For many who want wealth, it seems so ‘far away’ that it becomes difficult to focus on doing the things that count on a daily basis. If this describes you, take heed of the advice given to me by a gentleman who used to be my mentor…’How do you eat an elephant?’ he would ask rhetorically. ‘One bite at a time,’ he’d reply with a smile. At the time I thought the phrase was a little disgusting, but now I understand the wisdom behind the idea: it’s another way of saying Rome wasn’t built in a day. These cliché sayings exist for a reason – they make sense and are based in proven wisdom.

If you’d like to create a brighter financial future for yourself but feel overwhelmed at the prospect, some ideas that may help you eat YOUR elephant in one day include:

• Learn little by little: read finance books, take classes, read the daily financial news. Even if at first you find you don’t understand much, you will gain in perception as you continue the habit/s. As with any new subject, the learning curve will be steep but if you keep at it, someday soon you’ll feel very familiar with the terms you read and hear.
• Stay motivated: Do what successful people do and keep yourself in a state of learning, growing and being motivated. We all have habitual thought patterns which keep us in certain moods, and you need to break through these in order to progress. Source and listen to motivational audios every chance you get – on your way to work, while walking the dog, etc. You can even listen listen to guided, financial motivation audios while falling asleep for an extra boost.
• Seek out mentors: Life is too short to reinvent the wheel, as we’ve said elsewhere. Find people who’ve done what you want to do and learn from them. This will accomplish two things: one, you will shorten your learning curve significantly and two, you’ll have living proof that what you want is possible, which will act as a powerful motivating factor.
• Be patient with yourself: Nothing is accomplished in one day, and sometimes we forget to take credit for how far we’ve come. Keeping a journal will help you chronicle your mentality changes as you learn and grow financially, and looking back occasionally will remind you of how much you’ve changed, encouraging you to keep going.

“I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. Believe me, honey, rich is better.”
~ Sophie Tucker

For women who are already striving for riches, or at least financial independence, bravo! Be sure that your plan – even if includes your present sweetie – takes into account your future – as in, YOUR future and yours alone, should anything happen. Don’t be naive.

For those who aren’t thinking about their financial futures, the statistics are startling and you need to know them. According to the latest studies, nearly all elderly citizens living below the poverty line are female. Most are widows. Even more scary, most were doing well financially while their husbands are alive. You know that nightmare you have about ending up being the poor cat lady or even out on the streets? Well, this nightmare is coming true for waaay too many women. If you think this could never be you, then that is part of the problem.

Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki write in ‘Why We Want You to be Rich,’ that there is a growing gap between the rich and the poor, and that millions of people who are relying on their spouses, their companies and the government are going to find themselves sorely out of luck. The facts are shocking, and a financial education is a must for every woman today.

OK, so now that you realize you must make plans for yourself, you have overcome the biggest hurdle, which is keeping your head in the sand. Next step, wealth! Well, it’s actually not that easy, but it IS simple. The decision to pursue wealth is the biggest step of all. From there on in, it’s all fun and games, meaning learning and applying. Have fun!

Of course, I’m not going to leave you alone in this pursuit. There are plenty of resources for women wishing to become empowered financially, and remember that in doing so, you can not only serve as a positive role model for all the young ladies in your life, but you can help many more people if that’s what moves you. Following are some suggestions as you travel your journey through financial freedom to wealth.

Reasons to become wealthy:

Give some deep thought to your reasons for becoming wealthy. The more you know yourself the better you’ll be able to focus on the task and let nothing stop you. Suggested reading includes the Trump/Kiyosaki mentioned above as well as:

Erin Pavlina article on what changed her mind – Are You Afraid to be Rich?
Rich Woman by Kim Kiyosaki

Wealth mentality:

How you feel about money is a complicated thing. For some food for thought, try the following:

Why You’re Dumb, Sick and Broke (and How to get Smart, Healthy and Rich!)
30 Days to Wealth – now with extra bonuses!
The Women & Money blog
The Breathing Prosperity blog

How to:

The ways of getting rich are as varied as the people who do so. The above resources will help you get started, and from there the sky’s the limit. For an initial boost, try books such as 9 Steps to Financial Freedom by Suze Orman