…begins with a single step.
When you’re getting started looking at the mountain of mess that is quite possibly your finances right now (that’s where I started– one big fat giant MESS!), where on earth do you begin??? Well, the saying is true….you must start from the beginning. Before you can master that mountain of mess, you have to master your mind, and convince yourself to take that first step up the mountain. Unfortunately, no one can do that for you– no matter how many “cheat sheets” or workbooks or videos or lessons or blueprints or roadmaps or books tell you WHAT to do– only YOU have the power to actually do it. (Unless, of course, you have money for a servant to handle all of life’s little troubles for you, and in that case, you probably do not need this website!)
And fear not, grasshopper, taking that first step to tackle your mountain of mess only requires that you do one little thing: Take Action. (Well, possibly two things, because once you begin to take action you need to persevere and KEEP taking action, but that’s a subject for another post). And because you are reading this, you are *already* taking action toward your financial goals! Congratulations!
To pep us up for the job, let’s take a look at some of our favorite masters’ “before and after” pictures. Every great master was once a newbie! From Grandmaster Shek Kin (Mr. Han in Enter the Dragon) to Bruce Lee to Grandmaster Chan Sau Chung (Monkey Kung Fu), each started from the same exact place, knowing nothing. And likewise, so did each of your favorite (or not-so-favorite!) billionaires: Warren Buffett, Donald Trump, George Soros, Oprah Winfrey…. Each learned to sit before they could stand, stand before they could walk, and walk before they could run. And they suffered many falls and missteps along the way and overcame many, many obstacles, like we all do when learning!
Oprah "Before" and "After"
Bruce Lee "Before" and "After"
YOU "Before" and "After" Kung Fu Finance!
So I’m sure you’ve figured out that Bruce Lee did NOT become legendary by just sitting around and dreaming about it and “hoping” that one day he would be a good martial artist. No. And Oprah did not just go from day one on her first job as a radio station reporter to becoming a billionaire and owning her own TV network the very next day. Like all successful people in life, they studied and learned, yes, but they continuously TOOK ACTION toward their goals.
Throughout your journey to financial freedom, if you are able to master only ONE thing, this is the most important thing I hope you take with you, no matter what. If you are able to continuously take action, no matter how small (and even misguided at times– no one is perfect!), and to keep persevering, bit by bit, you will soon achieve true financial freedom (and all of the fun that goes with it!).
So finally, I just want to remind you that this is definitely NOT a “get rich quick” site and I will NOT be selling you “3 easy steps to your first million dollars!” or other such nonsense (unless, of course, those steps are “study, take action, learn, study, take action, learn, study, take action, learn”…rinse, lather, repeat!). If you are still with me, congratulations and thank you! I think you are in for a wonderful (and fulfilling and wealthy) journey.
Just remember, as Bruce Lee famously said,
Knowing is not enough, we must apply! Willing is not enough, we must do!
– Bruce Lee
If you are willing to actually DO the steps, you can achieve greatness. (And “doing” doesn’t necessarily mean “boring”, by the way… I think Bruce Lee had a LOT of fun kicking ass! As did Trump and Buffet and Winfrey building their fortunes!)
What are you going to do today to take a step closer to your financial goals? Let me know in the comments below– I’d love to hear! I’m going to go study up on corporate bonds and call one bond broker.
To your success,
Kung Fu Girl
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” — Chinese Philosopher Laozi
About the Author:
Susan Fujii, aka kungfugirl, is an SEC Accredited Investor who believes that anyone can learn to be financially independent.
Susan has authored 199 posts on Kung Fu Finance, and you can connect with her on Google+.
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Dear Susan,
Yesterday I was so distressed wondering if I had what it took to turn my dismal financial situation around. Today after reading through your site I feel hopeful. I’m hoping I will find a step by step plan I can follow to achieving my financial goals through education and investing. Thank you for sharing your passion with so many.
Judith Bell
Love what I’ve read so far! Tomorrow is my 66th birthday. I never thought I’d put that down on anything other than a legal document, much less on a website, but there it is.!!! I was unexpectantly divorced at 60 from my second husband of 20+ years. I had two children from my 1st marriage and raised them for 12 years as a single mother before remarrying. I worked very hard to become successful in my career, and did fairly well. At the time of my divorce I thought I’d be OK financially. However, between the extremely high cost of the divorce, liabilities assigned to me by the court regarding the financial settlement, the drastic change in the cost of living over the past few years and the huge capital gains and legal fees I’ve incurred due to the divorce my retirement funds have been reduced to the point where I am frightened about my future.
Your information seems to be straightforward and sensible. I have been reading a lot,and I do mean a lot, of information that’s available on the web concerning investment advice. It’s enough to make your head spin, and it’s difficult to determine what is “legitimate” advice. Is it possible, in following your advice for me to secure enough income to carry me through for the next 20 to 30 years starting to try to rebuild at this late stage? I have less than $100.000 to work with, and have accumulated about $50,000 in debt. I have a small motgage, which I’m thinking about refinancing in order to eliminate my debt. Any advice about that?
I intend to continue my education in finance to overcome the fear that has prevented me from taking action since the unexpected divorce changed all the plans I thought were pretty secure for my retirement.
I realize this info is sketchy, but at my age I need to do something and do it quickly. Any thoughts or advice from you to me would be greatly appreciated.
MDA
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