How to make a million

When I was younger, I remember always telling myself that I wanted to be a millionaire by the age of 30, and that was my goal. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, and I didn’t understand why I wanted to. All I knew was that it was the most important thing to do in my life. I look back now and think I was crazy. There are things in life that are much more important than money. Whilst I don’t see anything wrong with anyone having this as their goal, it's important to understand this “mission”.

My Mum, the wisest and most influential person in my life, used to make me stop and think whenever I made statements or declarations. She always made me pause to consider the reason behind my actions and understand why I wanted to do certain things.

So, when I used to say to her, “I want to make a million” or “I want to be a multi-millionaire,” she would ask why. I would always say, “I want to look after you, Mum.” I wanted to give her a perfect life, everything she could want. Mum would smile and say, "That’s nice,” then tell me that she did not need anyone to make a million to look after her.

My mum explained that’s not what life is about; life is not about chasing money.  She would tell me that our family and ancestors never chased money. Any wealth acquired by family members was never sought. I didn’t understand what she meant. I used to reply, “Okay, Mum”, and then carried on trying to work out how to make a million.

Every time I made this statement, she would give me hints to prompt me to consider why I felt I needed this money. The truth is, I didn't need a million; no one needs a million to survive.

You should never make making a million your aim in life. If you look at your life right now, answer honestly: is a million essential to your well-being?

The fact is, you will find that the majority of people who become multi-millionaires or even billionaires may not have made it a focus to become that.  The resulting millions were a by-product of whatever their true focus was.

For example, if we look at the singer Beyonce, her focus was on becoming a dancer, which led her to sing.  She was a child when she started to dance and sing. She wanted to perform. She did not sit there as a child with ten business or sales books planning to make a million; she wanted to dance and sing. The millions she has made are a by-product of what she enjoyed… performing.  She made millions because people wanted to pay to watch her perform.

The football player Pele was arguably one of the best football players that ever existed.  In the era he was playing, a reserve team player may turn down the money he received today.  If he were to play football in this era, he would earn millions. His goal was to play football; he loved the game. The money he earned was a by-product of what he was doing.  People try to chase the millionaire status and find they don’t make a million. Millions of pounds are not to be chased; whatever you are passionate about is what you should focus on.

If you focus solely on becoming a millionaire, you will soon find out that you are not in control of whether you can achieve this.

Why are some football players millionaires and others are not?  Why are some singers millionaires and others are not?  People do not control whether or not they make money. People can only control what they do and what they are passionate about. It’s the consumer that decides whether they make money. You can buy a house and value it at a million, but it is only worth a million if someone is prepared to pay a million.