“I’m going to be a millionaire.”

Just before my 30th birthday, I was still working as an emergency room vet at a crazy busy multi-doctor practice. I had just had baby number 2 and was already thinking it was time to find a new job where I wouldn’t be on call anymore. 

I was standing in the pharmacy one day talking to several of the other doctors. One of the doctors was an older guy (he kinda felt like a father figure to me some days). We started talking about retirement plans and the difference between Roth and traditional IRAs.

Long story short, I made the comment during the conversation that I intended to be a millionaire by the time I was 40.

The comment came out of nowhere. At that time, I had no intentions to leave the field. I knew I was burned out, but had not even begun to think about starting other businesses or do anything other than be a vet and someday a clinic owner.

I really had no context for that comment. No idea if it was possible. No one in my immediate life who had that kind of money. I wasn’t yet hanging out with people outside of the veterinary field, let alone anyone who made anywhere near that kind of money. 

So I had absolutely zero idea of how it would happen, I hadn’t even really realized before it came out of my mouth that it was even a goal of mine.

But it came out. And I’ve never forgotten it.

“I’m going to be a millionaire by the time I’m 40.”

Well, spoiler alert. I’m just over 2 years away from my 40th birthday, and my bank account is nowhere near that number.

But it’s still been in my mind for the last 8 years.

Recently I was on a walk with my husband and we were talking about this goal. 

At first, I was feeling frustration about the fact that we are still so far from achieving it.

But then, I had a realization.

Why did I want to be a millionaire? 

If you’ve been following me for long at all, you’ve heard me talk about the fact that we may want more money, but it’s actually what that money will do for us that we truly want. For example, I can achieve that millionaire status, but if I’m so burned out that I can’t enjoy it and still working 80 hours a week, that defeats the point, right?

So I asked myself, what was it about that millionaire status that spoke to me?

I wanted to be able to work from anywhere in the world.

I wanted to be able to wake up in the morning and drink my coffee and cuddle my kids.

I wanted to have complete control over my schedule.

I wanted to live in an awesome house in a place that I absolutely love.

I wanted to be able to spend the day in my yoga pants and flip flops if I so choose.

I wanted to make an impact on other people’s lives and help them live their best lives.

I wanted to show my kids that absolutely anything is possible in their lives.

When I started to make this list on that walk with my husband, something struck me.

I HAVE ALREADY ACHIEVED ALMOST EVERY SINGLE THING ON THAT LIST.

I still don’t have complete location freedom, but that one is also less important when I get to travel for work AND I truly love my job!

Every single one of those other boxes? Checked off.

(Well, I mean, we’re leaving a great house next month to live in a temporary house but we’ll be right by the ocean which has always been my dream! So that box still counts as checked in my mind!)

The moral of this story:

When we get clear about what we want and keep our focus in that direction, and then we choose to stay open and believe it’s not only possible but will somehow come true, it HAS to happen in some way or another.

(Notice I didn’t just say I wanted it to happen, I said that I was GOING to be a millionaire, there is a huge difference in how we put it out there!).

Now it’s your turn. 

What do you want in your life? What is GOING to happen for you? 

Get clear, get into the feelings, and give yourself the gift of believing it will happen!