Life Reflection: Best Returns of Time

[MJ DeMarco]

This post is to examine some of the choices we make when we are younger .... and hopefully, a lot of the young folks here can leverage this wisdom.

Specifically, what innocuous choices have you made that have yielded the best return on your time? By innocous, I mean simply weren't crucial actions, but more of a behavior or a habit?

Ill start ...

1) Brush your teeth 3-5 times daily. Floss at least once.

When I was a teenager I slacked and I have paid the price for decades that would follow. I've spent more time and money in the dentist chair it is sickening. Seriously, probably about 3 months of time I've wasted dealing with dental issues, not to mention the $$. Brush your teeth kiddos! Had I spent the 5 minutes of time to brush when I was growing up, I would have had a lot more time.

2) For your car, put a little convex mirror on your driver and passenger side mirrors. Holy shit, this little action has saved me countless accidents. The mirror exposes the blindspot while your driving.

3) Umm .... use protection. The biggest of them all ... snap yourself out of the heat of the moment, and use protection. Unwanted, unplanned pregnancy is anti-Fastlane. Had I not used protection in college (and other "moments") I probably would be off in some other reality.

What simple actions in your life have yielded a great return of time? Or would have?

 

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[mtnman]

3) Umm .... use protection. The biggest of them all ... snap yourself out of the heat of the moment, and use protection. Unwanted, unplanned pregnancy is anti-Fastlane. Had I not used protection in college (and other "moments") I probably would be off in some other reality.

HEY! as long as you always win the bet, you can afford it! Couple a bucks can surely help a brother out with an old gal. LMAO sorry, I just had to. :smilielol:

4) quit smoking- self explanatory, though I miss the use of it as a pondering tool.

 

[Rem]

This is a great topic. I was actually talking with my old college roommate this weekend and we both agreed that if we had not gone out to eat so many times in college we would have had more money. We ate like kings. On average we went out to a nice restaurant 3 or 4 times per week. We each dropped anywhere between $30 and $80 each time we went out depending on the place. Of course you need to enjoy some of the finer things in life but 3 or 4 times per week was obsessive, especially in college. Let's just take a conservative estimate and use $30 each time we went out to eat per person. Let's also say we went out 4 times per week. This is $120/week. $120x52 is $6,240 for the year.

At the time I also drank a lot of beer and smoked a pack of cigarettes each day. Not only is this a long term health problem that will catch up with you later in life but it is expensive. Personally I bought 2 30 packs each week. Yes I am a recovering alcoholic. It's been 11 years since I have been drunk. I may have a glass of wine or a beer here or there. At the time a 30 pack of Bud Light cost me $24.99 before tax. So let's say $25x2 times each week. $50 per week. $50x52 weeks is $2600 for the year.

Now cigarettes were a lot cheaper back in the day. I spent about $3.85 per pack. I bought a new pack each night to get me through the night and into the next day. $3.85x7 days per week is $26.95. Multiply that out for 52 weeks and you get $1401.40 for the year on smokes.

So if you add up all the times I went out to eat, all the beer I bought and all the smokes I had to purchase it comes out to be $10,241 for the year. I kept up this lifestyle for 4.5 years since it took me an extra semester to finish and get my degree.

So for 4 1/2 years I spent on just going out to eat, buying beer, and smokes roughly... you ready? This is nuts... $46,086

IT ADDS UP. This doesn't include all the bars I went to. Even if I went out a couple times on the weekends I was still able to finish my beer in my fridge. This doesnt' count for the extra pack of smokes I may have picked up since I was out partying and was chain smoking. This doesn't count the number of fraternity parties I had to pay to get in the door, or the gas I used to get places. I can easily see the cost of partying in college for all 4.5 years up around $60,000

If I saved that money instead I could have had over $50,000 by the time I was out of college.

 

[biophase]

3) Umm .... use protection. The biggest of them all ... snap yourself out of the heat of the moment, and use protection. Unwanted, unplanned pregnancy is anti-Fastlane. Had I not used protection in college (and other "moments") I probably would be off in some other reality.

Sun Protection... I'm not a sunblock user, my skin is dark and it probably helped me in my past. But after moving to AZ for 5 years I've noticed my skin is not as soft and silky as it used to be. So reluctantly, I actual put a little sunblock on now.

I did notice that I see many native Arizonians with unbelievably old looking skin. I'm sure tans looked good to them when them were in their 20's, but in your 30's you don't want 60 year old looking skin. I seem to notice this on the runners going up camelback mountain.

Anyway, back to sunblock. I believe this is one of those I wish I would have used it products that you look back on.

 

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[lightning]

Following up with the premise of SM Media’s post, I have a memory that I have thought about over and over since HS.

When I was a teenager, it was made very clear to my Twin Sister and I that if we wanted our own cars when we got our licenses, we were going to have to start saving up and buy them. Although my parents would have liked to, there was just no way they could afford another car. Always the go-getter (and with the dream of a hot car being my NUMBER ONE priority at the time :coolgleamA: ), I began saving up every penny I could from my part-time job at K-mart, as well as my wheeling’s & dealings on the side (selling sports memorabilia, detailing cars, shoveling snow, mowing lawns, etc.). ANY extra money I earned went straight into my “Car Fund”.

After a couple of years, I had amassed over $4500, and was on the PROWEL to buy the hottest car my hard-earned savings could afford. :fastlane: I was 16, and one year away from my driver’s license (FREEDOM!!!!).

About that time, an older and very well-off Aunt of mine overheard me talking about saving up for a car, and presented an offer I SHOULDN’T have refused. Having just bought a new Infinity, she was about to sell her old reliable luxury car, a maroon red 1990 Chrysler New Yorker with only 50k babied and original miles on it. To my parents disbelief, she offered me this car for $25 cash if I agreed to keep it in as good a condition as she gave it to me in (the car was MINT!).

I am embarrassed to say; that not wanting to drive an “old lady” car (and not mature enough at the time to realize the potential that lay ahead of me had I taken her up on this), I refused her incredibly generous offer, and instead went out and foolishly spent almost $5,000 on a used 1984 Z28 Camaro (the typical Teenagers car). It was 1998 at the time.

When I think of where I could be right now had I not wasted so much money on cars (and other CRAP) over the years, it absolutely boggles my mind. I spent TONS of money back then on paintball equiptment. I spent TONS of money back then on sports-cards. Once my car had gas in it, ANY extra money I had went straight into my pocket to spend. I just never knew any better. Had I had a resource like this site way back then ( ), I would have started saving for my first rental property (or dumping every spare cent I had into mutual funds). With cheap real-estate and the stock market BOOM that occurred after I graduated HS (2000), that money could have doubled and tripled for me over and over again.

Anyways, just a moment of reflection on a “BAD” decision I once made, lol. And my younger college friends wonder why I am always all over them to START EARLY and invest young!!! At only 27, I am ready seeing how different things could be, and just how true it is when MJ teaches us that "TIME" is our #1 assett.

 

[Russ H]

You know all that sh*t you never use?

Learning how NOT to buy it in the first place.

-Russ H.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

You know all that sh*t you have that you never use?

Learning how to not buy it in the first place.

-Russ H.

Amen!! And the irony? It was shit I thought that would help me. Stuff I though that would make life easier. Like Aqua Globes to help keep plants watered ... what a waste. I spend more time filling that crap up than watering the plants.

Most of it is just clutter for the gutter!

 

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[Rawr]

If I could I'd go back and suggest my younger self to

1. Start lifting weights earlier - especially if you are skinny, it does wonders for your confidence when you most need it - High School

2. Do not spend so much time playing video games and especially online roleplaying games. To think of all the time wasted on Ultima Online, Diablo and Counter Strike...

3. Realize there are no easy shortcuts. You have to pay your dues everywhere by learning and grinding - even as a business owner. You will never wake up and have 1mil just laying there without work. I chased the easy money a lot, still do, lost a lot of money doing that.


You have to live your life, but as someone once said, everything counts - every little thing.

Last thing, be as social as you can, make a lot of friends and acquaintances, live is largely about who you know, I can't overestimate the importance of old friends and family - if they are good people, keep them on great terms.

 

[yveskleinsky]

- Spending quality time with quality people. I'm very fortunate that the vast majority of my friends and acquaintances are smarter than me. I always leave our time together having learned something new, gained a new perspective or just feeling better and recharged. These people are like gold to me...and hands down the best use of my time!

Outside of spending time with them...

- Yoga. There is a saying out there that you are only as old as your spine is flexible. So true. Stretching and taking time for some good yoga always makes me feel good on several levels.

- Reading. Besides the obvious that I am learning, reading helps me to unwind.

...There's so many. I'll write more later when I have more energy.

 

[Merkin Man]

Understanding my own health better.

From when I was around 12 or 13 years old I was always the kid with the gut. Not necessarily "fat" but definitely overweight. In my 20's I got into a little better shape but still carried around too much flab, especially for my build. Once I got into a serious relationship in my mid 20's, I put on about 25 pounds that I have never completely shed.

Around my mid 20's my doctor started hasseling me about having too high of a blood pressure for a guy my age. Exercise, eat a better diet and STOP TAKING DIET PILLS (something that I used to use as a quick way to keep weight off). All advice I chose not to follow, although as I got into my later 20's I did cut off all diet pills and replaced them with legitimate vitamins. I worry, though, that all the "natural" non-FDA approved supplements I put in my body during that time have taken their toll... only time will tell.

After my divorce as I approached 30, I lost about 20 pounds. However, I quickly found myself in a new relationship and within a year gained back the 20 pounds plus about 15 more.

Today, at 34, I continue to have high blood pressure, despite being on blood pressure medication, and I now have high cholestorol as well and am on medication for that. I also have found in this age arena that back pain has gotten worse, my feet hurt more than ever before and my energy level is nowhere near where it used to be. Pain in general is just a lot worse and more frequent than it used to be.

I often worry about where I'll be in 5, 10 even 20 years (if I'm lucky enough to get that old) yet do little to change my habits. I think part of my problem is I now visualize myself as the overweight, aging person that I fear I am. I have a hard time seeing myself young and energized anymore.

But I did get one hell of an unexpected wake up call the other day...

I took my now wife to the Body Worlds exhibit that was in our town for her birthday. It was called The Story of the Heart. For those of you who haven't heard of Body Worlds, a process called Plastination is used and real cadavors are used to put the human body on display. In this exhibit, healthy bodies and body parts were shown in states you'd never expect to see them. At the same time, unhealthy bodies and body parts were also shown, among them high blood pressure and how it affects our inner organs and long-term health. It also shows how obesity affects us underneath our most outer layer. It was fascinating. And it was a wake up call.

I now have pledged to myself and my wife that I am going to not just lose a few pounds but also start to truly take care of my body. I am notorious for starting things for the thrill of starting them and then never following through (see a Fastlane failure scenario here?).

I just wish I had taken my health more seriously years ago!

Andy

 

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[fanocks2003]

The biggest one: Being less available. Putting up filters for people to get through in order to buy stuff from me or be with me at all. You can never be too careful these days. I am naturally a very spontaneous and opportunistic guy, but the filter thing is awesome and it has saved me a lot of time, money etc.

 

[imcmillionaire]

Start thinking big, working hard and developing a positive min early and you will reach your riches early.

 

[rcardin]

|My best return of time has been my degree in education. When I finally set my mind to it I finished up in 2 years straight with a 3.6 gpa. This has allowed me to have a job with 14 weeks of vacation and a livable wage. Had I taken this route sooner I would be close to retirement by now.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Understanding my own health better.
From when I was around 12 or 13 years old I was always the kid with the gut. Not necessarily "fat" but definitely overweight. In my 20's I got into a little better shape but still carried around too much flab, especially for my build. Once I got into a serious relationship in my mid 20's, I put on about 25 pounds that I have never completely shed.

Around my mid 20's my doctor started hasseling me about having too high of a blood pressure for a guy my age. Exercise, eat a better diet and STOP TAKING DIET PILLS (something that I used to use as a quick way to keep weight off). All advice I chose not to follow, although as I got into my later 20's I did cut off all diet pills and replaced them with legitimate vitamins. I worry, though, that all the "natural" non-FDA approved supplements I put in my body during that time have taken their toll... only time will tell.

After my divorce as I approached 30, I lost about 20 pounds. However, I quickly found myself in a new relationship and within a year gained back the 20 pounds plus about 15 more.

Today, at 34, I continue to have high blood pressure, despite being on blood pressure medication, and I now have high cholestorol as well and am on medication for that. I also have found in this age arena that back pain has gotten worse, my feet hurt more than ever before and my energy level is nowhere near where it used to be. Pain in general is just a lot worse and more frequent than it used to be.

I often worry about where I'll be in 5, 10 even 20 years (if I'm lucky enough to get that old) yet do little to change my habits. I think part of my problem is I now visualize myself as the overweight, aging person that I fear I am. I have a hard time seeing myself young and energized anymore.

But I did get one hell of an unexpected wake up call the other day...

I took my now wife to the Body Worlds exhibit that was in our town for her birthday. It was called The Story of the Heart. For those of you who haven't heard of Body Worlds, a process called Plastination is used and real cadavors are used to put the human body on display. In this exhibit, healthy bodies and body parts were shown in states you'd never expect to see them. At the same time, unhealthy bodies and body parts were also shown, among them high blood pressure and how it affects our inner organs and long-term health. It also shows how obesity affects us underneath our most outer layer. It was fascinating. And it was a wake up call.

I now have pledged to myself and my wife that I am going to not just lose a few pounds but also start to truly take care of my body. I am notorious for starting things for the thrill of starting them and then never following through (see a Fastlane failure scenario here?).

I just wish I had taken my health more seriously years ago!

Andy

Speed+ thx for the reflection. Definitely a lesson for the young people ... health is taken for granted until you don't have it. For a few million, most people will put their health on the pass line and hope for red. When black comes up, they will then spend it all to get back what they lost.

I too took all kinds of "fat loss" pills and I'm pretty sure it did damage long term. Every relationship I ever was in resulted in weight gain because of "joyful eating".

Biophase makes a good point ... I wish I would have used sun block more. Laying in the sun unprotected was normal for me.

 

[LaughedAt]

Speed+ thx for the reflection. Definitely a lesson for the young people ... health is taken for granted until you don't have it. For a few million, most people will put their health on the pass line and hope for red. When black comes up, they will then spend it all to get back what they lost.

I too took all kinds of "fat loss" pills and I'm pretty sure it did damage long term. Every relationship I ever was in resulted in weight gain because of "joyful eating".

Biophase makes a good point ... I wish I would have used sun block more. Laying in the sun unprotected was normal for me.

Yep you're absolutely right, I remember a quote from either Confucius or Buddha, it goes something like this:
"Most people sacrifice their health to acquire money, and then later on they spend all their money to regain their health"...

Definitely a good lesson for us youngsters, known for abusing our bodies with poisonous junk food, alcohol, drugs... etc


I've been studying the lives of the super wealthy by reading auto-biographies, articles and books, and unfortunately all of them openly confessed that during their careers they scarified their health by working insanely long hours, not eating properly and never working out, all to achieve what we call the Fastlane lifestyle, now my question to you would be:
Do you think it is possible for a person to acquire wealth without the precious sacrifice of their health? I'm not necessarily talking about ridiculous amounts of wealth (100M+), just enough wealth for you to live very comfortably (that would be $5M-10M for me), is it really possible? I mean you've been there, do you think you would have being equally successful had you taken better care of your health and had a better working out\diet program that might've took some hours of your working life?

 

[NoCut]

Financial Safety Net

One of the best returns of my time was in putting together a financial safety net when I was first starting out. It was just $1000 at the time. I made this my highest priority with my first job right out of college. It only took me three months and in retrospect was really not that hard to do. Now this $1000 may not seem like a lot of money and it will not bail you of a major financial disaster. However, if you put your hands on just $1000 as a safety net when you are first starting out, you can handle many of life’s unexpected problems such as: insurance deductibles, minor car repairs, servicing an air-conditioning unit, lost cell phone etc. If you have to dip into the safety net, replenishing it becomes the most important financial goal. Gradually increasing the safety net over time as your life becomes more complicated is also obviously important.

This need for a safety net was recently driven home to me by my young co-worker. He received his paycheck last week and ran to the bank to deposit it. Thinking he was golden, he stopped a McDonalds for breakfast on his way back to work. He attempted to use his debit card and it was rejected for $3.81 because no funds were available. If he can’t handle a $3.81 breakfast how could he have handled a blown tire on the way back? I have tried to explain to him that until he establishes a financial cushion before he does anything else, every little bump in the road will feel like a major disaster. He has a lot of years ahead of him and going through life in constant crisis mode is just a horrible way to live.

I think this simple decision/action I took 17 years ago has done more to reduce my stress and anxiety and increase my enjoyment of life than almost anything else.

No Cut

 

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[Runum]

Sun Protection... I'm not a sunblock user, my skin is dark and it probably helped me in my past. But after moving to AZ for 5 years I've noticed my skin is not as soft and silky as it used to be. So reluctantly, I actual put a little sunblock on now.

I did notice that I see many native Arizonians with unbelievably old looking skin. I'm sure tans looked good to them when them were in their 20's, but in your 30's you don't want 60 year old looking skin. I seem to notice this on the runners going up camelback mountain.

Anyway, back to sunblock. I believe this is one of those I wish I would have used it products that you look back on.

I agree with skin care. I've never paid too much attention to skin care. I woke up one day to a face in the mirror that is aging, wrinkling, and sagging. Began using some high quality face creams and I am seeing good results. My kids told me the other day they thought I was 35. :coolgleamA: Take care of yourself.

 

[AroundTheWorld]

3) Umm .... use protection. The biggest of them all ... snap yourself out of the heat of the moment, and use protection. Unwanted, unplanned pregnancy is anti-Fastlane. Had I not used protection in college (and other "moments") I probably would be off in some other reality.

You would be off in some other reality if that is what you believe would happen to you.

Such it is with any decision you make, fail to make, or anything that "happens" to you.

What simple actions in your life have yielded a great return of time? Or would have?

Spend 30 minutes every morning in stillness.
Spend 10 minutes every evening sorting out my high level tasks.
Make a don't do list as well as a to do list. I really liked fanocks point about the filters. Isn't it amazing how much crap (people and things) that we allow into our lives?
Learn to spend every moment - in the moment. If only I had done this long ago.

 

[TaxGuy]

When I think of where I could be right now had I not wasted so much money on cars (and other CRAP) over the years, it absolutely boggles my mind. I spent TONS of money back then on paintball equiptment. I spent TONS of money back then on sports-cards.

:iagree:

It's scary how similar you and I are, in fact my dad and I had a talk about this yesterday, let's see the chain of worthless crap I've bought that have gotten me to the point that I've been working for wages since the age of 11 instead of using my creative mind and energetic body to change the world....

11-12- Magic: The Gathering cards, not only hundreds of dollar in packs, but for Xmas in '95 instead of just saving money, "invested" it in 2 cards for $250 that I ended up getting less than half that for.

12-15- Bikes: first it was the Specialized Fatboy Pro that I "had to have", with a loan from "The First Bank of Dad" I worked 5 paper routes to pay back the $667 this bike cost and then after getting a job at the local bike shop, blew another couple hundred bucks on this and then the $1k+ I pumped into my custom Cannondale that I built from the frame up.... which started two of my worst habits- depending on a paycheck and using credit, unfortunately when the I got my first credit card 4yrs later, they actually charged interest :nonod:

16-24- Cars/Motorcycles/College Living Expenses/House- arrggghh... like Mike instead of getting the beater for car #1 I had to get a "sports car", car #1 was a '93 Firebird Formula, shortly followed by a '95 Formula conv't and then my biggest money-pit, the '91 VR4(which I've had since I was 16 and have put too much time/money/frustration into). Then it was going to college b/c I thought it was "the right thing" only to get my first debt and a worthless degree. Along with it, bought 2 motorcycles.

If I could go back, would I do things differently- probably. However, it is these experiences that have taught me to be less materialistic and the "failures" of the past are what help to provide a better future for my family and myself.

 

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[GlobalWealth]

Just a few random thoughts:

Read everyday. I mostly read nonfiction for educational purposes, but occasionally read a good novel, but never junk.

Associate with the right people, and disassociate with the wrong kind of people.

Save and invest your money. Grow your savings to have at least 1 year's cash and put it in savings. Beyond that, invest in things you know and understand. I have stated it before, but money may not buy happiness but it elimnates most things that cause stress and unhappiness.

Get a hobby. You cannot work all the time or you will burn out. Get a hobby doing something you love. I ride and race motorcycles.

Take one trip per year alone. Completely alone. This gives you time to think and prioritize things in your life. Without the "noise" of others and having to make sure everyone is taken care of, you can get your thoughts together.

Set your goals every year and write them down. I take a sheet of paper and box it into 4 sections; Personal, Family, Business, and Financial. Then I write down 10 goals for each category and prioritize the top 3. I keep my goal list with me most of the time and reread it frequently. This keeps me focused.

Follow your passions. I don't mean this in a hedonistic way, but the point is don't make excuses for not doing something you really want. Many people say they want to start a business, but they say the time is not right or they will do it when they save X$, or when the kids are in school, or when the kids are in college. There is never a right time if you are always waiting for it. You never regret what you do, only what you don't do. You don't want to be on your deathbed thinking, I really wish I would have ...

Travel. Travel the US. Travel the world. The world becomes a much smaller place when you travel. You learn about other people and other cultures. You make friends you may have never known otherwise. You learn firsthand and from experience how things work instead of listening to what CNN, CNBC, your parents, or your preacher tell you.

Don't be shy. Friendships will enrich your life and you will never have them if you are shy. Come out of your comfort zone to make friends. If you read about or hear about someone you want to be a mentor, call them. You will be amazed at how easy it is to connect with highly influential people if you try. Much of your success will be derived from who you know, not necessarily what you know, so the more people you know, the better your odds.

 

[TaxGuy]

Bobby - I might have mentioned this before, but the short time you have been here you have added so much value to these already priceless forums!

While I know I have seen some of this info scattered throughout the forums it is good to have it all in one spot and I actually printed your post as a desktop reference for the "why" and "how" to work for and achieve my dreams :coolgleamA:

And as it relates to the thread, following advice such as this IMO will lead to the greatest returns on investment- time and freedom... which in a capitalist society usually means having some money to achieve.

Which leads to the final point-

I have stated it before, but money may not buy happiness but it elimnates most things that cause stress and unhappiness.

Go ahead, keep stating it! Yes money does not buy happiness, I know quite a few people who are financially rich, yet emotionally bankrupt(to steal a RK line ), however, I can tell you that the stress and unhappiness of a middle class lifestyle where money is necessary to provide food-shelter-clothing(the 3 basic needs) and atleast for the housing, most times, someone else(usually a bank in the form of a mortgage) actually owns the "shelter" part so without money we don't have this and good luck finding a nutritious meal or comfortable clothing without money(although both can be attained through our basic instincts )

My biggest pet pieve on this journey is even those closest to me making me feel guilty for focussing on money and I know, I know, as MJ says do not "chase" the money, however, we don't embark on our fastlane pursuits without expecting a reward for our efforts and to me, "feeling good about it" is not enough, see my thread on Marathon training to see that accomplishing the "feat" of finishing is not enough, I want more than a pat on the back and a medal for life, I want to win!

 

[yveskleinsky]

I thought of two more

1. Taking time for reflection and analysis. What went right? Wrong? Why? How can I improve?

2. Learning to identify those people who are willing to "pull on the same side of the rope with you". Meaning, as an entrepreneur, you want someone who is on your team. Not someone pulling on the other side of the rope (working against you), or someone who is watching you pull on the rope by yourself (neutral.)

...I used to work for a builder--I absolutely adored him and his wife. They were such a great team. She told me once that when they first started out people in town were taking bets on how long they'd last. After about 4 spec homes cash was tight--really, really tight. They were living in the different spec homes, then moving out once they sold--many weeks were nothing but PB&J. When she heard that people were literally betting against them, she went out and pawned all her jewelry, came home and told him that she wasn't going down without a fight. ...To this day they are happily married and now, multi-millionaires. ...That's the kind of person you want on your team!

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Bump, anyone else have anything to add?

 

[Cat Man Du]

I thought of two more

1. Taking time for reflection and analysis. What went right? Wrong? Why? How can I improve?

2. Learning to identify those people who are willing to "pull on the same side of the rope with you". Meaning, as an entrepreneur, you want someone who is on your team. Not someone pulling on the other side of the rope (working against you), or someone who is watching you pull on the rope by yourself (neutral.)

...I used to work for a builder--I absolutely adored him and his wife. They were such a great team. She told me once that when they first started out people in town were taking bets on how long they'd last. After about 4 spec homes cash was tight--really, really tight. They were living in the different spec homes, then moving out once they sold--many weeks were nothing but PB&J. When she heard that people were literally betting against them, she went out and pawned all her jewelry, came home and told him that she wasn't going down without a fight. ...To this day they are happily married and now, multi-millionaires. ...That's the kind of person you want on your team!

Meaning, as an entrepreneur, you want someone who is on your team.

Someone...who works with you....NOT for you.

she went out and pawned all her jewelry

Don't expect this from anyone.........but a wife!!! :smx19:

 

[PaulRobert]

Listening- Listening to your gut, listening to the wisdom of others, especially your mother. Listen to what others have to say. Great business and personal relationships can be started when you listen to another person.
When your gut instinct tells you do something, DO IT! There have been countless times when I listened to my inner voice and it payed off very well.

Get rid of all that BS and Procrastination- I procrastinated in the past, I procrastinated a lot. "I'll do it tomorrow" was my phrase. Well that tomorrow came and stuff never got done. It is either now or never!

Surround yourself with positive people- Being around people with positive outlooks does wonders for you. They don't drag you down with your dreams or problems but lift you up to do better and succeed.

Be observant- Be observant of your surroundings everyday. I found my "million dollar idea" by being observant, the problem happened to me multiple times (over several years) but I never noticed it. Then one day, it happened and my idea unfolded right in front of me. The rest is history.. :urock2:

Stop being arrogant and naive.- Open your eyes and listen to people. Everyone has something to say. Getting rid of that ego will clear your thought process and you will be able to do more and see more.

Stop Fantasizing and Start Doing! - Stop thinking about how when you do this or that, you will be rich and can drive a Lambo :blah2:

As Nike's slogan says: Just Do It. Take action and you will be one step closer to your dream.

Focus- When working and taking action, don't think "When this or that will go through I will be able to buy whatever I want." Focus on adding the most value to your product or service and help as many people as possible. When your done with the day and look back, you can then say "Yes, one step taken, another one to take."

No matter how much you do or succeed, people will always try to put you down.- Best things to do are : ignore them, think to yourself that while you are progressing they are staying in the same place. And when they say "You Can't Do That!" respond with the best way AJGlobal stated- "F**k You, I Run My Life, Not You!"- Works like a charm every time. :smxB:

I probably still have a couple to add but my brain decided to go fuzzy. Most of these reflections were learned from the past 3 years. Only 3 years, but look how much you can learn for your mistakes.

 

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[Rawr]

Give love.

Be real

Do not be fake



We hear those things and usually go "uh huh, got it" and then forget them.

There is a reason those things are said over and over, and it is not just to sell music records. When you really get down to it, if you do those things you will have a great life.


Give love - accept everyone, be warm to everyone, and people will treat you the same. Being COOL is exactly the opposite - think about this, it is literally the stupidest thing you can do, and yet it is so popular in the movies. I lost many people trying to be cool, people want someone who likes them, forget cool, it is silly.

Be real - know who you are, where you want to be, and what you will and will not be and do. Easier said than done.. but you only connect with people when you show them who you are and are not afraid to accept the fact that you are showing it.

Be fake - opposite of above.. might work short time but will only lead you farther from the truth and giving love, and that will corrode you.


Sorry those are not as specific as brush your teeth, I do feel they are important, took me 25 years just to start realizing the potential of these too.

 

[australianinvestor]

- Take care of your health. Get expert advice on eating right, being fit, see your doctor regularly, see your dentist regularly. I let business take my time and focus and have to have a root canal now.

- Budget, make your investment plan good and automate it so it's hard to fall off the wagon.

- Learn about investing, make constant adjustments to your plan

- Learn how to live life without money. Removing money exposes what is really important and what is not. You need surprisingly little to live.

- Love and nurture your family and friends. Success is nothing without the people you love sharing it with you.

- Be happy.

- If you dread what you have to do each day for too many days in a row, change. Do what you are passionate about, and it will never be "work".

- Enjoy life every day. Have some wine, take it slow, enjoy the sunset, enjoy a butterfly in your garden, play with your dog and notice how happy it is just being with you, take a drive with no destination, paint a picture, think about life, think about others and how you can make their day one that they'll remember for the rest of their lives (flowers won't cut it, but a nice surprise really tailored to them will. When you say "I have a surprise for you" he/she will immediately think you'll hand them something you bought. Knock their socks off and make them cry with joy because your surprise is a very special memory-in-the-making for them.

- Be nice. See through our sociocultural crap that makes us keep our distance from people in public. Smile at them, talk to them, help them if they need it. Don't be the sickening coward that stands by and watches as someone writhes in pain on the ground, Crouch down and help them. Take charge, direct clueless bystanders to do stuff like you're in command. Remove the thin veil between you and life.

- Do something valuable for your community. Don't just donate a few bucks that will get eaten by administration fees. Find a problem, build a team, develop a plan, fix the problem for good, get paid in smiles and hugs, and walk on sunshine for the rest of the month.

- Use your brain. Don't make feeble excuses to yourself about not being smart enough to figure something out / do something. Stand up to the challenge and punch it in the face. If it doesn't go down, punch it again. It may punch you, and if you go down, get up and go again. If it defeats you for good, you're still in a better place than those "cold and timid souls" (T. Roosevelt) that stand by, do nothing, and criticise you for losing.

- Question everything, including authority - especially socially-constructed rules.

- Tell people you love them now.

- Remember The Matrix? See if you can see through the illusion of life and uncover what's really happening. When talking to someone, listen to what they say, but also figure out what they really mean. Read between the lines. Everything you see/hear/experience can be analysed from a different level - meta-reality. It's the reality about reality. Two men arguing in the street over a minor car accident might not be that mad about the accident - each one could be mad that the other one cut them off (and disempowered them).

- Be self-reliant. Learn all skills you need for yourself, and you can help others. I did this with my car. I knew nothing, so I read my workshop manual cover to cover, and I can do almost anything on my car now - 6 months later. When you help others, show them how to do it, then get them to do it. You aren't perpetuating their dependence on others, but liberating them from it while helping them solve their own problem.

- Teach something to someone, then you learn some very subtle things about it you never could have otherwise.

- Goal planning. Learn how to do it and how to convert goals into results. I'm planning to write a book on my unique, successful goal-planning method. The first time I did it, I got my whole year's goals (14 major goals) completed in about 2 weeks. Is this something you'd be interested in? Yes, I'll be selling the book on Amazon and in stores if there's enough interest, but it'll probably only finance the free copies I want to give away to people who really need some hope (and results) in their lives.

- Read everything by Seth Godin.

- Read everything by Robert Kiyosaki.

- Learn critical thinking. Google/wikipedia has info. THIS IS A CRITICAL SKILL!!! It is the magic skill that makes your ability to see through life's illusions and diversions possible, and makes you 1000% smarter in the time you take to learn it (and it might only take you a week of an hour a day to get the basics). Five to seven hours for a really life-changing skill. WHAT AN R.O.I.!!! This is probably the single most valuable thing I got from my quarter of a million dollar business school education. Do it now.

- Develop tenacity.

- Quit strategically. Never live by the "never quit" mantra. Quit stuff you'll never be good at or that will never get you where you want to be.

- Spread your retirement over your lifetime. Take 3 months off out of every 6. Read The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris.

- Improve your English constantly, until you can write professionally, persuasively, and artistically, and you can speak with all kinds of people. This will have immeasurable results on your life.

- Learn about emotional intelligence and learn how to master your own emotions, as well as "reading" the emotions of others. Daniel Goleman has written stuff on this as have others, but he has a reputation in academia that is not that great (for technical reasons). If you develop your critical thinking skills like I mentioned above, you can read anything and decide for yourself if it's good/bad/bullshit.

- Learn about Maslow's hierarchy (it's like the food pyramid, but for human needs). Learn what self-actualisation is and what you need for your own self-actualisation. Hint: it ain't money, honey.

- Learn about ethics. I'm an atheist, and I've read many debates from religious people who think ethics/morals/values only come from their deity. McEwan's framework shows many different types of ethical viewpoints appropriate for different situations, which don't require religion (but they would apply to religious people as well). Learn about deontology (what is simply right or wrong by virtue of its nature) and teleology (the means justify the end). Don't rely on Hollywood ethics, which is just the deontological side of things (something is just right or wrong). Killing is viewed as deontologically wrong, but is telelogically right if it stops some other action which is worse (for example). That said, don't be sucked in by TV and movie morality. Critical thinking will help you here too - it acts like a filter for your brain and keeps the bullshit out.

- Learn to speak well. You can entertain an audience, sell a deal, console a grieving friend, captivate the person you just met who might be your soul mate, or negotiate with a hostage-taker.

- Be an adventurer. Do things that 9-5 lunch-pale Joes only think happen in the movies. I've done stuff I can hardly believe just by being bold, taking risks (not risky to me, since I plan for the risks, but risky to others). Try stuff. Do everything you can get your hands on. You'll look back on life and feel like you got every drop of juice out of it.

- Don't smoke, gamble (investing means control. gambling means chance), etc.

- Kill laziness. I sold my last company in December and I've become lazy. I'm trying to fight it. I sleep in, I procrastinate, etc. I HATE it. It wastes valuable youth. You are as young now as you will ever be.

- Don't lend money to relatives and friends. Help them solve the problem by themselves, using as much time as it takes, even if your time costs $1000 an hour. If you can't, and money is the only solution, give it to them as a gift. Don't make your relatives and friends your debtors. Make it clear to them that it's never to happen again (for their sake), and to ask you for advice before the problem becomes a real problem, so they don't get dependent on your money.

- Develop an appreciation for beauty. Beauty is really one of the major pleasures in my life. I love photography (and I'm pretty good, if I do say so myself), I'm learning to paint, I want to learn sculpture, I really appreciate feminine beauty (I don't just mean on a sexual level, but on more of a sensory and philosophical level, including inner and outer beauty), I love beautiful writing, I marvel at beauty in nature (flowers, birds, the human body, the ocean, science). It really gives me enjoyment to appreciate beauty, even where it usually doesn't seem to be.

- Develop compassion for others. Even if you can't solve their problem, you can change their perception of it and therefore the effect it has on them. If you see a guy destitute on the side of the street and you don't have your wallet/purse, say hello to him and remark on how nice a day it is. Give him a genuine smile. Maybe stay a while and chat. Your conversation might be the only meaningful conversation he's had in a month. Encourage him. Tell him his situation is temporary, and despite how it feels, he always has the power to improve it every single hour of every single day. This is more valuable than giving him a buck and trying to avoid the awkward feelings you have when you come face-to-face with the unpleasant downside of modern society.

- Teach your kids the above. All the points mentioned.

- Learn how to be happy in all situations.

- Read all of Tony Robbins' stuff.

- Strive to improve yourself every single day. It doesn't require time to be set aside in all cases - just monitor your thoughts, weed out pessimism, thoughts that won't do you any good, etc. Analyse something in your brain in your down-time (toilet, traffic, traffic lights, etc).



I'll try to write more later.

 

[TaxGuy]

So many good points in there, however the following were the ones that really jumped out at me considering the situation I'm in especially since I am now in a position where I need to get the most returns on life in the shortest period of time

- Take care of your health. Get expert advice on eating right, being fit, see your doctor regularly, see your dentist regularly

- Learn how to live life without money. Removing money exposes what is really important and what is not. You need surprisingly little to live.

- Love and nurture your family and friends. Success is nothing without the people you love sharing it with you.

- If you dread what you have to do each day for too many days in a row, change. Do what you are passionate about, and it will never be "work".

- Question everything, including authority - especially socially-constructed rules.

- Quit strategically. Never live by the "never quit" mantra. Quit stuff you'll never be good at or that will never get you where you want to be.

 

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[LondonLife]

I lived the last 12 years of my life reasonably frugally so spending too much money wasn't an issue. UP until 6 months ago I hadn't spent anything on luxury items. The only expensive thing I owned was my house.

For example my cars:
Old Rover 200 > 3 years without a car during my down patch where I was super poor because everything was tied up > 2nd hand VW Golf Gti > Aston Martin DB9

So I guess NOT spending that money has really set me up as I've spent the last 12 years investing everything I had until I finally had a pot of money I could relax with and afford the things we all want. If I'd spent it when I had it, I'd probably have nothing now.

However I would say the biggest, and greatest thing I ever did was hire a PA (Well, my 2nd PA anyway, as the first one only lasted 2 months and was crap to say the least). I was reluctant to do it for along time as it was a significant chunk of money when I could just 'do it myself'. I was in a position where I had a fledgling company, but most of my time was spent dealing with my investments in e-commerce. In hiring a PA she took control of most of the organising aspect of my investments so I could deal with my company on a near full time basis. As anyone who has read my success story will know, the sale of this company has since given me a huge return. If I'd never gotten my PA I'd have never been there to grow the company.

So my point is, if you have too much in the pipeline and spend your time doing diary management, high level research and organising meetings you have to come to the conclusion that your time is too valuable to do it. Getting someone to do it was easily the decision that changed my life the most.

 

[Cat Man Du]

Australian, This is a book in and of itself....read thru this twice and will again. I could walk in lock-step with you. +++++ Speed to you my brother.