You’re on your financial independence journey. You started making some changes and taking steps towards saving and investing. How long does it take to start seeing the return on your sacrifice? How do you know what you are doing is working? There are indicators to keep an eye on that will remind you that it’s working. There are milestones I set up which reminded me when I knew it was working.

I did not purposefully seek financial independence. At my first full-time job, a friend of mine gave me advice. He told me to max out my 401K. When I left this job I rolled over my 401K to my new employer. I was surprised as to how much that was. When I think back, I would have to say that is the first time I knew it was working.

There was a time when I moved back to live with my parents. There were definitely pros and cons to this. One benefit was that I saved enough money to put a down payment on a condo. This is the second major milestone when I knew it was working.

Along the way, there have been many times and opportunities where I knew it was still working. Some examples are

• Maintaining a high credit score
• Not getting denied a loan
• Not getting denied credit cards
• Able to invest in a rental property
• Able to invest in the market
• Able to pay off all my expenses each month
• Able to travel to over 10 countries
• Able to purchase a home

These are just some examples I experienced. Looking back, without having a good financial foundation it would be difficult to experience what I’ve experienced. I knew what I was doing was working.

Ever since my first job, I’ve been maxing out my retirement account, getting the employer matching contributions, consolidating accounts, and choosing profitable investments. I’ve made sound decisions that allowed me to save, invest, and build a financial portfolio. I’ve changed my spending habits that’s allowed me to keep more in my pockets and use that money for wealth growth.

Just thinking that financial independence could be close is not just a dream. Believing that it actually could be in the near horizon is when I knew it was working. Everything that I’ve done for the past 30 years has given me confidence that I am on the right track. Stay the course. It’s a journey, not a quick overnight goal. If you are interested in following my journey, email subscribe here to get alerts of latest posts or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.