😳 Why I Still Don't Feel Like a Millionaire
Recently, I updated our net worth statement and saw that our household net worth is approximately $1.2 million.
What's funny is that seeing that number still feels a little surreal.
Not because it's new.
The truth is, we've had a net worth exceeding $1 million for more than two years now.
And yet, if someone asked me to describe myself, "millionaire" would probably never be one of the words I would use.
That's always fascinated me.
Because if you had told my younger self that one day I'd have a seven-figure net worth, I think I would have imagined feeling very different than I do today.
The Number Changed Faster Than My Identity
I've realized something over the past few years.
Numbers can change quickly.
Identity changes slowly.
The spreadsheet says one thing.
My brain often says something else.
When I think about myself, I don't think:
"I'm a millionaire."
I think:
"I'm a nurse."
"I'm a daughter of immigrants."
"I'm someone who paid off student loans."
"I'm someone who still compares prices at the grocery store."
"I'm someone who still remembers worrying about money."
Those identities feel much more real to me than any number on a balance sheet.
I Think We Imagine Wealth Wrong
Growing up, I thought wealthy people looked a certain way.
I imagined they drove luxury cars.
Lived in enormous homes.
Bought whatever they wanted without checking prices.
And maybe some do.
But that's never been my experience.
My day-to-day life doesn't feel dramatically different because a spreadsheet crossed a certain threshold.
I still budget on our weekly money date.
I still save.
I still think carefully about purchases.
I still get excited when I find a good deal.
The habits that helped build wealth didn't disappear once we reached a certain number.
If anything, they're part of the reason we got there.
The Goalpost Problem
I think another reason it doesn't feel the way I expected is because humans adapt remarkably quickly.
The milestones we once dreamed about eventually become our new normal.
At one point, I remember thinking:
"If I could just pay off my student loans..."
Then it became:
"If I could just reach a six-figure net worth..."
Then:
"If I could just reach $500,000..."
Then:
"If I could just reach $1 million..."
And each time, after a brief moment of excitement, life continued.
The goalpost moved.
The next goal appeared.
And I suspect many of us do this in different areas of life.
What Actually Feels Different
The biggest change hasn't been what I own.
It's the options I have.
The flexibility.
The ability to make decisions from a place of choice instead of necessity.
The confidence that comes from knowing we have a strong financial foundation.
Those things matter far more than the label.
Because if I'm being honest, becoming a millionaire didn't suddenly make me feel successful.
But having the freedom to leave bedside nursing, move to Australia, build a business, and design a life that feels aligned with my values?
That feels significant.
Maybe That's the Lesson
For a long time, I thought wealth was a number.
Now I think wealth is more about what that number allows you to do.
It's about flexibility.
It's about choices.
It's about creating a life that reflects your priorities.
The net worth statement is simply one measurement of that journey.
An important measurement, but not the whole story.
A Thought I'll Leave You With
I've spent more than two years being a millionaire on paper.
And I still don't really feel like a millionaire.
But maybe that's because I've been focusing on the wrong question.
Instead of asking:
"Do I feel like a millionaire?"
Maybe the better question is:
"Am I living a life that feels aligned with what matters most to me?"
Because at the end of the day, the number itself was never the goal.
The freedom it creates was.