17 Million Dollar Decisions Women Can Make Today

I believe every woman should want to be a millionaire.

Every woman needs to see at least seven zeros in her bank account, at the bottom of her own balance sheet, and in her cumulative net worth. Every woman needs to know what it feels like to wield economic power. That’s how we make change. That’s how we serve our children. That’s how we serve the world.

I want you to know what it feels like to be a millionaire. To own a home with no mortgage. To have the freedom to leave a job you don’t love. To have more time to spend with your favorite people doing things you enjoy. To have more time to rest.

I want you to know what it feels like to be a millionaire. To have more than you need and be able to put that surplus money to work for your children, my children, and our children’s children. I want you to know what it feels like to solve community problems like providing for kids who can’t afford school lunch or creating a community garden by simply writing a check.

And, most important, I want you to know how to start making Million Dollar Decisions so you can get on the path to millionaire status, no matter your current situation or earnings.

Image by Chelsea Sanders

What is a Million Dollar Decision?

A Million Dollar Decision is one that:

• creates time and energy,
• frees up mental space,
• reduces piddly shit and creates space for the stuff that matters to you,
• allows you to feel strong, secure, and free,
• creates options instead of eliminating options.

It’s that feeling that your life is expanding instead of contracting. As you can imagine, a Broke Ass Decision is one that does the opposite. A BAD is one that:

• steals your time and energy,
• depletes mental space,
• increases piddly shit and prioritizes it above your greatest desires,
• makes you feel weak, insecure, and trapped,
• eliminates options rather than creating them.

The road to becoming a millionaire is paved with Million Dollar Decisions. Courageous, invigorating, delightful decisions that prioritize your well-being and your wealth. When you prioritize your well-being and wealth, it benefits everyone around you and is actually the opposite of selfish.

17 Millionaire Decisions You Can Start Making Today

Broke Ass Decision #1: Your boss compliments you and says you did excellent work. You reply that it was really a team effort even though it totally wasn’t and downplay your hard work.

Millionaire Decision #1: Your boss compliments you and says you did excellent work. You say thank you and place a diamond tiara on your head like the goddamn Queen that you are. And then add that to your list of receipts for your upcoming salary negotiation.

Broke Ass Decision #2: A friend owes you money but you don’t ask for it back even though she tells you she just booked an expensive vacation to Tahiti.

Millionaire Decision #2: No one owes you money because you have a policy not to lend money. You either give it away or don’t because it’s cleaner that way.

Broke Ass Decision #3: A friend owes you money but you don’t ask for it back even though she tells you she just booked an expensive vacation to Tahiti.

Millionaire Decision #3: You call, email, or text your friend and ask her to pay you back.

Broke Ass Decision #4: You apply for a job. They make you a lowball offer, and you immediately accept.

Millionaire Decision #4: You apply for a job, and you let them know your salary requirements before they even make you a lowball offer. Once you receive an offer, you negotiate because you know you’re worth it and you’ve got options.

Broke Ass Decision #5: You spend five hours looking for ways to cut your expenses. You clip coupons, spend an hour on the phone with the cable company, and skip those two lattes that you really wanted. You save a grand total of $82.

Millionaire Decision #5: You spend five hours researching ways to make more money. You dig into different side hustles, choose one, and get your first client. You made a grand total of $782.

Broke Ass Decision #6: There is a course you want to take to further your training, but you are afraid to invest in yourself so you don’t sign up.

Millionaire Decision #6: There is a course you want to take to further your training so you sign up immediately because you know you can trust yourself to do the work and get results.

Broke Ass Decision #7: You want to make more money but it feels too overwhelming so you never begin.

Millionaire Decision #7: You do some research, make a decision, and then take step one toward making more money immediately because a Rich Boo is a decisive boo.

Broke Ass Decision #8: You help your romantic partner with his or her business by handling the marketing, responding to emails and giving them a daily pep talk. Partner realizes their dreams and you don’t.

Millionaire Decision #8: You prioritize your own dreams and handle your own action around it. You give yourself a pep talk every morning. When you have time and energy for it, you offer your partner a pep talk as well.

Broke Ass Decision #9: You compete daily for the title of Supermom by volunteering at your kids’ school, making their lunch, cleaning their clothes, driving them to every activity, staying up until 10:00 p.m. doing their science project and (sobbing with exhaustion into the hand-sculpted clay volcano you just built), overall burning yourself out.

Millionaire Decision #9: You compete daily for the title of Happy Woman by taking time for your own self-care, including massages, reading a novel, hot bubble baths, workout classes, orgasms, and tranquil walks in nature with the wind blowing through your hair.

Broke Ass Decision #10: Your phone is always by your side so you never miss a demand of your significant other, kids, mom, sister, boss, coworkers, friends, clients, neighbors, dog, cousin, that guy who claims he’s your cousin, and aunties.

Millionaire Decision #10: You put your phone on silent and take a breath of fresh air.

Broke Ass Decision #11: Letting a house guest stay with you for a week, even though you know it will disrupt your work, peace, and well-being.

Millionaire Decision #11: Telling your guest they can stay with you for two nights and giving them a list of hotels where they can stay for the remainder of their trip.

Broke Ass Decision #12: Walking the dog yourself every morning and night even though you don’t enjoy it and you’re always tired.

Millionaire Decision #12: Hiring a dogwalker or delegating it to a family member.

Broke Ass Decision #13: Your car broke down and you take it to the mechanic to fix for the third time this year.

Millionaire Decision #13: You head to the dealer and trade in your broken down car for a reliable, certified, pre-owned car because time is money.

Broke Ass Decision #14: You make dinner for your spouse and kids every night even though you work hard just like everyone else in your household.

Millionaire Decision #14: You make dinner once or twice per week, and invite your spouse and children to make dinner the other nights while you put your feet up and relax. Resentment is instantly gone.

Broke Ass Decision #15: Your childhood trauma is getting in the way of your happiness, but you think you can’t afford therapy so you do nothing about it.

Millionaire Decision #15: You understand that your mental health is essential to your wellbeing and wealth so you do some research and find a local therapist that offers a sliding scale. You also borrow a few books on trauma from the library.

Broke Ass Decision #16: You don’t want to hire help in your business, so you spend twenty hours per week doing admin work.

Millionaire Decision #16: You recognize the value of your work, so you hire a part-time assistant for twenty hours per week, and you spend your freed-up time acquiring more clients and making more money.

Broke Ass Decision #17: You do your own laundry because you can’t imagine having a stranger handle your underwear.

Millionaire Decision #17: You use a laundry drop-off service because you can’t imagine spending hours doing laundry this weekend when you need to rest and recuperate so you are ready to slay on Monday.

Image by Chelsea Sanders

Most of us are smart women who understand the difference between a Broke Ass Decision and a Million Dollar Decision, but we keep making BAD moves anyway.

The key thing I want you to understand is that whether you make a Broke Ass Decision or a Million Dollar Decision is entirely up to you. You have a choice. And the sum of your choices is your life. So, if you are not satisfied with your life right now, know that a certain set of choices you made have led you to this life. Simply start making different choices, and you will start living a different life. Choice has led you into this life, and choice will lead you out of this life.

Adapted from We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers, copyright Rachel Rodgers.