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TOM@RICHHABITS.NET
Many feel trapped. It’s as if we are imprisoned. The first prison is school. The next prison, work.
This Matrix imprisons us in a system of mediocre-paying jobs, endlessly increasing bills, cash flow struggles and societal expectations that keep people grinding it out every day.
What is the red pill to help us escape this Matrix prison?
Pursuing a dream.
The pursuit and realization of some dream you are passionate about, is the escape hatch to time freedom, wealth, and lasting happiness.
Tom Corley’s groundbreaking Rich Habits research reveals why. Over five years, Corley studied 233 wealthy individuals (177 self-made millionaires) and 128 people in poverty. His findings show a stark divide: those who pursue a dream or main purpose are “by far the wealthiest and happiest.”
Dreamer-Entrepreneurs in his study accumulated an average of $7.4 million in just 12 years—far outpacing others—through a persistent pursuit of a dream.
In fact, Corley found that these Dreamer-Entrepreneurs all practiced something he came to call “dream-setting”.
Dream-setting is scripting your ideal life 10-15 years into the future and then breaking that dream down into actionable goals that you pursue on a daily basis.
Pursuing a dream attracts “Opportunity Luck”—unexpected good fortune that eventually visits those relentlessly pursuing some dream.
Real-life examples abound.
J.K. Rowling’s manuscript faced rejection from 12 publishers. Many dismissed it as too long for children, too unconventional, or unlikely to sell (children’s books weren’t big business then). Her agent, Christopher Little, kept submitting despite the pile of “no’s.”
Then Lady Luck paid Rowling’s a visit. The Publishing Editor for Bloomsbury Publishing, Barry Cunningham gave the first chapters of the manuscript to the Chairman of his publishing house, who then gave it to his 8-year-old daughter, Alice Newton. Alice devoured them and demanded more—her enthusiasm convinced the Chairman to publish Rowling’s first book. That child’s love sparked everything. The series became the best-selling series in history (>600 million copies), spawning films, theme parks, and billions in revenue.
Walt Disney endured bankruptcy yet persisted in the pursuit of his dream to build an entertainment empire. In 1928, Disney had created Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a hit character for Universal Pictures. But he discovered the distributor (Charles Mintz) had secretly poached most of his animators and claimed ownership of Oswald.
Devastated and facing ruin, Disney boarded a train back to California. On that train rid, amid what felt like career-ending defeat, Lady Luck paid him a visit, inspiring him to sketch a new character: a plucky mouse originally named Mortimer, later renamed Mickey Mouse. Steamboat Willie, staring Mickey Mouse, became a sensation, launching an empire.
Escaping the Matrix isn’t about quitting your job tomorrow—it’s about committing to a dream today. Start small: define your ideal future, set daily goals, and act consistently. As Corley’s millionaires prove, this is the only reliable way to escape this matrix prison system and gain true freedom.
Take the leap. Your dream is waiting to set you free.
Tom Corley is an accountant, financial planner and author of “Rich Kids: How to Raise Our Children to Be Happy and Successful in Life”, “Effort-Less Wealth”, “Change Your Habits Change Your Life”, “Rich Habits Poor Habits”, “Rich Habits: The Routines Millionaires Use Daily to Build Wealth” and “Rich Habits Wealth Academy.”
