1 Million Dollars in 365 days…

I’ve just recently completed a 30 day personal development program. The beauty of this program is that I designed it myself, and it cost me nothing other than my time, some paper and a desire to stick with it. The rewards have been fantastic!

The purpose of this 30 day program was to challenge myself, take things to another level and give myself a sort of “detox” from the everyday things in life. This was also an experiment - I knew what I wanted to achieve, but I wasn’t sure how it was going to work.

My main focus was to complete the 30 day program. I could then evaluate it, the results I got and then refine the program for the next 30 days and so on. The objective is to improve my life in a holistic way - covering as many aspects of my life as possible. The way I designed it was simple:

“Complete 5 daily tasks, each day, for a period of 30 days. “

It’s pretty basic to setup. I just made a word document, tabled with each day and 5 rows for the 5 tasks for that day. The way I planned it, was by thinking of the goals I wanted to achieve. An example of my plan below

As I mentioned….pretty simple, yet effective. Now as you can see, I would leave a couple of spaces each day so that I could add some tasks either on the day or at the beginning of the week.

Some tips for making your own 30 day program:

• Once you’ve completed your program, print it out and staple it or get it bound.
• Reward yourself - under the last day, write something you will get if you complete the 30 days, that will motivate you to continue
• Choose tasks that work towards making you feel empowered and achieving your goals
• For extra motivation, encourage your partner (or friends) to do the their own 30 day program & then compare results at the end (and celebrate!)

One of the coolest things for me, was once I completed the first 30 day programme, my wife asked me to set one up for her. She’s been doing really great so far and seems to be achieving more & feeling more empowered!
You may also be pleased to know that I’ve put “update blog” as one of my five to-do’s, every second day, on my current 30 day program - so the drought is over!

So get cracking & start your 30 days program TODAY!

I’ve just been watching a music dvd of Donavon Frankenreiter, the Abbey Road sessions. I don’t know what it is but it really connects with me. I picked up the dvd for $1 when I was in Australia on my honeymoon back in May 2008. It was at one of those book, cd & dvd fairs and there were a few bargains to be had. I bought it more out of curiosity than anything else. Once we got back to our apartment I put it on and was amazed at how great it was.

To be honest, I thought it would be pretty crap for $1. Another lesson - don’t judge a book (or dvd) by it’s price! It was really great and I originally thought it was just because I was on holiday that I enjoyed it so much….that was until I put it on a couple of times when I was back in NZ.

This guys really impresses me - he’s grounded and seems to have his priorities setup:

“From his genuine nature, to his big heart, to his all-around charisma, once you connect with his vibe you realize that he is truly unique. Donavon lives an incredible life, one that he never takes for granted. His vocations and drive have enabled him to live the one person’s fantasy, as a reality.

First and foremost, you have Donavon the husband to his wife Petra and father to his sons Hendrix and Ozzy. Their love and presence are the driving force in his life, as can be seen by the beautiful tattoo of the three on his forearm. Next you have Donavon the pro-surfer, who has and continues to travel the world extensively surfing in some of the most popular and also most remote places on the globe. As a matter of fact, both Donavon’s surfboard and guitar case have seen more places than most humans ever will. And of course, you have Donavon Frankenreiter the musician, who is about to release his third, and probably most important album to date titled Pass It Around (Lost Highway). ” - Donavonf.com Bio

He spend his life surfing, and travelling the world playing his music, with his wife and kids. Some would say that music is his passion, however I believe that his family are his passion. I’m willing to bet that he would give up playing concerts all around the world in just an instant if his family asked him to.

One of life’s biggest challenges is to find our purpose, the reason we are here on this earth. I think you know when you’ve found your purpose, because it consumes your life. It changes your life and everything seems to fall into place. I’m not saying that you won’t come up against challenges, rather that you know the challenges are there for a reason

So perhaps the time has come….for you to follow your heart. Are you inspired every morning when you wake up? Are you surrounded with like-minded people, people who you love and care for and those who feel the same about you? Is everyday a blessing or a chore?

Maybe you’re not doing what you should be. So why not explore some different options:

• Tired of your job? Ask your boss for a promotion, or quit your job!  Yes it may be scary, but it will also probably be one of the most exciting things you will ever do!
• Sell your car, pack your stuff and book a one-way ticket to Timbuktu (or London for those who are less adventurous)
• Do you have a skill that can earn you a living? Why not start your own business? There’s tons of resources to help people who decide to work for themselves. Find a business mentor and get started!
• Why not try to volunteer somewhere? I’m sure if you look, you’ll find dozens of opportunities to volunteer in your local community. You may be surprised at how rewarding it can be.

What ever you decide - make sure that you do what makes you happy. A friend of mine recently sent me this definition - I hope it helps you.

“I have recently concluded that the secret to being happy in life is limiting the gap between where you are at and where you think you should be.”

 Chris Wingate

 All the best and have a FANTASTIC week!

Ryan Kilfoil - The Kiwi Millionaire

Yes, I know, I talk about action a lot. And I guess that’s because I am constantly astounded as to how this affects my life and those around me. Taking action is one of those things that we all know that we need to do, if we want to get something or get somewhere in life.

Taking action is also one of those things that can be challenging at times. I have to agree, because I often find myself knowing what to do, but not taking action and doing it! There’s always a plethora of excuses we manage to conjure up, and we may even do such a good job of convincing ourselves that it becomes a habit NOT TO TAKE action. This creates a problem, as if you’re not taking action towards your goals, then I hate to break it to you….but you’re not going to achieve them…

So what can we do to overcome this challenge of not taking action? It’s simple. Grow up and take responsibility for your goals. Once you take responsibility for what you want to achieve in life, then you know that the only thing standing between yourself and your goals… is you!

One of the challenges in life is to change the habits that we have become used to ie, that we can’t have everything we want in life, that we are here to work 9-5, then retire and then die (how exciting!) etc etc. These have been drilled into society on so many levels, it can be difficult to undo them, however it can be done.

Just be conscious of your thoughts, as much as possible. If your thoughts turn into actions, which then generate your results, it makes sense to monitor your thoughts to make sure that you’re having empowering thoughts.

Once you decide to take action and follow through everything changes. Taking action is the key to success to everything in life. So if you’re been putting off something that you know is a critical factor in your success, then consider this your personal reminder - DO IT NOW!

Well, not only am I now in double digits as far as the number of days until I achieve my goal, but I’ve also just surpassed another milestone with the release of my best selling E-Book - “How to change your life TODAY!”, which has just been published on SmashWords International website!

As a big thank you for following my journey on this blog, I would like to offer you a copy for free.

It’s usually USD$19.99 for this e-book, but if you follow the link below and enter this promotional code GP87V  - it won’t cost you a thing!

• To get your very own FREE copy of The Kiwi Millionaire - How to change your life TODAY!, please visit http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/2773  and remember to enter GP87V to get it for free!

Hurry because this offer finishes July 31st!

I really do hope that you will get the maximum benefit from reading this book. As the free code is vald until 31/07/2009, I am more than happy for you to share that link and promotional code with your friends and family, if you believe that they might benefit from reading the book too.

Thanks again for your ongoing support. I honestly thrive off helping other people as I believe the only true way to success is through helping others be successful.

Yours in success,

Ryan Kilfoil

People often ask me how I find the time to do everything that I am doing, with relation to my business interests, family, friends, social and sporting activities. Well, the truth is that I have my days when I don’t have time to do everything I want!  I think it boils down to a fundamental - you have to MAKE TIME to do the things you love to do.

Do I make time to do everything I do all the time? Maybe not at first, but I always find a way to be grateful for whatever situation I am doing. Do I like cleaning the toilet? No, not until I realise how lucky I am to have a toilet! Imagine not having a toilet and having to go in the bushes all the time?! Reminds me of being back in Africa… (haha only joking). See how much we can be grateful for!

How to get more time out of your day:

1. PRIORITISE - Write down the things you want to accomplish everyday and then prioritise them. Don’t be afraid to limit yourself. You’ll soon find out what your actually capable of every day.
2. BE TRUE TO YOURSELF. You are more likely to complete things if they mean something to you. As we have previously covered, your time is your most important asset, so be careful what you commit to. You need to view your time as valuable, because if you don’t then neither will other people.
3. GET UP EARLY! No one seems to like step! Well, if you’re not willing to make some changes to your life, then you’re not going to get any different results - it’s that simple. What if you work full time? How will you get time to do those other things that are important? Why not get up 30 minutes earlier each morning to focus on something that’s important to you? Work on your new business idea, pick a hobby, spend time with your kids if they’re awake!
4. DO THE LITTLE THINGS - make sure you put the little things on your list of stuff to do. Not only is a great and encouraging to tick off items on your “to-do-list”, but sometimes the little things can have a big effect on your day.
5. KNOW YOUR GOALS - Like I’ve said before, it’s important to know where you want to go. Write down your goals and put them somewhere where you can see them daily. This way you can put some simple steps on your list, which will get you closer to the achievement of those goals.
6. EXERCISE - If you’re anything like me, you’re thinking - I’m already so busy, how can I fit more into my hectic day? Well, to start with, you’re going to need some more energy! So why not start off your day with a run/swim/yoga/Pilate’s/brisk walk? It’s amazing what even a quick walk can do for your energy levels, creativity and problem solving skills!
7. MAKE TIME FOR YOUR ONE THING - For me this is my family. Everyday I make sure that I fit my family in to my life. Whether it’s helping out with bath time, reading stories, taking them swimming, going for a walk, or even taking them for a drive. It’s awesome to spend time with my kids and wife, and this is something that has the ability to re-charge me and ensure that I am always committed to achieving my goals.
8. HAVE FUN! I know it sounds cliche, and it probably is. The truth is, that like anything in life, if you’re not having fun doing something, there’s little chance of you continuing to do those things. If you’re having fun, while you cram more into your day, then you’re going to keep doing it, which means you’re going to achieve more!

Those are some of the practical things that I do in my days. Please feel free to add some tips in the comments section on what works for you.

Have a most excellent day!

Kind Regards

Ryan Kilfoil

The Kiwi Millionaire

124 days!! I’m getting so excited! And so I should be - that’s not much time until I achieve my goal of making $1 Million in 365 days!I am honestly amazed at what I have achieved over the pas 241 days.

A couple of years ago, If you has asked me if I could achieve all this in maybe 5 years - I would have been sceptical. I am just so grateful for all the wonderful people I have met on my journey so far, the things I have learned and the people that I have been able to help.

I believe that I have certainly become a better person, more loving husband and father, spending more time with my family than ever before. Every morning I wake up and am so grateful that we are living in our own house and I am surrounded by the ones I love. Life really can’t get any better…

I’m confused?

So what’s with this whole “live upside down” title? Well, currently most people view the world and everything in it in one way - the “right-side” up. If we go back to the beginning where I talked about how thoughts create your actions which give you your results - we can see that if the majority of people are living life according to one perception, then they will be getting a certain set of results.

For example, you get married, have kids, get a 9-5 job, work till your 65, try and live off a pension and die. Sorry to be so morbid, however I am just trying to illustrate that this in no way appeals to me, or the type of people I surround myself with?

Oh, now I get it!

Why? Because I believe there’s more to life. I believe we are all put here on this planet to live life to the full - to enjoy our time here. Life is all about the experience, the journey. No one knows how long they have until we die, so like you’ve no doubt heard from others - make every second count.

On the other hand , there are people that do the opposite to what everyone else is doing. This means that they in turn get different results. For example, if “everyone” is going out for a beer tonight - do the opposite. Go home and spend it with your family, perhaps stay late at work. Just do something DIFFERENT!

Why? Because if you are sick and tired of getting the same results that you keep getting then you need to change. A great way to start this is to do the opposite of what the majority do. If the majority of people that you associate with are happy, successful and wealthy (in the holistic sense), then by all means COPY them! However, I presume that if you are reading this today then you are one of the minority who want to do something about the results you are getting.

THOUGHTS > ACTIONS = RESULTS

One day there will come a time where people will be better off by doing the same as the minority - until then - keep doing the opposite!:-) Makes you think doesn’t it?….

The other day I was trawling the interweb, as I do sometimes, when I came across an article about a property developer who wanted to develop a barrier island in the Tauranga harbour, New Zealand. The more I read about this particular gentlemen, the more I was intrigued.

His name is Christopher Wingate. According to this interview in the NZ Herald, Chris was a self made millionaire by the age of 25.

“He knew from a young age he wanted a different life and so instead of spending his days hanging around the Western Heights shops he spent it in the bush or wondering around some of the tourist businesses talking with the owners.

Each Friday night we would have fish and chips- one piece of fish each. The others would hog their piece of fish but I would focus on the chips knowing my fish would be there long after they had scoffed their fish. I guess then I knew I was different

Married 24 years with 4 kids, Chris was a self made millionaire by the age of 25. He has lived in Australia, New Zealand, Vancouver and Hawaii.

He is currently filming a movie called GOVERNMENT, a 9/11 type film about what he calls “idiots in power.“

The part that really struck a chord with me, was when Chris was talking about the biggest low point in his life, and how a change in perception, totally changed the way he was viewing life at that time:

“My darkest hour was when:

I lost the Matakana Island litigation at the Privy Council. I had won the 4 week trial in the NZ High Court - the defendants were clearly guilty and all the documents and cross examination proved that. Then the Court of Appeal changed the facts and ignored others, I was shocked democracy could be so negligent or corrupt. The Privy Council were supposed to be the beacon of intelligence so when they rejected my appeal I just went blank.

I came through it by:

On the flight back sitting in first class talking with a Chinese businessman from Singapore we started talking about what we did. I explained I had just lost a court case and began talking about it all . I started showing him some photographs of Matakana Island from my briefcase and among those photo’s were pictures of my family and our home, While looking at them I realised my family were about to lose their home as we had put everything into the litigation. Suddenly I found myself crying.

The Singaporean man put his hand over to mine and said ” Maybe I don’t know how bad things are for you but I want to consider this, imagine if you were on this flight for a different reason, imagine if one of your family had been killed and you were flying back to New Zealand for that reason, you would be here right now praying to god he take everything you own in exchange for that family member to be alive again. Money is not as important as family that is your priority and that is your wealth and reward”. I got off the plane with a smile and my family needed that.”

The story behind the Matakana Island litigation is covered in this Scoop article. Chris Wingate has also set up a website about the venture.

I was really touched by his story, his passion and drive. Here is an example of someone who believes in something and is standing up for what he believes in by doing something about it! Great stuff Chris - I hope your story empowers and inspires others like it did me. Thank you.

My loyal subscribers, spam assassins and random blog hunters! Welcome and thank you for your patience over the last week or so. I’m fully recovered from my marathon and I’ve been having the most amazing time taking action to achieve my goals!

Now as corny as that sounds - it’s the truth. The people I have been meeting just keep getting more empowering - and they all seem to be in the right industry, willing to lend a hand with whatever challenge is at hand….coincidence? I think not….

On my path to make a Million dollars, I have a number of strategies in place, with new plans being made daily Recently, I have just acquired an Email Marketing company. I’m really excited about what we are doing in this space and know that this is going to be one of the must-hear stories in my interview on October 6th 2009!

I’m also currently undertaking due diligence on another start-up company, which I hope to be involved in within the next month.

Why am I investing in companies?

I see these organisations as opportunities, vehicles to achieve my financial goals, so that I can continue my work to achieve my other goals and help people be successful in their lives.

So do I have hundreds of thousands of dollars lying around, ready to splurge on the next new business idea? No - not yet.

Am I smarter than everyone else out there? No.

Am I crazy? Some people think so.

The thing that separates me from average Joe out there, is one, simple word. Action.

“Action is what happens when you decide to stop dreaming and start living your dreams!”

So stop worrying about what other people think and take action on something that’s important to you. That’s what I’m about to do.

On personal note - thanks to everyone that has emailed me over the past week and I will reply to you all personally - it means a lot to be able to help other people.

Have a happy, productive and empowering week my friends

A vital part in achieving your goals, is knowing exactly what it is you want to achieve! One of the more popular ways to do this is through visualisation, whereby you “imagine” your goal and what it feels like, once you have achieved it. So below is a picture of my goal (well, in US Dollars anyway!)

Now as I time ticks along I am becoming increasingly aware of the impact that achieving my goals is having on my life. I believe, that to become successful, you need to help others be successful.

This approach is a great way to build networks and really have an impact on others in this world. It’s really all about networking and hanging out in the right circles. The other week, in my butterfly analogy, I talked about making a garden to attract the butterflies instead of chasing the butterflies for the rest of your life. I really feel that is where I am in life at the moment. My garden is just blossoming and all these butterflies are being attracted to it! It’s AMAZING!

The Secret Steps to Mastery:

No matter what you want to achieve in life, what goals you set yourself, there are a number of strategies to ensure success.

1.  Find someone who’s already done it. This strategy can bring you some very quick results. The great thing about people that are successful already, is that they usually are more than willing to help others achieve success - if someone asks them to help. Often people make assumptions about successful people, thinking they are too busy to help someone else. I know of a number of very successful people that really enjoy helping other people in their lives.
2. Get in touch with them. Send them an email, write them a letter, give them a call if you can get their number, or perhaps you know someone who knows them - get them to make the introduction. Tell them what you’re doing and why it’s important to you, then ask them if they can help you - you may be surprised at their answer.
3. Learn from them,  there’s no need to re-invent the wheel… take their advice, and remember that it may not be a simple case of repeating the exact same steps, however I believe there will always be a large amount of value delivered every time you do this exercise.
4. Rinse and repeat for best results. Don’t just do it once and wait for your goal to fall in your lap. Keep doing it until you get the results you are after. Try and surround yourself with the type of people that have the results you are looking for.

It makes sense - doesn’t it? If you want to learn how to be rich, spend time with people who are rich and have made their fortunes. If you want to be healthy, wouldn’t it make sense to surround yourself with healthy people?

You encounter these people in your everyday life, so start to make yourself aware of those around you. Are they empowering you to achieve your goal? Or do you feel dis-empowered after spending time with them?

So if you find yourself talking to someone that makes you feel great, and appears to be like-minded, ask them for their card/phone number/email address (and it would pay to tell them why you would like to stay in touch so that they don’t call the police!).

“What have you got to lose….except your goals?”