“If you’re going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big,” says billionaire investor Donald Trump. Should Australian investors follow his advice?

Depends. Did that billionaire bigmouth make that “think big” quote before or after the 1974 Melbourne Cup?

Anyhooo … yes, people aiming to create real wealth should set their sights high. Aim for mediocrity only if your name is Homer J Simpson.

Ol’ Combover certainly aims big. Yes, he’s a billionaire, but he’s had a brush or two with bankruptcy, which is often a result of taking excessive risk.

Substantial wealth is within the reach of all Gen Xers, because we still have plenty of time on our side. (Well, relatively speaking. Certainly more than those to the right.) It requires a plan, some sacrifice and time – investment wealth is achieved through compound returns.

Start with goals. They may be a dollar figure (“I want to be worth $2 million by the time I’m 45”) or a lifestyle ambition (“I only want to work three days a week by 55”).

On my website (www.debtman.com.au), there are two calculators specifically for thinking big. The first allows you to work out how to reach a set target (perhaps $500,000). The second allows you to calculate growth in annual savings.

And understand this. Owning your own home will never make you rich. Sadly, owning one investment property or a handful of shares won’t make you rich either.

Real wealth comes from continual investment over many moons. Buy quality growth assets (shares and property) and continue to invest year after year.

Bruce Brammall is the author of Debt Man Walking (www.debtman.com.au) and a licensed financial adviser.