It's a marathon, not a sprint. Whether you chase your financial goals or not, time will keep moving forward. So, why not go for it?

Dream Big, but Stay Grounded Some people aspire to financial freedom, others to be debt-free. Some aim to earn $100k, while others want to save $250k. Some seek financial peace, and some dream of becoming millionaires.

The Million-Dollar Reality According to research, only about 1% of the world’s population are millionaires. While that means most people aren’t, it doesn’t mean becoming a millionaire is out of reach.

The Time It Takes Most of us have probably imagined what life would be like with a million dollars. According to Ramsey Solutions, it takes an average of 27 years to become a millionaire, with most reaching that milestone around age 49. Thomas Corley’s findings show that for some, it takes even longer: about 32 years on average, with 52% taking up to 38 years, and 21% needing around 42 years to achieve millionaire status.

The Lure of Quick Riches The idea of getting rich quick sounds appealing, but it’s not realistic. Wealth is usually built slowly before compounding rapidly, as seen with Warren Buffett, who accumulated most of his fortune later in life.

The Illusion of Easy Money Winning the lottery? The odds are slim. NBC reports your chances are about 1 in 300 million. That’s 1 in 292.2 million for Powerball and 1 in 302.6 million for Mega Millions. The same applies to risky ventures like cryptocurrency or aggressive business deals. They can lead to quick gains — or swift losses if you’re not cautious.

The Power of Patience Why practice patience when there are so many ways to “get rich quick”? I get it. It’s not glamorous to build wealth over years of discipline. That’s exactly why most people don’t achieve millionaire status.

The Slow and Steady Game If quick wealth-building worked consistently, we’d see far more wealthy individuals. But that’s not how it works. Building wealth is a slow, steady game. Once you hit a certain threshold, though, your wealth can grow exponentially (look no further than Warren Buffett’s journey).

The Three Pillars of Wealth To get there, you need self-discipline in three key areas:

Investing regularly
Increasing your income
Living below your means
Master these and practice them consistently, and wealth will follow.

Speeding Up the Process The title “Slow, But Fast” reflects the reality that most of us have fixed amounts we can invest. That’s okay. It just takes time. If you want to speed things up, adjust the variables:

Invest more.
Live significantly below your means.
Increase your income more frequently.
Are you ready to commit? The journey may feel slow at first, but eventually, you’ll arrive. Remember, the time will pass regardless.