In Millennial Money Makeover, I lay out ten Principles of Success. Each principle is designed to build upon the previous one, creating a groundswell of momentum in your financial life. As I always advocate, following the correct order of operations in your financial life is critical.

Principle of Success #1 is that One Rich Decision Wins the Day. This principle is moored to the philosophy that we all have the freedom to make choices in life. That free will is what allows us to get better, or worse, each day. In Millennial Money Makeover, I teach you how to make rich decisions that lead you to a rich life. And that means making smart, consistent, and meaningful money moves. This is all a mental game, one that you can win.

Millennial Money Makeover’s Ten Principles of Success:

1. One Rich Decision Wins the Day

2. Thinking big makes your win big

3. Cash is forever king

4. Education is continuous

5. Debt is not a necessary evil

6. Learning from experience is too slow

7. Investing means you are winning

8. Time is always on your side

9. Technology is meant to the leveraged

10. The rich life is about more than money

The game starts with you making the correct move each day. The secret is that you only need to focus on making one rich decision each day that will alter your outlook and keep you on the path to success. In almost all sports, the momentum of the game oscillates back and forth throughout the game, the same is true for your day – oscillating between ups and downs. However, there comes a moment in the game where one player makes a move that alters the outcome and either wins the game or loses the game. Your rich decisions will allow you to win the game of life and money, every day.

Here are 13 ways you can win the day by making a rich decision:

1. Deciding to take ownership of your life

2. Waking up early to write

3. Staying up late to finish a project

4. Consuming healthier calories

5. Deciding to begin investing

6. Deciding to work out when you feel tired

7. Choosing to run the extra mile

8. Passing on the happy hour to work on your side hustle

9. Playing with your children

10. Putting your wife/husband first

11. Paying off your debts instead of consuming

12. Saving cash to protect yourself and your family

13. Learning how to master your money

These are the small but powerful choices that will alter your day. They will make you a better person mentally, physically, and ethically. They will give you pride in your day and set you on a path to eventually collide with success. The pursuit of daily excellence will morph into a life well lived.