‘Time’ and ‘Freedom.’
Think about that for a minute (Yes. I just asked you to pause for a precious 60 seconds of your life. Difficult in our day and age, I know). How much time and freedom do you have? How much of both would you like to have?
Having time and being ‘free’ are two currencies in current culture that are in high demand; often incredibly scarce. The J-O-B, and that notorious '9-to-5' grind, has a way of taking both entities away from us. If there was a way to maximize both, would you be interested?
Maximize Your Life
We spend hours discussing how to live our dreams, achieve goals, and find happiness. Bookstores are full of bestselling books on how to “make it.” The internet is an endless rabbit hole of ‘how-to’ and ‘what-to.’ Companies and motivational speakers have made millions selling the 'dream of freedom.' It’s all there, so which advice and path do you take?
For me, it was real estate that was an appealing cure to ‘the daily grind.’ It was my way to get more out of my own life; not necessarily by working less than the typical American, but by working more in the niche where I thrived. I felt more freedom, and it seemed like I had more time in my life. I have never liked the idea of a '9-to-5.' It just doesn't work for me. Although, as an entrepreneur, I work way more hours than an employee would, I find myself more fulfilled in my work. I’m doing what I love to do; with no cap on the level of success that I can achieve.
Get Specific
Let's take a couple of career direction notes from Alice in Wonderland. The cat asks Alice, "Where are you going?" to which Alice replies with a question:
Alice: "Which way should I go?"
Cat: "That depends on where you are going."
A: "I don’t know."
C: "Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.”
I've found that the first step to getting to where I want to be is knowing where I want to be. Get specific! You must first figure out what it is you need to be happy, fulfilled, and successful. Real estate isn’t for everyone. Heck— being an entrepreneur isn’t either (although this is an an entirely different subject), but real estate (and entrepreneurship) can be incredibly rewarding.
The cool thing about the real estate industry is that it offers freedom— in its own way— by including many ways to get involved and be successful. You can be a real estate agent, mortgage lender, become a house flipping expert, or choose to invest.
What Do You Want?
The important thing to determine first is what you really want. If you know you, you know what will work for you and what will not. All of the various avenues within real estate offer income earning potential and scheduling freedom. Real estate can require a big time investment, or it can be a side-career that you start while still working at your '9-to-5.' It’s not always necessary to say, “Sayonara!” to your job. Maybe, it’s simply a matter of reinventing the way you work.
Full-time investing is a real job that requires real time. Your work may need to happen during business hours, but it’s most likely that even when you are not working, you are still working (i.e Always thinking about how to run your business more efficiently, how to network more effectively, etc.) It’s a good idea to set some work boundaries if you want to effectively find balance within the industry of real estate. I learned the hard way by quickly stacking up my work days. This would lead to 80-to-90 hour work weeks. Real estate, like anything, can be all-consuming.
Reinvent The Way You Work
If you want to pursue the real estate path, it’s great to recognize the possibilities ahead of you. If you know what you really want out of your life, it will be much more simple to set boundaries and keep them. Decide how many hours you want to work, need to work, and when to work.
It’s never a good feeling to let six years of your life slip by in a frenzy— juggling all of life’s responsibilities— and not really feel fulfilled. A disciplined '9-to-5' will nicely offer structure, but if going to work is something you are not happy doing, figure out what it is that you dislike so much. Is it the hours? Do you not like your boss? Is the pay not what you want it to be?
The Real Estate Appeal
Many people find that real estate appeals to their financial dreams. Having security and passive income is something of great value to them. Maybe it’s based on prestige or recognition. Some may even love their jobs. Whatever place you find yourself in, if you have been toying with the idea of shaking your life up a bit, look into real estate. It may be just what you need to reinvent your life and live the way that you really want.
It doesn’t matter if you aren’t as far along in life as Jane over there, or Joe over here. There’s a saying that goes something like, “Start with where you’re at; with what you have.” You don’t have to give up everything you love about your life to make improvements. Even with just an hour a week focused on real estate investing, you can see rewards and results. Do your homework to figure out what works best for you and what most interests you. Start finding time to do what you love, and see the freedom that results!
