Tying Up Loose Strings

I have stepped back into a bad habit of not completing things I start. For example, I am reading about five books now. “How did that happen,” you’re probably wondering. I dunno <hunching my shoulders> I guess a lack of focus. But, I have a cure for that. It’s called a plan. Yes, I have a plan for 2013 and I know that that will be my guide. I wrote down my goals for 2013 and shared it with my mastermind group. Next, I broke down those goals into smaller monthly goals that will help me reach my big goals.

My number one goal is to get my first deal. I can’t tell you how important that one is to me. I feel like I have been on this uphill climb for over a year and I am wondering how close the peek is from where I am currently. I have continued to put money in my marketing account. It has been so difficult to build up my account, spend a lump sum on marketing, get a zero cash result, then have to build it back up again.

A huge lesson has been learned and that is, I want to be different from other investors. I was doing what a lot of investors do, including sending out similar marketing letters. To help myself stand out, I revamped my marketing letter and completely changed my attitude from “taker” to “giver.” I want to do well in this business. The late and great Zig Ziglar said, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”

I am finishing up How to Wake Up the Financial Genius Inside of You by Mark O. Haroldsen. I have two more books I would like to finish this month. I am trying to read at least two books each month.

Ciao!

I’m Learning From Life

It has been a rollercoaster for me, these past few months. I have not landed my first real estate deal, but I have learn some very valuable lessons.

Lesson #1 It is very important to have an accountability partner. However, I have learned not everyone has your best interest at heart. I have a natural gift to encourage. I really enjoy seeing people do better than they were doing; maybe that is why I love reading success stories so much. So, it was a huge wake-up call for me when my former accoutability partner tried to discourage me. At first I didn’t fully understand what was going on, but I did notice that there were warning signs. It was bothering me so much, that I had to share with a couple friends and other entrepreneurs in my network my experience with my accountability partner. They warned me that she was trying to discourage me. The word “discourage” fit so perfectly with what I was feeling. They all said (pretty much) the same thing; that she saw me as threat…as competition. In fact when I confronted her (my accountability partner) about some of the things she said to me, she admitted that she was jealous of the progress I made. I could not believe it! But, I soon after saw for myself, when she did something that crossed the lined. She did something that I considered totally unethical and I knew that that was a clear sign that this is not someone that I can trust. Even though we did not work out as accountability partners, I still wish her much success; and I don’t harbor any hard feelings. I just hope that she does not let greed and dollar signs make the decisions for her.Though it was a little painful, it was a great lesson to learned. Also, out of that experience, I ended up finding an awesome accountability partner who not only keeps me accountable, but also prays for me and my business.

Lesson #2 The Real Estate Investors Association (REIA) club that I joined is a bit intimidating. There are so many many people and we meet in a big auditorium. Which, for me, makes it a more difficult to get to know people. Whenever there is a one-day workshop, I make sure to go because it’s easy for me to talk to people when I am seated next to them at a table. Noticing that this is an area that I struggle in I bought the book (which I am currently reading) Networking for People Who Hate to Network by Devora Zack. I have learned that it is OK to be a introvert. It has helped me understand who I am and how I too can have success networking. I am more of a centrovert because I have a good mixture of introvert and extrovert characteristics.

Lession 3 I learned not to be closed minded. My local REIA offered a one-day workshop called Landlording on Auto-Pilot and our special guest was Mike Butler. I really didn’t want to go, because I don’t want to be a landlord. Actually the only reason I went is to network and I thought maybe I would take away a few nuggets. But, I learned so much and walked away with some very valuable information! I learned that being a landlord can be great if you have a good system in place. After the workshop ended I made a note to myself to not be closed-minded again. There was this experienced investor who is a landlord and he was being a little rude to the speaker. I thought to myself I do not want to be like that when I become an experience investor, a know-it-all rude person. I remember hearing something this other investor said about know-it-all investors. He said “when you come across someone who says or acts like he knows it all, run in the opposite direction as fast as you can.”

Information Overload

Starting a business has been chaotic, yet exciting. In the beginning, my motivation level was extremely high. I was consuming everything I could get my hands on about real estate investing. Things were so out of balance for me that I didn’t know what my next move should be; I mean I was all over the place. I read a lot. I listened a lot. I went to seminars, webinars, teleseminars and one-day workshops. I had papers everywhere! My desk, reflected my life, I was…a mess. And let’s not talk about how much email I was getting. My inbox was ugly!

I was seeking something from these seminars, webinars, teleseminars and one-day workshops; something other than information. I was seeking the “magic pill.” That’s right; it’s all coming out now (again). I wanted to find an easier route. I’m not naive. I know that the people in the real estate infomercials on their yachts are selling the dream. They don’t talk about the hard work. They don’t mention how it could take 100 leads to find one deal; and that is when the frustration comes in. Defeat starts lurking around. Soon after, we quit. Why? Because…it doesn’t work—or so you think. Maybe I will try something else. When that “something else” becomes a challenge, the next thought is “This doesn’t work; maybe I should try the next hot thing.”

My awakening came when someone told me I needed to stick with one thing, learn as much as I can about that one thing. Execute. Accomplish. After I’ve mastered that skill, then move on. I was like “oooOOOh that makes sense.” I kept that in mind as I worked on my business plan. Speaking of business plans, I finished! Well, you’re never really finished. Business plan expert Tim Berry recommends a lean, flexible plan that is revised often.

My business plan took so long because I was trying to follow a standard plan and it just wasn’t working for me. The plan I have in front of me is made just for me, it is my guide to success. Using it is essential to arriving at the desired destination; keeping in mind that continual revision is a must.

So, what’s next? Now, I can work my plan. It’s time for some massive action. I have continued to save 10 percent of my income for future investments. I have decided to invest that money in marketing. After all, marketing is like the meat and my service is like the salt and pepper.

Just to recap: I think success happens when opportunity meets preparedness. There is no magic pill that will make me successful. There is not a seminar that I can go to that will make me successful overnight. Learning, persistence, faith and revision are the key.

This week’s agenda:

Re-read The Top Distinctions Between Millionaires and the Middle Class by Keith Cameron Smith. Keith recommends his readers read this book once a month. Since I missed reading it in September, I am going to make sure I read it this month.

Do what works for me!

What a bummer this week has been. To say that I was slightly off target would be stretching. I had the most unproductive week ever. I am laughing as I type this post because I just can’t believe how this week has turned out.

Not that I had a lot of idle moments…well…Saturday I did. The lack of sleep contributed mostly to me failing to complete my goals.  Hmm…I was just thinking why was I trying to change my schedule, me waking up at 8 am? Oh, right. So I could get the most out of my day. But what strikes me is that I was getting a lot done at night. I always get a burst of energy after I get off work—where that comes from I don’t know—but during that time I would read or do research.

Throughout the week, after leaving work I would go home and go to bed around 12 midnight. I lay awake for hours waiting for sleep to come. Monday, I actually woke up at 8 am. I stayed up for a couple of hours, but I was so tired. To make it even worst it was raining outside—rain always makes me sleepy. So, I took a two hour snooze before work. The rest of the week was pretty much a bust.

Forcing my body to sleep at the time when I am most productive was probably not my brightest idea. My career coach—who I truly admire—has no problem getting an early start. I don’t fall into that category; and its okay! Maybe I will keep doing what works for me and tweak it here and there. Why change something that was actually working for me? Who care if it’s at night?

I remember something that Seth Godin said in one of his interviews. Whenever someone asks him what blogs he likes to read he tells them that it changes every day. He tells them this because some people believe if only they could read all of the blogs he reads they will write better. Or, if they had the same laptop he has they would be able to write a bestseller, or if only they followed his daily rituals then it would get their creative juices going. Or if only they bought the same computer that he has it would improve their writing somehow. But, in reality all its doing is stalling them from focusing on what’s really important.

Taking on Seth’s habits will not improve my writing .Eating the same cereal as Michael Jordan will not improve my jump shot. Waking up at 8 am like some other successful people will not make me successful.

With that said, let me try last week’s agenda again.

Next week’s agenda:

Stick to a simple schedule I have prepared for myself by:

• Staying hyper focused
• Staying the course…do what works for me!

Finish reading Rules of Thumb: How to Stay Productive and Inspire Even in the Most Turbulent Times by Alan M. Webber.

If not now, then when?

I just woke up from a power nap. Who am I kidding; it was much longer than a power nap. Before waking from my cozy slumber, I remember hearing, “if not now, then when?” Those words are still echoing in my head. I think I have been putting off getting to the root of the problem. If I don’t get to the bottom of it now, it will continue to bug me.

Sometimes I wish I had more hours in a day. But, I have the same amount of time as Warren Buffett, Steve Jobs and Steve Poizner. So, if they can turn their hours into productive hours, why can’t I? I once heard someone say, if you want to be skinny do what skinny people do. Well, in this case, I want to be rich. So, what do rich people do? How do they stay productive and overcome feeling overwhelmed? I learn from reading Mount Pleasant how Steve Poizner handles being overwhelmed. He takes a step back and tries to seek the big picture first. Using him as an example:

• First, he developed a mission statement.
• Then, he built a strategic plan around his mission statement.

Applying this strategy to help my situation:

Breaking down the hours in a week also seems to help. I think in this case it will be the first step. Second, build a strategic plan that will help me become more productive.

What am I working with? I am going to try and break this down:

We have 168 hours in a week, right?

If I deduct sleep:

Sleep 8 hours x 7 days – 168 hours = 112 hours remaining.

If I deduct work hours:

Work 8 hours a day x 5 days – 112 hours = 72 hours remaining.

Deduct commute hours:

Commute 2 hours a day x 5 days – 72 hours = 62 hours remaining.

Deduct eating:

Eat 2 hours a day x 7 days – 62 hours = 48 hours remaining.

Deduct family and entertainment:

2 hours a day x 7 days – 48 hours = 34 hours remaining.

Deduct miscellaneous:

2 hours a day x 7 days – 34 hours = 20 hours remaining.

So, I have 20 hours left out of the week to be productive. The question is: how do I have a productive week? I do remember Steve Poizner mention being hyper focused. Focus on what you are doing until you finish and then move on to the next. Stay the course. It’s so easy to get distracted and hop around to different things. It’s nice to know that people life Steve have been tempted to stray the course.

Here is something that might help me better manage the 20 hours of time I have left over. Sunday, I should write down what I have to do for the week. Make note of the time-sensitive things I need to accomplish. Then prioritize the rest.

I am guilty of sleeping in longer than I should. I guess working afternoon shift has made me a little lazy. Somehow I fell into the habit of overusing the snooze button. I need to push myself a little harder. I have to get out of my comfort zone especially if I want to live an extraordinary life!

Next week’s agenda:

Set my alarm clock to 8 am…and actually get up at that time.

Stick to a simple schedule I have prepared for myself by:

• Staying hyper focused
• Staying the course

Read Rules of Thumb: How to Stay Productive and Inspire Even in the Most Turbulent Times by Alan M. Webber.

I wish I were given a choice

So, I am going to get a little weird on you. Earlier this week I came across a post on Seth Godin’s blog called “Back to (the wrong) school”. He talked about the purpose of schools; which is not to educate students and turn them into scholars,  but to condition their minds into workers. He also talked about how sending children to school is an investment in the economic future. It enables schools to produce better workers by teaching students to sit still, raise their hand, and follow the rules.

This wasn’t the first time I heard about the real purpose of the school system. Someone read to me a snippet from the book The Creature from Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin.  Here is what Griffin said about the General Education Board that was created by John D. Rockefeller and Frederick T. Gates:   

“The object was to use the classroom to teach attitudes that encourage people to be passive and submissive to their rulers. The goal was—and is—to create citizens who are educated enough for productive work under supervision but not enough to question authority or seek to rise above their class. True education was to be restricted to the sons and daughters of the elite. For the rest, it would be better to produce skilled workers with no particular aspirations other than to enjoy life.”

It just never occurred to me to ask why things are the way they are or how things came to be. When did this happen? When did I stop asking “why?”

 This is what I love about children. They are so awesome! I love how their little minds work; how they are so inquisitive always wanting to know the purpose of an object, why the sky is blue, or what will happen to them if they swallowed a watermelon seed. I remember my friend Dave telling me about is son Harry. He said Harry was always breaking his toys, which really upset his wife. They asked Harry why he kept keep breaking his toys. Harry replied, “I just wanted to see how it worked.” Dave totally understood because he use to do the same thing when he was Harry’s age. He took is toys apart and then tried to put them back together too. Harry’s little inquisitive mind wanted to know how things work; exploring on his own, trying to get down to the bottom of something. I’m sure, with each passing day Harry, like most children, will become less curious and more compliant.

I am for education. No really I am. Reading, writing, arithmetic are all very important.

 History? Absolutely important.

 Sports, recreation? Yeah sure, a little exercise will do me some good.

 Physics, geometry, pre-calc?  No thanks. I’d rather take business math.

  I wish I were given a choice. I wish when I was in school the teachers asked me if u wanted to be a worker or an entrepreneur. From there they would figure out which classes to place me in. Instead my little mind was conditioned to be a proletarian (a wage-worker).

 I don’t think that there is anything wrong with churning out generations of productive workers because not everyone wants to venture into entrepreneur- ship. But what happens to all of the students who have the potential to be great leaders and innovators? Why are they being discouraged from asking the question “why”; and encourage to ask “can I.” Reprimanded for bring home a C grade instead of congratulated for doing his/her best. I heard Larry Winget say:

“Being the best isn’t important, but doing your best is.”

 Still, I wonder, what will happen when we have all of these workers and not enough creative minds to create jobs and opportunities. Wait a minute…that’s already happening.

Next week I am reading Mount Pleasant: My Journey from Creating a Billion-Dollar Company to Teaching at a Struggling Public High School by Steve Poizner.

Grab Your Road Map

Last year I took a road trip to South Carolina. Before I left home I printed up directions and was on my way. Getting out of Michigan was a breeze. However, somewhere in Ohio it got less breezy and I got lost. Hmm…maybe I should have brought a road map with me so I could actually see where I am. Those were my thoughts as I pulled over to the side of the road to try to figure out how to get back on track. Once I found my way back to I-75 I stopped at the Barnes & Noble book store and purchased a road map. Before leaving the parking lot I had my route planned out and it was easy breezy again.

When I first decided to become an investor I immersed myself in reading books about real estate investing, seminars, webinars, and teleseminars. Then I started taking action here and there; not really sticking with a strategy. Who am I kidding! I didn’t have a strategy. I had no plan at all! I was all over the place.

I avoided writing a business plan as if it were the black plague. Then it dawned on me. I am tired, overwhelmed, LOST. This is not working for me; and what did Albert Einstein say insanity was?

                    Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Not having a plan was working against me. I knew what I had to do and I could no longer put it off. So, I hunkered down and started working on my five-year business plan. I just finished drafting up what I envision my life to look like in five years. I have to picture it first before I actually start writing down a plan. It makes it a little easier for me. Overall, writing a business plan is not easy. This is just my experience; you may find it to be quite simply. Before I started this project I thought,

 “Hmm, business plan, yeah, I should be done with this in a couple days; a week tops.”  

Yeeaahh, that didn’t happen. This is not something I want to hurry through just to check it off my list. I am not sure how long it will take me, but I think I will get some help. Schoolcraft College has an awesome Business Development Center. I might sign up for the one day seminar they offer on the fundamentals of writing a business plans or maybe I will speak with a business consultant one-on-one for free. I will definitely take advantage of the resources around me. Is there a place in your city that offers this type of services for small businesses? I am sure there is.

Being without a business plan is not the only thing that has held me back. I still have a little bit of fear; fear of the unknown. You know what I am talking about, the “what ifs.”

                        What if I fail…repeatedly?

                        What if my mind goes blank?

                        What if I get tongue-tied or start stuttering?

I have been trying to silence this voice in my head. It has improved, but it’s still there. It will always be there doubting my decisions, second guessing me, warning me. I can’t get mad at it; it’s just doing its job. You have this voice too. Everyone does. I don’t know how loud yours is. Mine gets pretty loud sometimes. Danger! Danger! That’s what it screams out when it thinks I am in harm’s way. Even though it’s there to protect me, I must not listen to it always or I might miss out on opportunities. There are times when I will need to listen to my gut. My gut will say,

“Yeah buddy!!! That’s opportunity right there. You better jump on that!”

 I don’t know how your gut sounds but mine has a country twang—picture Larry the cable guy—even though I am a city girl from the Midwest. You may be from the south and speak with a southern dialect, but your gut has an English accent! To each his own.

To silence the warning alarm that my mind screams out when something unknown happens, I educate myself. My mind does not really like the unknown, so I put my mind at ease by finding out information about the unknown. I study it until I am familiar with it.

Here is an example that I think we can all relate to, fear of public speaking! I remember many years ago when I was in the 10^th grade I had to do a presentation on Tamoxifen—the drug that is used to treat breast cancer. I have never loved science so that made my fear of public speaking even worse. I wrote out what I was going to say in my presentation. At first I read from the paper. Over and over again I read. I put in a few hours a day studying it and presenting in front of a mirror. Until, one day I really didn’t have to read from the paper. When it was time for me to give my presentation, walking up to the podium was actually the hardest part. The presentation went smoothly. I glanced down at my notes from time-to-time. I actually looked and sound like I knew what I was talking about. Now that I am thinking about it, all of the fears and worrying about the unknown was a good thing, because it actually pushed me to work hard.

Let’s not let fear stop us from living our dream. Let’s shine some light on the unknown so we can keep moving forward!

On my agenda for next week I am going to work on my business plan and read All Marketers Are Liars Tell Stories by Seth Godin.

Frustrated!

First, the good news. I completed my goal! Remember I wanted to incorporate reading one book each week (I think I will call it my One-a-Week)? Well, I did it! I know I know it’s a small accomplishment, but I am going to celebrate the small successes just as much as I do the big ones.  It was perfect timing too—me reading the book The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason—because I got so discouraged when I received my paycheck. I was expecting it to be more than it was. FRUSTRATED! I just couldn’t believe that my check still looked on the lean side after working long hours (sometimes 16 hours a day).  

Then I remembered reading about Sharru Nada one of the ancient Babylonians. Sharru Nada was sold into slavery to cover a debt of his father’s. Before the auction he met a couple slaves who were also being auctioned off. One guy advised Sharru Nada not to work hard for his new master, “who wants to work hard?” he said. The other guy he met was a little wiser and had a different philosophy when it came to work. He referred to work as his best friend. He told Sharru Nada to let the buyer know (at the auction) that he was a good worker. He told him to do this to avoid becoming a bricked carrier; all the slaves who were not bought at the auction would end up becoming brick carriers. If he could convince the buyer that he was a greater asset than a brick carrier than he would be in a better position to save money to buy his freedom. He did exactly so. After reading that story my motivation was restored. Sharru Nada worked hard for his freedom and I am willing to work hard for my freedom too!

After snapping out of the “doom and gloom” and “woe is me” mood I started taking action and committing some of their money-making principles to memory.

In the book, it talked about how the ancient Babylonians saved one-tenth of their earnings. The money that they saved would only be used for investment purposes. So, I opened up an account and deposited one-tenth of my pay check. Taking action always makes me feel better.

You may be wondering what I plan on investing in. I have to be honest. I got bitten by the real estate bug. Yes, I am one of those people. The beginning of this year I have really made educating myself on real estate investing and financial education a priority.
Just like most Americans I have consumer debt; less than some, more than others. I wasn’t taught the right way to handle finances, how to save and the importance of investing my money. Now that I am an adult I can no longer use that as an excuse. Now is the time to do something about it. It’s time for some action. That is why I started this blog, thinking the readers can hold me accountable.

I planned to write at least once a week on my blog. This has been harder than I thought with all of the hours I have been working over the past couple of weeks. I know that overtime at work will not last for much longer. That is why I am trying to take advantage of it while I can.

On my agenda for next week I am reading Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk. I will also be working on my business plan.

The Top 10 Distinctions Between Millionaires and the Middle Class

I went to Borders Book Store recently. It was really sad because they are going out of business. Looking through the almost bare bookshelves, I came across this book called The Top 10 Distinctions Between Millionaires and the Middle Class by Keith Cameron Smith. Skimming through the pages, I was intrigued and decided to purchase it. After leaving the book store, I had other errands to tend to, but I could not stop thinking about the book. Once arriving at the grocery store I decided to read a couple pages before going in. This led to me reading the entire book in the parking lot of the grocery store. Believe me folks when I tell you that I had no intentions of reading the whole thing. I just couldn’t put it down.

I have this strong desire to be rich and successful. Why? Because being poor and unsuccessful is not working for me. To be honest with you, I don’t think it is working out for a lot of people. Digging a little deeper, my desire for success and financial freedom comes from observing my surroundings and knowing what I could possibly be faced with once I reach retirement age. Will I be able to live a comfortable retirement life? Will it be feasible for me to live off of my retirement? Will social security exist when I retire? Will there be more strong hits to my 401k, resulting in me losing thousands of more dollars? There are so many uncertainties; and so many things that I have no control over. I want control. I need it! Control is no longer a want it is a need. It is a necessity for me.

The reason why I could not put this book down is because it shined a light on many things that have held me back; things that I was unaware of.

Here are a few things I learn about the rich from reading this book:

• Millionaires don’t let fear hold them back. They know that knowledge can overcome fear.
• The middle class are too afraid to take risk, while the rich take calculated risk.
• The rich plan for the long-term, knowing that in order to make more money they must work for profits. The middle class are short-term thinkers; they prefer to work for wages instead of profits.
• Rich people’s education does not stop once they finish school. They attend seminars, hire coaches and mentors. They are avid readers; some read one book a week.
• The rich have multiple source of income; the middle class have one or two.

I really enjoyed how he shared some personal stories about his life and how he enjoys being generous with his money. I know that there are some rich people who exploit poor people, but there are a lot of generous millionaires out there who truly enjoy philanthropy.

I have a new weekly goal. I am going to read at least one book a week. The Richest Man In Babylon by George S. Clason is the next book on my list, followed by Crush It written by Gary Vaynerchuk.

Hello Worker Bees!!!

Hello everyone! I thought it would be a good idea to put together a blog that would keep track of my success from worker bee to former worker bee.

For quite some time I have been a lost sheep. Trying the college route because that is what we are “suppose” to do after graduating from high school—what an expensive lesson that has been for me. After thousands of dollars, I thought maybe I should have gone to community college first to test the water.  This led me to spending a few years flipping back and forth from university to community college—keep in mind, I was a lost sheep at this time.

For the longest I have had this pull to do something different from what everyone else is doing. Like most Americans, I have been told that in order to have success you must go to college, get good grades, and get a job. The first problem I have with this way of thinking is allowing others to define what success means to me. So, I had to dig deep to find out my own definition. It was difficult, I guess because it was so deeply ingrained in me. Let’s try a little exercise. I want you to try to think of success without going to college. If this exercise conjured up feelings of such a thing being impossible or not right, then maybe you have been just as deeply influenced by the “success” definition as I have.

I am not against people going to university to further their education, but there are other ways of getting educated. I was unaware that there were other options to having success. I made a mistake by picking a major based on the job market, not my interest or passion. I later changed it, but still was unsure because none of my options matched anything I was passionate about. Think about it; just how many people pick a major not based on their interest, but on what others would consider a good career choice or the job market making the choice for them.

After years of attending school on and off and working for the same employer for 9 ½ years I realized a couple things:

#1  I am tired of going to school.

#2  My return on investment may not be worth all the years and money I put into school?

#3  I do not want to be an employee!!!

With much time squandered, I decided to put together a plan and implement massive action, so I can get out of the rat race. I am so excited to continue my journey!!!