Life has a way of changing our plans.
That throws a lot of people off course.
The key is perseverance: the ability to either stay on track or know when to move your track.
Moving your track could be from left to right, or you might need a complete 180-degree turnaround.
In either case, you need clarity to do that. You need focus. You need to cast a vision for what you want your life to be.
Think you’re too old for that? Think again.
I have doctors who ask me, “David, I’m 55 years old. Is it too late for me?”
I say, “Well it’s not too late if you plan on living a few more years.”
There was a time in our lives when we had to crank it out.
Working through school. Passing all the exams. Getting licensed. Doing professional graduate school.
That prepared us for the grind, which is where we all have to start.
But for most of you reading this, you’re still there. I wonder… Is that where you plan to stay forever?
Here’s the thing. Trading our labor for a paycheck is always where we begin. I don’t believe it’s ever where we should end.
Most people stay on that track for way, way too long. You slowly raise dollars earned. Your lifestyle barely inches up.
And then success becomes defined, not by what you’ve achieved, but by what hasn’t gone wrong.
That, my friends, is a never-ending hamster wheel. It’ll just keep going on and on and on. Freedom simply can’t happen on a hamster wheel.
That’s the cost of trading time for dollars.
The true way to get free is to have your money working for you.
Now, the first thing most of you will think of is what your financial advisor, CPA, attorney, or whoever else has told you.
“Here, I’ll help you do it. Let me put it in the stock market.” “Let me help you open a 401k so you can save on all those taxes.”
“We’ll put it on Wall Street.” “We’ll give you a 60/40 mix.” “We’ll throw in some annuities.” “We’ll make this happen for you.”
If you want my two cents… I’ve never considered it a financial solution to take my money to America’s biggest casino.
You need control in order to orchestrate your money, and if you’re going to have control, you need to get involved in tangible assets.
My two favorites are real businesses and real estate.
A real business is one in which you as the owner are not required to be there for the business to succeed.
If you’re the one turning all the widgets, doing all the work, and providing all the services, then you’re chained to an endeavor that will die as soon as you do.
As for real estate, I’ve been doing it for over 37 years. I trust it. I know it like the back of my hand. I know how to hedge my bets in up and down markets.
And if you’re scared by it or have been beaten up in the marketplace, there are various keys that will help you, and I’ll share more about that in future posts.
The moral of the story is this: Don’t allow the status quo to become your life’s dictator.
I promise you, the hardest way to become wealthy – whatever wealth means to you – is by trading time for dollars.
Don’t put everything off for somewhere down the road. You may never get there.
This is Part 1 in the Breckenridge series. Stay tuned for Part 2, coming Thursday July 6th!
