To focus on accumulating a large sum of money so you can withdraw it later will create stress. A more effective and empowering focus is to consider the purpose of the accumulated funds. For example, if you are working to set aside a sum of money (say $1 million) to support yourself when you leave work (i.e. when you retire) this number is not a number most people relate to. If you instead, focus on creating $5000 per month so you can leave work, it’s a more relatable, everyday number.

How do you figure out what this number is? Start with your ideal budget for your ideal lifestyle then work backwards from that figure. Stay focused on that monthly income number, rather than the bigger, off-in-the-distance number that doesn’t relate to day-to-day financial activities.