How to Become Rich and Retire Young!

How to Become Rich and Retire Young
By Robert Kiyosaki

The following is the story of how my wife Kim, my best friend Larry
Clark and I, began our journey from broke, to rich, to retired in less
than 10 years. When Kim and I started, we were nearly out of money and
filled with doubt. We all have doubts. The difference is what we do with
those doubts.

In December 1984, Kim, Larry and I were on a skiing holiday. At night
we would discuss our plans for the future. Kim and I were on our last
few dollars and Larry was in the process of building another business.
On New Years Day, we tried to set some goals. Larry wanted to do more
than just set goals for the coming year, he wanted us to set goals that
changed our lives. Why dont we write a plan on how we can all become
financially free? he urged.

I had talked about it and dreamt about it. But the idea of being
financially free was always in the future, not today.

Lets write it down, Larry said. Once we write it down, we have to do
it, and we will support each other on the journey.

Kim and I looked at each other doubtfully. It is a good idea but I
think I would rather just focus on surviving for the next year.

Come on, said Larry. Lets go for freedom. I dont want to spend my life
working just to pay bills. I want to live. I want to be rich. I want to
travel the world while I'm young enough to enjoy it.

I recalled the words of my rich dad: The biggest challenge you have is
your own self-doubt and your laziness. It is your self-doubt and your
laziness that define and limit who you are. It is your self-doubt and
laziness that deny you the life you want.

It was time to choose. OK, let set the goal to be financially free.
That was New Years Day 1985. In 1994 Kim and I were free. Larry went on to
build his company, which became one of Inc. Magazines fastest growing
companies of the Year in 1996. Larry retired in 1998 at the age of 46
after selling his company.

How did we do it?
It is not about how we did it. Itis about why we did it. From 1985 to
1994, Kim, Larry, and I focused on rich dad's three paths to great
wealth:

Increasing business skills
Increasing money management skills
Increasing investment skills

The why is because I wanted to challenge my own self-doubts, my
laziness and my past. It was the why that gave us the power to do the how.
My arguments against Larry's idea were things like: But we do not have
any money; I cannot do that; I will think about it next year, or once
Kim and I get settled".

Rich dad had told me: Whenever someone says something like I cannot
afford it, or I cannot do it, to something they want, they have a big
problem. Why in the world would someone say I cannot afford it or I cannot
do it to something they want? Why would someone deny themselves the
things they want? It makes no logical sense.

My own whys
I was fed up with being broke and always struggling for money.
I was tired of being average.
My parents had struggled under a mountain of bills.
Most painful of all, my beautiful wife Kim was in this financial mess
because she loved me.

Things got worse for us before they got better. Kim and I lived in a
car for about three weeks after our money ran out. So things did not get
better just because we made the decision to retire rich, but it was the
reasons why that kept us going.

Rich dad used to say: If you want something, be passionate. Passion
gives energy to your life. Passion is a combination of love and hate. If
you want something you do not have, find out why you love what you want
and why you hate not having what you want. When you combine those two
thoughts, you will find the energy to go get anything you want.
For example, I would create the following list:

LOVE
Being rich
Being free
Buying anything I want
Expensive things
Having other people do what I do not want to do

HATE
Being poor
Being required to work
Not having what I want
Cheap things
Doing things I do not want to do

So sit quietly to find and define your loves and hates. Then write down
your whys. Write down your dreams, goals and plans on becoming
financially free, retiring early and retiring as young as possible. Once it is
in writing, you may want to show it to a friend who will support you in
achieving your dreams.

Take a look at this paper with your dreams, goals and plans on a
regular basis. Talk about it often, ask for support, be willing to
continually learn, and before you know it, things will begin to happen.
I have heard many people say: Money doesn't buy happiness. That
statement has some truth to it. But what money does do is buy me the time to
do what I love and pay other people to do what I hate doing.

Just following these simple steps, I can assure you that you will make it while you are still young.