Change Your Mind; Change Your Life

Is your ideal lifestyle learned or earned? That’s today’s question… What are your preconceptions about lifestyle? Do you secretly want to spend your days skiing, baking, lounging in a plush bathrobe and drinking craft brews while eating fine cheeses at night? Yeah – that sounds pretty nice. Or do you want to tour the world – jumping from zipline to bungee cord and back? That sounds thrilling. The question is when….

When do you imagine you can have your ideal lifestyle (the one you daydream about when your boss isn’t looking)? Is it next year? Is it in ten years? Is it in 30? If you’re like most of us, you figure you can have some of your dream lifestyle when you retire and until then you’ll have to make do with vacation time. Wait. Back up. Screeching halt here: yikes. Life is short. Do you really want to wait more than half a lifetime to live the life of your dreams? We didn’t think so! Here’s how to move over into the fast lane and get more of what you really want right now, not way off in the future.

1. Change Lanes

If you’re planning to retire in 30 years, you’re making financial decisions based on that timeline. You probably aren’t thinking as ambitiously as you could be, right? When you turn up the pressure, though, you’ll find you’re thinking outside of the cubicle. You start thinking differently about your money and how to use it – and when you do that you end up with more of it.

2. Don’t Drive Too Slow

Now that you’re in the right lane, don’t go so slow the other drivers have to pass you! What doees this mean? Start giving yourself more. If you love skiing, for example, sneek out on the weekends or take a half day from work to do what you love. If your thing is getting a massage and zen – ing out for an afternoon, play hookie and just do it! The more that you surround yourself with the things you really love, the more motivated you are to go out and get ‘em….

3. Enjoy the Scenery

Don’t go so fast that you get into a car accident. Drive safely, and slowly, enough that you can enjoy the trip and watch the scenery pass by. Don’t be foolish with your money; be smart with it. Make sound financial decisions that set the stage for future wealth – not future failure.

Key Takeaway for Everyone:
Life is meant to be enjoyed – so go out and start enjoying it! Find a way to get more of what you love sooner. Don’t put your passions off until you retire: life is short. Life is now.

Key Takeaway for Real Estate Investors:
Are you planning for the 30 year picture? Great …. but can you turn up the heat a bit and also plan for next year, five years, etc? Make your money work harder for you. Be proactive. Go!

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