I completed step 1 ,13 years ago .Step 2. 12 years ago. Step 3 , Kid's (5) were already through school college and all debt paid. Step 4 , 5years ago. step 5 . I call it prepare to retire. I could have done better had I started earlier. But ok. My step 6 . was to retire. I did 2 years ago. My step 7 giving back . I've been doing that for the last 25 years. I actually had started my goals about 4 years before I had heard about Dave Ramsey.