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8 Reasons Why I’m Not a Millionaire

I stopped at 8 because I’m not inclined to keep going. Perhaps it’s because I’m tired of lambasting myself for not being a money whore. Wait, did I just say that?

The fact of the matter remains that while I apply myself to solving each of these problems it will inevitably lead to another list of reasons why I’m STILL not a millionaire. In reality, it seems the attainment of millionaire status is often the result of luck (and maybe a mind to sieze opportunity the moment it arrives).

Don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t been tough for me to make a living – I’ve been in the technology field for almost 10 years now and haven’t had much trouble sustaining employment. What has been difficult is finding the balance between the job and the family (of six) that I long to be a part of – the past 8 months I have been working in excess of 80 hours a week. Hence my journey for financial freedom and this self perspective into what I think are probably the top reasons why I haven’t made it into the ranks of the financially enlightened (luck aside).

1. I read too much and don’t apply enough of what I read.
   This one is pretty simple. I read like no other. My latest favorite Internet reading addiction is digg.com. I’ve wasted lots of time on that one, but the solution is simple. Stop reading. Start doing. ‘Nuff said.
2. When I work on a project, it’s difficult to stay focused on it.
   I am distracted by just about anything and everything. Sometimes I am just not in the mood to focus on anything. Most of the time it’s just because I don’t shut my email and IM off. Or maybe it’s that somehow I think I can browse the web and work at the same time. It’s time to put these things on a schedule and turn them off while I focus on work.
3. I get bored of things easily and leave a lot of my personal tasks unfinished.
   I tried to “distract” myself from writing this several times. Some of it is work related, other parts of it are a mental block (which means it got boring or I thought something else was more important). The reason it made it here is I pushed myself to get it done even after the glamour of it wore off. See, some of my thinking is already paying off. Right? On to the next item…
4. I procrastinate doing the things I should and do things I shouldn’t do instead.
   This article is case in point. I shouldn’t really be writing it. But I did and will end up working late because of it. The main reason why I did it is because I’m tired of doing this to myself over and over. Not to mention, I have this strange idea that writing about it will help me solve the problem. Honestly it isn’t working, yet.
5. I find it hard to commit to things that I do not immediately see value or success in doing.
   Call it a fear of failure or greedy motivations. Both of these ultimately undermine the quality of the work performed. I find that as time goes on I am less and less constrained by this limitation; nonetheless I still pep talk myself. You can’t win if you never try, so don’t let failure or your greed hold you back (and question moving forward on greed alone).
6. I often set myself up for failure by expecting way too much from myself.
   The main side effect of this problem is over-committing oneself. I do wonder if the driving factor is the desire to please others. Regardless of the source of the problem it’s time to think things through and be sure to triple the amount of work you think is required. It’s probably still not enough (especially if you procrastinate as I address in item #4) but you have a much better chance of getting things done on time.
7. I have a tendency to solve problems the easy way versus taking more time now to make things easier later.
   This is a tough one and most of the time the easy way is the better way for the sake of being simple. Sometimes it is pretty obvious that there is a better solution but because I’ve procrastinated doing the task, or I’ve become bored with it and I’d just rather get it out of my hair, I go for the quick and easy solution. This leads to unexpected surprises as time goes on. Stop procrastinating, remember the last time your great idea blew up in your face and, do things the right way.
8. There is little perceived (or immediate) benefit to fixing these problems.
   This is tough for those who have grown up in the 90s, with the cornucopia of instant gratification. I’m reticent to apply the discipline I know I need and I’d prefer to scrape by because it is intrinsically easier for me to do so right NOW. It’s time for a change – I’ve got to move my cheese so to speak. Put forth the effort now, put everything you have into what you do, and the rewards will surely follow in droves.

In the end you must remain inspired. Don’t kick yourself for lost or spoiled opportunties – learn from the experience and try, try again. The world is full of opportuntity, you just have to capture it when you see it and don’t hold back!