I spent the past week with a group of world class entrepreneurs and an olympian gold medalist in rural Iceland. Surrounded by so much talent, I was in awe of how so many individuals are stepping up to lead and create change.
The rumors about our generation being entitled and lazy are far from the truth.
Millennials are successful—we make up 23% of the world’s millionaires.
We’re responsible for founding more businesses than any generation before us, and we’ve played a huge role in shifting the trend towards social impact.
What’s beneath our success?
I believe at the root of it is our commitment to turn inward and invest in ourselves while bringing awareness to our environment. Inner work is a key element to outer success. Which is why millennial millionaires like Airbnb’s founders Brian Chesky, Nathan Blecharczyk, and Joe Gebbia credit personal development as a significant factor to their growth.
Could personal development help propel you towards greater advancement in your career and income?
I spoke with one millennial who says it can. Meet Sydney Campos, a leading transformation mentor who supports young entrepreneurs with comprehensive holistic wellness, business strategy, and mindset mastery. She’s also a former NYC-agency ad & PR consultant, a certified yoga teacher and reiki energy healer, and an avid traveler who currently calls Ubud, Bali home base.
This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, Campos takes us behind-the-scenes of her success.
Just one year ago, Campos was a typical millennial working as a consultant. She says her income surged when she decided to quit her job and launch her own practice, which, in the last few months alone, has netted $150k.
Let’s dive into Sydney’s world to see how the millionaire mind thinks.
You Are Worth What You Think You’re Worth
Psychologists have long known about the relationship between self-worth and money. What they find with those who tend to have more wealth is that these people also have a high sense of self-worth. In other words, net worth and self worth go hand-in-hand.
“The amount of money you are able to hold and receive is directly correlated to how you are feeling worthy in your life and the way you value your services. Worthy of receiving on all levels—not just money but worthy of receiving love and healthy, nourishing relationships. All these things that seemingly don’t feel connected to money are actually intrinsically related to the amount of money you are able to receive in your business,” Campos says.
To increase your sense of self-worth, Campos says it’s important to have self-awareness about the areas in your life where you’re not being a stand for yourself.
In 2015, 94% of millennials said they made a commitment to personal improvement, and would be willing to spend a significant portion of their income on developing themselves. Are you one of them?
Honor Your Own Boundaries
Holding personal boundaries around your time and energy is essential. We often don’t think twice about surrounding ourselves with people who drain us rather than replenish us. But if you’re aspiring to 7-figures, you’ll need to hold a much tighter container around how you give away your time and yourself—time is a precious resource and you need to be resourced to show up fully to your commitments.
Mark Zuckerberg says, “The question I ask myself most every day is ‘Am I doing the most important thing I could … I can help with, then I’m not going to feel good about how I’m spending my time.”
For a direct application, ask yourself, “What are the relationships in your life where you’re giving more of yourself than you’re getting in return?” Campos suggests.
Act In The Face Of Fear
While 64% of millennials say they can’t see themselves becoming a millionaire, I’d wager they still want to.
Campos says if she had listened to her self-limiting thoughts, she would have stayed in her old job and would never be earning what she is today.
“We’ve been conditioned to listen to our first-presenting thought which is usually rooted in a fear, a scarcity, a doubt, an old pattern, an old imprint,” Campos says. “Even if you’re afraid, even if you’re resistant, even if you’re not sure how things are going to work, you take the action anyways.”
Working for someone else could be an inhibitor to accumulating wealth quickly as a young person. 82% of women making $100k annually are self-made, earning money through direct sales.
Campos recommends getting out of your comfort zone and into action. Create a concrete plan to save more, launch a business, or get a mentor—anything you know will shatter stagnicity and hold you accountable to your goals.
Enjoyed this post? Check out more of my tools to create a life by your own design.
This article originally appeared on Forbes.com
