A Foundation to Wealth
Creating your own wealth requires a foundation strong enough to resist the temptations and stumbling blocks that are continually put in the path way of those who seek true financial freedom and wealth. Only those who truly embark on this quest will be faced with the most opposition. In the following article I will attempt to outline four simple ways I have found effective in building a strong foundation to creating my own wealth.
Admit it! You are you because of you

I heard a saying once that went something like this “Mum and Dad got me started, I did the rest”. It’s a simple but true analogy. Recognising that we are where we are because of our own decisions, I believe is the first step to a good foundation of wealth. You must first admit to yourself that there is only one person to blame if life has not turned out the way you had anticipated, that person is you. George Bernard Shaw said: “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. People who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them.” (Quoted in John Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, 15th edition, ed. Emily Morison Beck, Boston: Little, Brown, and Co., 1980 p. 680.)
The reason I believe that this should be the first step is simple; Work from the inside out, not from the outside in. Blaming outside influence and circumstance is not going to bring you peace and happiness, only frustration. True happiness comes from within, and step one is; Admit it! You are you because of you. Now you can begin working on creating your own wealth because you have found out who is responsible for this life. You hold the power to creating the life of your dreams.

Time is your greatest Investment

The world has set the standard of work for us. Most people work 9am – 5pm or something similar and have the weekends off if they’re lucky. Our time is so precious and we spend most of it working for money that barely gets us by. Some are lucky enough to save a little of that money while others don’t have that privilege and just scrap by from pay cheque to pay cheque. I grew up in a poor area in New Zealand called Cannons Creek, Porirua. My family has always been poor it’s only now that I realise how little my parents knew about money. Funny thing is most people are no different to my parents. These days I spend my time doing the exact opposite to what my parents taught me financially. I realise now that time is my greatest investment, what I spend my time on is largely influenced by my personal goals and dreams.
In a normal scenario 80% of my time was spend on things I did not want to do and the other 20% was spent on things I actually enjoyed, that’s if I had enough energy after working so hard. I have changed that scenario around; I now spend 20% of my time working and 80% of my time working towards my dreams and goals that will ultimately lead me to financial freedom and wealth. My time is now spent on my future and the future of my family instead of bills that will never go away unless I make them by changing my circumstances. So what changed my mindset from dreaming to doing? Simple I began to invest time into my self-development and mindset. I decided to hang out with millionaires who started from similar circumstances to mine. They shared their advice and guidance without criticism or doubt in my abilities. They were always available for a quick or long lesson 24 hours a day. I didn’t know these people personally but I begun hanging out with them through books, I ordered my first book from a website the best part, it was free! I read this book and began my journey to success. I took action and have never looked back which leads me to my next point of a good foundation to wealth.

Learn the Master trade of Goal setting
I am a tradesman and I know my trade well, I also know how long it takes to learn my trade properly. Just like any trade goal setting is not an easy task when you do it right. Anyone can set a goal but not many (in my experience anyway) achieve that goal. The main principle I think we need to understand about goal setting is it’s a two part package, just like buying a new pair of shoes, you get two shoes in the box one for each foot. To my knowledge there is not a shoe shop in the world that only sales one shoe without the other. Goals are the same, you first set them then you achieve them you can’t have one without the other and if you do its just as pointless as wearing one shoe.
Russell M Ballard said this about the importance of goals; “I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don’t set goals in our life and learn how to master the technique of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. When one learns to master the principle of setting a goal, he will then be able to make a great difference in the results he attains in this life”. I honestly believe that half our problem lays here in the early stages of goal setting. If we can cultivate an understanding that goal setting has a counterpart and that counterpart is goal achieving, we are on our way to building a foundation of wealth. The following is an example of how one might go about learning the master trade of goal setting.
1. Set your ultimate goal
This is the goal of goals, sometimes this goal is five to ten years in the making. Personally I like to take things year by year. This goal is the goal that will ultimately change things for you whether it is financially, health or relationships it does not matter in which area what matters is that this goal is your big one the thing you feel you want most. It’s ok if you change your mind over time; just have a starting point, something to aim for.
Note: Aim high!

2. Set sub goals to achieving your ultimate goal
If I was given the challenge to eat an Elephant (not that I would accept such a thing) I would need to plan out my steps to take in order to meet such an enormous task. I would look at things such as; where would I store this Elephant; I can’t eat it all at once so I would need to store it. What equipment would I need, who can I ask for help and what kind of time frame is realistic here. By understanding the challenge I can be more accurate in pin pointing the sort of sub goals I will need to set for myself. The main ingredient to setting sub goals is they are all helping you achieve your ultimate goal. Be specific about when you will accomplish these sub goals and have them planned so that by achieving them you will eventually meet your ultimate goal.

3. Break down your sub goals into yearly, monthly, weekly and daily practices
Now that you have outlined to yourself exactly what you want to achieve you need to design a master plan. This plan is going to be your work ethic; your yearly, monthly, weekly and daily practices are the most important part of achieving your goals. Unfortunately this is where most people fail themselves by not putting in the effort to planning out how they will actually achieve their goals. Although it is quite simple this part of setting goals is the most time consuming, but don’t rush this part, it may take you a week before you get the hang of this and for some even longer, that’s ok you will get better with more practice. Bear in mind the principle “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. Ask yourself the questions: What can I do monthly to achieve my sub goals? What can I do every week to achieve my sub goal? What can I do daily to achieve my sub goal? Then do it!

4. Review your goals, sub goals and daily plans every single day until you achieve our goals
I once watched a free DVD that taught; the only difference between Millionaires and Billionaires is that a Millionaire reviews his goals daily every day a Billionaire reviews his goals twice daily every day. I review my goals twice a day once in the morning upon rising and once in the evening before retiring. For me reviewing goals is now a habit and because I do this every day my goals are a part of who I am. You must make time to review your goals each day it is essential to your success.

5. Learn to master time and measurement
Whatever you do don’t set yourself up for failure. Sometimes we can get a little carried away with what we want to achieve by a certain date. Give yourself time to grow towards your goals and learn realistic time frames from your past experiences. This is not to say you can only grow at your past speed, not at all, but when you are starting to master goal setting it’s important to keep the time frames and measurements realistic. For example if you have never run 40km straight before but that is your goal, you will need to build slowly towards that goal by running 2km by month one then 3km by week six then 4km in week 10 and so on. If you find yourself getting close to the time when your goal is due for completion don’t set yourself up for failure, reset the goal date and change the sub goals and practices so you can achieve your goal by the specific time. It’s important to have a time frame so you can measure your success. Be realistic about your time frames, be honest with yourself and always look to improve the way you set and achieve your goals.

Self Discipline the only true discipline
Benjamin N. Woodson said the following statements in regards to self discipline:
“The longer I live, the more weight I attach to a man’s ability to manage and discipline himself. The longer I live, the more firmly convinced I become that the essential factor which lifts a man above his fellows in terms of achievement and success is his superior capacity for self-discipline”.
“Education is a priceless aid to success, of course, but education is not the difference. The educated derelict is a common sight, and so is the man who has achieved resounding success without the opportunity for, or the advantages of, a formal education. It seems a valid conclusion that while formal schooling is an important advantage, it is by no means a guarantor of success, nor is its absence a fatal handicap.”
“I believe that when we have the proper attitude, when we learn to reach our goals, then when we apply the ingredient of self-discipline, there is not much that any one of us in this audience tonight could not accomplish, if we are willing to pay the price”.
Such powerful statements as these taught me the superior qualities that self discipline offers to those who truly discipline themselves to achieving their dreams. Self discipline is to me the ability to do something with full purpose regardless of outside influence. Many will try and convince you otherwise on your quest to financial freedom and wealth but self discipline will push you forward even when you want to listen to what others may say.
There are lots of other aspects to wealth creation that are not mentioned in this short article, but I am convinced that these four principles will provide anyone wishing to start on the journey of creating your own wealth have a good solid foundation to build upon. If you would like to read more of my articles with such titles as: The mind of a fighter, Overcoming robot syndrome email me at contact@richlifecreation.com or visit my site I also have step by step programs to help you break down your goals better. I hope you enjoyed reading this article and look forward to your feedback.
Kindest Regards,
TMar