When we talk about becoming a self-made millionaire, and we look at the stories of those who achieved it, they almost always say the same thing: “If I could do it, you can too.”
However, when I analyze in detail how they really started, what they actually did, and what decisions they made, I realize it’s not that simple. It gives the sensation that they are made of a different material.
It is true that, technically, “if they could, we could.” But the difference is that they were willing to do things that the majority of common people would not do.
We wouldn’t do it for fear of losing money we don’t have. We wouldn’t do it out of embarrassment. We wouldn’t do it because it implies selling (talking to strangers). We wouldn’t do it because it never would have occurred to us, and many other things.
How is it that millionaires took actions that we wouldn’t take?
The answer lies in their motive. They had a reason strong enough to give them the courage to do everything we wouldn’t dare to do.
Some of the triggers I’ve heard that forced these people to become millionaires “at any cost” include: being able to pay for good health insurance for their parents after seeing them mistreated in a public hospital; refusing to ever be anyone’s employee again; desiring absolute freedom; never wanting to have financial worries again after losing a lot of money in their 401K, and other similar reasons
The same happens with many famous people (actors, singers, etc.), whose motive was to become famous “at any cost.”
The "Settling" Trap
If you think about it, these are “normal” motives. They are the same reasons any of us might have for wanting to earn money.
The difference is that for those millionaires, these motives carried an emotional charge infinitely stronger than for the rest of us mortals.
It feels like we simply “settle for less.”
For instance, regarding health insurance, a normal person might think: “Well, that’s just how public hospitals are and how they treat everyone. It’s what we have to deal with.”
Regarding not being an employee, we rationalize: “Yeah, I have to put up with my boss and clients, but it’s not all day, and I have weekends off.”
Regarding financial worries or free time, we think: “I earn enough to be comfortable. If I get fired, the world won’t end. I have a guaranteed monthly salary that avoids stress.”
In summary, we settle for much less than they would settle for.
Actions: What They Do (That I Wouldn't)
Because they refuse to settle, the intensity of their desire pushes them to take actions that seem incredibly out of my comfort zone. Here are some real examples:
a) The Pastry Strategy One entrepreneur had a business aimed exclusively at private jet owners. He found a trade show in another state that was ideal for contacting clients. He booked flights and a hotel, but upon arrival, he realized the event was invitation-only.
He didn’t give up. He observed that the attendees went to a nearby coffee shop to buy pastries. The next day, he arrived early and bought every single pastry in the shop. When a client came in to ask for one, he would approach and say that, by chance, he had one to spare. That is how he started the conversation.
– It is an action that never would have occurred to me, and even today, I don’t know if I would dare to do it.
b) The Magazine Launch Another entrepreneur wanted to launch a magazine. He made a list of more than 100 influencers who might be interested and contacted them one by one. More than 90% said no. But the few who said “yes” were enough to make the launch a success.
c) The Required Investor In a startup seeking investment, after 20 rejections, the founder said: “When I reach 100 ‘no’s’, I will stop trying.” He reached 100 and still didn’t give up. Finally, he got the money from investor number 108.
– Any of us would have been demotivated after the second “no.”
d) The Persistent Realtor Another millionaire started as a real estate agent. When a property doesn’t sell and the contract with the realtor expires, any agent can set up an alert so they can call the owner to get the listing. Therefore, the owner gets up to 20 calls in a single day.
This millionaire didn’t call: he went personally to see the client. He returned in the afternoon with a gift. He returned the next day. And so on for five days.
The owner usually reacted in two ways: either kicking him out for being annoying, or saying: “I’m going to hire you because I want you to promote my house the same way you are promoting yourself.”
The majority of the real estate owners said no, but a significant number said yes.
– Even knowing this works, I don’t know if I would dare to do it.
Identifying the Missing Ingredient of Self-Made Millionaires
What these stories show is that millionaires feel the motive to become rich with much more intensity than most people. That intensity is what leads them to take actions “at any cost,” extremely outside the comfort zone.
So, the big question appears to be: How can I make myself feel those motives with the same force they do?
One millionaire mentioned that after working many years as an employee, becoming a millionaire becomes harder. My conclusion is that this happens because, little by little, one starts to settle for less.
I believe the main key to becoming a millionaire lies in achieving that feeling—feeling those motives with the same emotional intensity they felt at the beginning of their journey.
Therefore, the question remains:
How can I trigger that strong impulse (or feeling) that can drive me to act outside my comfort zone, taking actions “at any cost” without hesitation, so I can finally reach financial independence?
And for that question… I don’t have an answer right now, but I will try to find it, because I believe this is the key in order to reach financial independence.
