’t get it. I shifted the conversation by saying:
“I am a millionaire, ½ a day per week. It happens on Friday mornings.”
Indeed, each Friday morning, I do what I would do if I was a millionaire. Right now, I am studying Integral Investing (with Mariana Bozesan’s remarkable book). I don’t yet have the money to invest, but I am creating and preparing my future. Every Friday morning, I have a 90 minute slot blocked out in my calendar, called “Professional Reading.” I get to read all the best books that I always wanted to read for my professional development, but never made the time to read. (I know I won’t have “more time” later to read them).
I keep a list, on my Evernote app, of all the books I want to read. This note is called: “Coaching and Business Books.”
From time to time, I pick a couple of books, buy them, and they come in the pipe that I read on Friday mornings. These books are a source of wealth.
One of these books was Profit First, which radically changed the finances of my business and helped me make a conscious profit for the first time (before that, I was supposed to make a profit, but didn’t know how much I could spend and exactly how much profit I made, nor could see that money on my bank account. If you know that situation, read Profit First by Mike Michalowicz or watch his Ted Talk).
I can now help my clients set up a system that sets up the game in a way that is winnable for them, so that their organizations can make a profit, and thus, be Sustainable and Prosperous.
On Friday mornings, I also block out a 60 minute slot to manage my personal finances. If I was a millionaire, I would definitely do that. Better to create that healthy habit today.
By creating this time, and setting my priorities, I am already living a rich and abundant life. I remain highly selective on the books I read so that I feed my consciousness with high quality material only, written by some of the best minds and souls of this planet. I give each book I read a grade on a scale from 1 to 10. A 7 or below is not worth finishing. I write down the books I have read in an excel spreadsheet, to track titles and keep them in memory. That helps me to measure progress, and can serve as a reference to recommend books to people. I am proud of reading. There are so many books to read, and so few remarkable books that it makes things easier to keep a high bar.
The paradox is: I don’t need to be a millionaire, neither do you.
What would you do as a millionaire?
Start tomorrow.
Jean-Sébastien Simon - Conscious Business Coach 