First, I would like to wish Joseph Schooling all the best in tomorrow's final.

Joseph is truly inspirational. He made history becoming the first Singaporean man to reach an Olympic swimming final. What a race he had!?! Finishing with a time of 50.83 seconds.

What Jospeh told the media after the semis caught my attention?

"I feel fine. A little short on stroke but doesn't really matter that much. It was all about posting a good enough time to get into top eight. And come back tomorrow and try to do it. It's a good confidence booster but doesn't really mean anything... ...I don't care if I break the world record but I get silver or bronze. I still lost. It's all about winning (the gold medal)."

That is what I call a Champion's mindset.

He is hungry. He is determine. He worked extremely hard to be in the final.

Achieving Financial Freedom

Not everyone will be an Olympian. Not everyone will win an Olympic Gold.

It takes hard work, hunger for success, pure determination, sacrifices, and a very strong mindset.

In my own little world, achieving financial freedom is my Olympic Gold.

Did anyone tell you it was easy before?

Probably yes, especially before signing up for any get-rich-quick seminars/ courses.

It will take the same hard work, hunger, determination, sacrifices, and a very strong mindset.

I am still working hard on achieving Financial Freedom; waiting for my Olympic Gold moment.

I just did my year-end appraisal for 2015 last month. Exactly, a year ago, at the start of 2015, my boss wanted us to write our business and personal goals for the year on a piece of paper and sealing it in an envelope (before passing it to him for safe keeping). He did not want to know the content of what was written. The envelope was handed back to us a year later during our appraisal. I could not remember much of the content in the letter. At that point of time, it was more of a self reflection, Anyway, my boss still do not know the content of what was written. I always thought he had secretly opened the letter.

Self-fulfilling Prophecy

Reading what was written a year ago was a strange feeling. So much had happened in 2015. Some of it was what was expected, other things came as a surprise. Reading my business / career goals I have set myself in 2015 and looking back on how far I came trying to accomplish those goals had a tremendous effect. I exceeded some goals. I felt short in other areas. The letter seem to have a self-fulfilling prophecy effect that directly or indirectly cause my goals to become true.

A self -written letter

This year, I have decided to adopt what my boss did. I wrote my goals and sealed the envelope. I can't wait to open the sealed enveloped on New Year's Eve. I really hope I will have exceeded the goals I have set for myself. The goals include the amount of saving, target for investing (Invested Capital), and some really personal goals I would want to achieve this year.

Feeling excited for 2016!

Growing up, tough times

We did not have the best food on the table. I remember being so afraid of eating canned sardine. We just had it too frequently. I also remember not being able to afford a McDonald meal / burger after class in secondary school. My peers could easily just buy a meal. At that very young age, I told myself I had to earn the money. Money could bring me certain comfort and happiness.

Earning money was not easy at all

I did not really understand how difficult it was to earn money until I got my first job in a fast food chain at 14 years old. I begin to understand how tough it was for my dad to support the whole family; forgoing things for himself. Always trying to get the essential stuffs for us and at the same time also supporting his aging parents (till today).

Thank you, Daddy

My dad struggled to earn the money but he still managed to put all of us through University. "In your own ways, you taught me the value of money. You got me the best thing and that was education."

• takes a train to Raffles Place, then walks 20 minutes to Robinson Road as a form of exercise
• personal errand is carried out himself and he does not bother his secretary
• does not book a single hotel room, sleeps on the plane, refuses a corporate limousine and insists on public transport

Book cover. Visit http://andrewhallam.com/ for more details.

A Mechanic? A Millionaire (again)? A salaried job (again)?