Chapter 1: Are You Really Committed to Financial Success?

Let's consider this question:

Do you behave like someone who genuinely aspires to accumulate wealth? Do you see yourself as deserving of it?

For many of us, the answer is no. I know it was for me.

Initially, my target as a freelancer was to earn $2,000 a month.

When I reached that goal working only a few hours daily, I thought, "This is the life!"

However, a few months later, I found myself feeling unhappy for reasons I couldn't quite grasp.

I began to wonder if I was cut out for business or if I was meant to be an employee.

In hindsight, it wasn't that I lacked the potential; I simply wasn't courageous enough to pursue my dreams as concrete objectives. I could have aimed for much more than $2,000—I just didn't fully believe I deserved it. I merely claimed I wanted it.

Everyone who has achieved wealth truly desired it.

In his thought-provoking piece, "This 7-Step Plan Will Make You A Millionaire," Benjamin Hardy encapsulates insights from over 200 financial books, emphasizing that the first crucial step is to genuinely desire wealth.

“Almost all affluent and influential individuals aren’t particularly talented, educated, charming, or attractive.”

“They achieve wealth and power through the sheer desire to attain it.” — Paul Arden, author of It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be

Now, my initial $2,000 goal seems almost comical. It was a reasonable target for a beginner, but I’ve progressed far beyond that stage. My aspirations must grow along with me.

That’s the root of my earlier discontent. I was prepared for advancement, yet my mindset was lagging.

I felt ashamed of wanting substantial wealth. It appeared unrealistic, trivial, and unattainable.

Now, I recognize that writers I admire earn millions annually doing what I do, just slightly better and over a longer period.

Absolutely! I can achieve that!

Therefore, I’m shifting from a primarily service-based model to a focus on content creation and educational offerings. That’s the only way to join the ranks of high-earning writers.

This transition is gradual and challenging. There are days when it seems like I’m making no progress at all.

But I persist because, for the first time, I acknowledge my genuine desire for wealth—and I act on it.

In a recent interview, renowned psychologist Marisa Peer posed a thought-provoking question.

She asked the audience to envision themselves with significant wealth and to sense how that felt physically.

There’s something about her voice that captivates me completely.

When she asked me to consider how wealth felt in my body, I sensed a tightness in my stomach—a negative sensation.

I feel apprehension at the mere thought of wealth, and I’m uncertain why. I attempt to rationalize it.

Perhaps it’s because I grew up in a financially struggling household.

Maybe I was conditioned to believe that wealthy individuals are inherently bad.

It could also stem from my parents' financial struggles, leading me to feel an obligation to remain loyal to their experiences.

Or perhaps it’s a lack of self-belief, causing my mind to shield me from potential disappointment.

I’ve searched endlessly for the root cause of this fear, but the answer continues to elude me.

Yet, I possess the awareness and the drive to demand more of myself.

Sometimes, having the motivation to seek answers is sufficient to propel you forward.

I still can’t pinpoint why I harbor this fear of money deep down.

What I do know is that I desire wealth, and I am committed to acting in alignment with that desire. I understand that my actions can reshape my emotions more effectively than anything else.

I consistently show up, even when my results seem trivial.

I craft more effective to-do lists that push me to excel. Instead of merely writing, "Create an article for Medium," I specify, "Write an outstanding, impactful article for Medium." This adjustment alters my approach to writing. I’m effectively instructing my brain to elevate its performance, and I know it’s capable of doing so. This applies to everyone.

I set clear goals, and I document the emotions that arise from them. I embrace the entire process. The internal work is the most challenging aspect, but I won’t relent.

I recognize that even when I earned that initial $2,000 as a freelancer and felt discontent, I could have demanded more from myself, and I would have achieved it.

But I didn’t back then, and now I do.

I hold myself accountable for the strength and wisdom to consistently show up.

I require the insight to produce remarkable, impactful content that empowers others.

I ask for the fortune to seize the right opportunities when they arise and the intuition to recognize them (which we don’t always have).

I demand the skills necessary to become one of the leading writers online. I also need to determine what that success looks like in numerical terms.

I seek empathy and the capacity to interpret the data accurately so I can comprehend my readers' needs and provide them with valuable content.

Ultimately, I require the financial rewards that should accompany all of this.

The prosperity I know I deserve, even if my body hasn’t yet acknowledged it.

The wealth I am determined to earn through hard work, even if I’ve never experienced such financial abundance before.

The abundance that is available to me in the world—I just need to reach out for it.

Final Thoughts

Now, I lead a wonderfully chaotic life.

I’m a mother, wife, daughter, and granddaughter, striving to fulfill all my responsibilities.

It’s overwhelming, yet I wake up joyful and go to bed exhausted, fully aware that I am building my dream life—slowly but surely.

I demand more from myself, and I have no intention of giving up.

Write your way to your dream one-person business, taking it one small step at a time. Subscribe to the free One-Person Business Success newsletter.

Dan Lok discusses how the real issue isn't a lack of money, but rather a lack of skills necessary to achieve financial success.

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