A few months ago, I wrote a comprehensive note here telling the background of my story and how it came about.  This is an update on my journey so far.  Today was the day I handed in my resignation, it is about a month later than I thought.  Nonetheless its done!  I feel excited, grateful and overwhelmed, as I have spent more than a decade at the current company alone.  I feel a sense of so much hope and cannot wait to see what the future brings.  
Its humbling to think I have been preparing for this day for so many years:  I diligently saved, carefully invested and patiently waited for the right time.  At approximately $6.2M net worth, I think now is a good time to stop accumulating and perhaps focus on how I can give back and share what I’ve learned.  
Here is a brief history of what my progression looked like over the last two decades or so:
Years Net worth
Dec-06 $58,194.44
Dec-07 $82,496.50
Dec-08 $118,888.89
Dec-09 $130,000.00
Dec-10 $178,358.61
Dec-11 $264,277.78
Dec-12 $364,310.44
Dec-13 $417,910.39
Dec-14 $479,666.67
Dec-15 $585,530.20
Dec-16 $734,047.40
Dec-17 $1,456,140.05
Dec-18 $1,520,804.30
Dec-19 $1,953,266.79
Dec-20 $3,335,856.97
Dec-21 $4,421,578.95
Dec-22 $5,371,453.90
Dec-23 $6,167,259.00
Over time I was eventually able to build an approximate 50/50 split between equities and real estate.  I used loans in order to acquire most of my real estate and then aggressively paid them off as I spent none of the money but focused on debt elimination.  Most bonuses were also used for debt elimination and acquiring shares first in single stocks then index funds.  The first million was definitely took the longest and was the hardest but once you cross that threshold, compounding and asset appreciation did a lot of the hard work.  
Some lessons learned:

1.  If I had had the free resources everyone has today when I started, I.e. Internet, Podcasts, Youtube, etc, I could have achieved the same results in half the time and with less failure and stress.  But I'm still glad to retire at 45 instead of 56, 66 or even later…   
2.  It really is true that time in the market is more important than timing the market.  I had to keep calm and do nothing during market volatility even when I saw -20% declines.  Slow and steady wins the race.
3.  There is no one size fits all and many ways to get to the same outcome.  Mine has been through investing in stocks and property but yours could be via business or something else.
4.  I learned to be careful who I take advice from.  Make sure those providing advice have been successful in what they are providing advice on.  No one will care more about your money that you.  Empower yourself with knowledge then trust your instincts.
5. Education is important but there is no substitute for experience.  The earlier you start the better off you will be.  It may be scary but to conquer your fears, you must face them head on in order to succeed.
   I'm not selling anything, I just wanted to share my story, in the hopes that it will help some in the community.  I am eternally grateful to all those who helped me on this journey as I could not have done it alone.  
   Feel free to AMA.