Designing My First-Class Life

A couple weeks ago, I believed I was going to win $2.2-million ... actually, I believed this for a couple months. (All part of my money mindset work, truly believing anything is possible in order to manifest more money into my life.) After the first couple of times, I'm sure my boyfriend (J) got tired of hearing me say "When we win $2.2-million, _____ will happen."

The lottery draw came on April 29th, and the winner was ...

Not me.

(Wild enough though, the same day, from something completely separate from the lottery, I won a FREE coaching series that's valued around $2,000 USD! I see this as a HUGE win for my money mindset work -- a step in a beautiful direction!)

So obviously, this is all a work in progress, and maybe believing that a grand lottery win like that could happen for me was TOO grand ... but I don't believe my efforts were in vain. In Get Rich Lucky B*tch, Denise says "It's up to you to design your first-class life." Meaning ...

We all have different ideas of what it means to be "successful" in life, and in this case what it means to be financially successful. Being immersed in the coaching realm, I'm constantly seeing SIX-FIGURES this and SIX-FIGURES that ... and to be honest, I'm still trying to decide if I WANT to make six-figures. (Again, part of my money mindset work -- I have issues with what it means to have a consistent six-figure salary, based on my upbringing ... negative connotations that I'm working through.)

There have been studies that say "If you make $X, you'll be happy, and anything more or less will decrease your happiness." (... I think the amount was $70,000, but this was almost a decade ago.) Recently, I've seen studies that have said "Millionaires are happier than the average person, because of HOW they spend their money" -- I can get behind this theory!

So, about a month before the draw, I wrote out how I planned to use the $2.2-million. Maybe I wasn't specific enough for The Universe, but my list was better than "I just want to win the lottery; I'd be happy and able to do more if I just win the lottery". And this is something I can continue to work with, for the amount of money I'll be trying to manifest in the future.

Now ... what does MY first-class life look like?

Building a Dream Home

The majority of the lottery winnings were definitely going to go towards building a dream home (+ buying new furnishings for it). J and I could turn any house into a home, but we have some specific ideals ... no, I should say I have specific ideals. (J's only request at present seems to be "needs a hottub".)

The home of a first-class lifestyle doesn't need to be a "mansion" ... but in my head I envision a home big enough to hold two living rooms (one for movie-watching, one for game-playing), an open kitchen and dining room area, two home offices (one for me, one for J), and enough bedrooms to take in foster teens. And I'd love to make it as much of an eco-friendly home as possible. And the hottub J requested. And other specifications that I won't bore you with right now ...

The point is, a first-class life (for me) means having a customized home -- not a home that holds the energy of others, or was designed to fit the needs of others. A home that is mine is J's.

Coaching Services

Since joining the coaching world, I've begun creating a vision board of sorts, of all the coaching services I would like to invest in. My ideal lifestyle would include working with 3-4 coaches a year (1:1), joining a mastermind (for my business), and maybe 2 group coaching programs ... at least.

If you've read my previous article about my money story (link below), you'll know one of my recent realizations is how much STUFF I have. I don't need 50 shirts, I have dozens of books I still haven't read, and oh how I wish certain people wouldn't buy me things for birthday and holidays because they truly don't know me well enough to buy me gifts I'll actually use. (I'd much rather people donate to charities in my name!)

The thing about the society we live in is that we see tangible objects as more valuable than services ... even services like coaching. And to be honest, I still gasp at some of the prices for these services. But I'm heavily shifting towards spending money on experiences rather than things (and wanting to sell quite a few of my things in order to afford the experiences).

Starting a Scholarship Fund

Before my Grandpa passed away (well-before; he passed when I was 25, and I've had this idea since I was 20), I thought about starting a scholarship in his name. He is the reason I have no student debt, and as a fellow lifelong learner I can't think of a better way to pay his kindness and generosity forward (not to mention continuing his beautiful legacy!).

Right now, I'm in a place in my life where I'm just trying to keep manifesting enough money to survive, but pretty soon I'm going to level up to thrive mode -- meaning enough to take care of myself AND others. Enough to donate to charities, enough to start college funds for the young people in our personal lives (cousins, nephews, etc.) ... and, first and foremost, create this scholarship fund.

Investments

One of the things that I appreciate my Dad teaching me about is investing in the stock market. For nearly 10 years, thanks to my Grandpa's gifts over the first 17 years of my life (and my Dad's insistence that I save save save and not spend spend spend), I had stocks in companies that paid dividends. I think I was making $200 every quarter just from dividends ... I'd like to be in a financial situation where I feel safe enough to invest some of my money again, making sure to choose companies offering dividends.

(Side note, not relating to the dividends: I started with $20,000, and within 5 years, before I used some of the money for tuition on my second university degree, my stocks were valued at over $40,000! My favourite, Disney, the one my Dad advised me not to buy because "it's too risky to invest in entertainment" ... well, by the time I sold, 9 years later, their value alone TRIPLED!)

Creativity

At the core of all this, there are two things I want as an outcome of designing my first-class life:

1) Doing my part to make the world a better place

2) Have the time, space, and finances to allow myself the opportunity to create DAILY <--(writing books, blogging, making TikTok videos, other content creation ...)

Overall ...

Manifestation isn't merely wanting something and putting it out into The Universe -- there is work involved as well. You not only need to keep your eyes open (watching for signs from The Universe, as well as preparing yourself for tests it may bring your way), you also need to take some inspired action! You've probably heard people say something like this: You can't wish to win the lottery if you never buy a ticket. Right?

So, while I have some big dreams and desires for my ideal life -- my FIRST-CLASS life -- I know it's best to manifest while still taking action ... specifically, taking baby steps. (Again, one of my mistakes with the lottery: Going from manifesting $0 to $2.2-million was not entirely reasonable ... the coaching series, however, from $0 to $2,000 = a good starting place!)

This means I'm asking myself: What is one step I can take TODAY towards this dream lifestyle? My possible answers:

* Create a true vision board for the dream home (consulting with J, of course -- this will be OUR home)

* Research eco-friendly solutions for homes -- both for the future home, as well as things we can do right now in our apartment

* Look into buying a home first -- the baby step of moving from apartment to already-constructed house, and THEN potentially building our own later (this may also help us get clearer on what we do and don't want in a home)

* Keep my eyes open for opportunities -- I won a whole coaching series just by showing up to a free workshop, so who knows what other personal development possibilities are out there for me

* Begin to ask questions about how to start a scholarship fund -- example: how much is needed to get started, what are the legal requirements, etc.

* Continue to work on my money mindset, while mindfully saving/spending (and actively selling/purging my unused belongings)

(Note: This is my second article relating to GET RICH LUCKY B*TCH; if you enjoyed this one, and would like to read the first, click here.)