Let’s be real—hitting $100K invested felt like a huge win🏆. Pride. Relief. Excitement. It all hit at once. I wasn’t popping champagne over every stock gain, but this one? Deserved a fancy dinner and a good old “treat yourself” moment🎉.

What surprised me most? I didn’t have to become some ultra-frugal robot 🤖 to make it happen. I still went out with friends, booked the occasional trip, and enjoyed some hobbies. I just got serious about making saving automatic. I treated it like rent—non-negotiable, already accounted for. That gave me a sense of control and calm🧘. Everything else flowed from there.

When I hit six figures, something clicked💡. Suddenly I had proof and confidence that I could do this money thing. That confidence was addictive💪. I felt proud of what I’d accomplished—and even more excited about what was next. I started saving even more—not because I had to, but because I wanted to. Every raise? That went straight into investments before I upgraded anything else in my life.

At one point, I realized my money was earning as much money as I was contributing to the investment accounts —Talk about a life changing moment! I had to understand if those could be further optimized! I started really digging into what I was invested in, how it all worked, and how I could make it even more aligned with the life I was designing.

The $100K milestone was more than a number—it was a mindset shift🧠. I went from hoping I was going in the right direction to feeling confident I was going in the right direction. And honestly? It just felt good to have that confidence. Confidence in your money spills over to other areas of life. It makes it easier to make a major purchase, ask out that cute guy or girl, or just have confidence to try something new and know the money machine is working for you in the background. 

The truth is, that first $100K doesn’t just sit there and grow—it grows you. And the real win is how it changes the way you move through the world from that point forward🌍.