The very first step to building wealth is the simplest, but most people never take it.

The sad truth is that wealth, for most people, will remain elusive. Many survive paycheck to paycheck, and will do so the rest of their lives. Many will retire poor, if they can afford to retire at all. In fact, forty-two percent of Americans have less than $10,000 set aside for retirement. Moreover, forty-four percent of Americans can’t pay for a $400 unexpected expense without borrowing money. Four hundred dollars – that’s two new tires or a minor car repair! And twenty-five percent of adults are unable to pay all their monthly bills.

Most Americans live on the verge of financial disaster, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

You can build wealth, and you can start immediately. The first step you need to take is simply this: Decide to become wealthy.

Don’t scoff. I’m not oversimplifying it. This is the premise of Napoleon Hill’s classic Think and Grow Rich. As Hill noted, “[R]iches begin with a state of mind, with a definiteness of purpose….” And, “Success comes to those who become success conscious. Failure comes to those who indifferently allow themselves to become failure conscious.”

Or as industrialist Henry Ford famously quipped, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.”

These aren’t mere platitudes. They’re truisms.

Building wealth starts with a conscious decision to build wealth. Every great achievement begins with a conscious decision. No one ever accidentally climbed Mount Everest, or unintentionally broke a land speed record. I don’t know anyone who inadvertently built a multi-national company, or unwittingly amassed a fortune. Great accomplishments are the result of well-laid plans, and every plan starts with a conscious decision – a decision to act.

In Advice for My Children: How to Build Wealth I provide a step-by-step guide for mastering money and building wealth. And the first step of that journey is a conscious decision to act.

If you want to be rich, you need to first decide to become rich. You’re not going to accidentally become a millionaire. If you want to be a success, you need to decide to be a success. And if you want to stand out from the herd, you need to decide to do just that.

All great achievements begin in the achiever’s head. Decide to be a standout. Decide to be successful. Decide to act.
While I can’t promise that you’ll amass a fortune simply by deciding to become rich, I can promise you never will if you don’t.