Want To Become A Millionaire? Ask Yourself These Four Questions

Even in turbulent times, we can still stay focused on our goals. There are certainly tactical things we should be doing in our business such as recession-proofing it, however, there is a ton of internal work we can be doing on ourselves as we navigate our current economic climate.

Money therapist, Jennifer Love, has found through her therapeutic work, research, and personal entrepreneurial experience business will profit for the short term without doing any significant emotional inquiry. However, it won’t be sustainable. In the long run, a business run without a healthy dose of emotion will eventually cost you: either in loss of money or becoming incredibly dissatisfied even to the point of personal collapse.

In order to level up and achieve some of your money goals - you’ll have to do some inner work. To get you started in emotional self-inquiry, Love advises to ask yourself these four questions:  

1. “What am I avoiding because I’m afraid to look?”

Maybe you fear the responsibility that comes with having dozens of employees who rely on you or reporters eager to interview you. Maybe you are frightened of being seen for the sensitive person you really are instead of the fierce leader you think people want to see.

Begin writing down the things, situations, people, and emotions you’ve been avoiding because you are afraid to make a deep inquiry into what’s true for you about them. “Not looking at these difficult parts of yourself gives you a false notion of being in control. But having the strength to identify those fears empowers you with renewed clarity, growing confidence and critical choices to do things differently,” says Love. “When you listen, you create more room and space for possibility to enter. You can begin to see and explore options rather than be paralyzed by panic.”  

2. “What do you see in me that I don’t?”

“Ask your support network (or find one) to share what they identify as your best qualities and the qualities they believe are hindering your growth and success. By asking these two questions of your trusted friends, family and advisors you not only get a cheering section on the sidelines of your life but also a coach on the field to point out your blind spots,” advises Love.

You could find out that you’re great at behind-the-scenes work but terrible when it comes to being face-to-face with a potential investor. Or that you’re brilliant at thinking big picture but awful at delegation. Getting perspective - and acting on it - could lead to your next digit breakthrough.

“As a high-achieving business leader your support system is often very small to none at all. I’ve noticed in my work, when I gather small groups of five to eight of these go-getter’s, in a short period of time, these pods of individuals bond quickly. That exponentially opens us up as human beings and as well-balanced entrepreneurs on the cusp of our next great business move,” says Love. 

3. “What do I not want others to know about me and why?”

So many leaders have secrets they’re hiding, and there are both emotional and financial costs to what they let lurk in the shadows of their lives. Secrets can rob you of your self-respect, confidence, and ultimate success. Liberating yourself from toxic emotional baggage can create space to experience our maximum capacity for achieving wealth.

“Ask yourself, ‘What feels heavy in my life? Like a ball and chain I feel strapped to and can’t seem to get free of?’ Maybe its massive debt you’ve hidden. It’s time to fess up. No one can help you get out of the red and into the black if you don’t tell them what’s going on. Or perhaps you feel guilty over how much money you’ve made. One client of mine made, and then lost, $10 million…twice. Until she was unable to see the deep-rooted emotional issue creating this cycle, she kept releasing her wealth. Another client profitably grew her company to $573 million but was at a risk of sabotaging it as she struggled to believe she deserved it. If you don’t voice and overcome your self-limiting beliefs, how will you ever get to seven- or eight-figure status?” asks Love.  

4. “What is possible when I operate from a place of love and abundance?”

“Imagine what is achievable when you shift your internal dialogue from, ‘I don’t want to put an offer out there and take money out of someone’s pocket during a time of crisis’ to ‘I can provide relief for many people who are really scared right now.’ What becomes possible is unlimited wealth,” says Love. “When crisis occurs, we're often very freaked out,” says Love. “If we can start by lightening up for a moment, we can then get to a place of bravely facing our fears and recognizing what’s really true. We can say, ‘Okay, I got this. I can do this. I will do this. I’m doing this.’ And we become limitless.”