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Untamed_fast

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My name is Donovan and I'm 18

I read the millionaire fastlane by accident("Accident???"-Yes I know) when I was trying to read Millionaire 90 days by Ben Stewart(Much inferior book). Now I'm on the last 100 pages of Unscripted and I gotta say they are both great books.

I graduated High School a few months ago (barely an achievement) and do not intend on going to college yet. Currently my aspirations revolve around real estate and from what I know (not much) that doesn't require much formal education. If I do end up going to post secondary school, I'm looking at either marketing or business courses(or would marketing be part of business).

We'll see I'm still here in years to come and if I've successfully solved a need(still looking).

What were you up to at 18?
What do you wish you knew?
Biggest mistakes?

Let me know in the comments :)
 
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MTEE1985

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Get a job, save up some money and keep reading books. Don’t start buying shit you don’t need.

If you’re interested in real estate then read every book you can find on it. Try to work for a management company or even on a realtors team. Without making this too complex...you are correct that real estate does not require much formal education BUT it does require a PHD in real world experience so don’t think it’s easy. Start reading the real estate threads on the forum and you’ll see what I mean.

Oh, and enjoy being young, life goes by fast.
 

The Abundant Man

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At 18, I graduated from High School. Worked over the summer. Then did 1 year of Army ROTC before getting diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes which they said, "You're medically unqualified so you're out".
 

Argue

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Andrew J.

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Welcome Donovan!

You have a tremendous advantage to acquire so valuable knowledge at a so young age.

1) In my 18 the only thing that mattered was going out in bars and dating girls.

2) I wish I had read the millionaire Fastlane in your age! That there is a way to escape the Slowlane. And that I am responsible for everything in my life.

3) The biggest mistake I made was to set small goals for myself. If you set small goals you can only accomplish small things and the reality is that you can accomplish far more than you can imagine.
 

Untamed_fast

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3) The biggest mistake I made was to set small goals for myself. If you set small goals you can only accomplish small things and the reality is that you can accomplish far more than you can imagine.
Aiming for the stars, I am. What you're saying is true
 
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Untamed_fast

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At 18, I graduated from High School. Worked over the summer. Then did 1 year of Army ROTC before getting diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes which they said, "You're medically unqualified so you're out".
Even though you had diabetes the entire time and they didn't even notice... wouldn't it have been fair to except the same performance from you which I'm assuming was adequate since they hadn't kicked you out
 

Untamed_fast

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If you’re interested in real estate then read every book you can find on it. Try to work for a management company or even on a realtors team. Without making this too complex...you are correct that real estate does not require much formal education BUT it does require a PHD in real world experience so don’t think it’s easy. Start reading the real estate threads on the forum and you’ll see what I mean.
Never thought it was easy, (Cents). I downloaded my real estate first book yesterday morning "The straight path to real estate wealth". Plan to have it finished by September and will likely jump into another one immediately. thanks for bringing up the real world experience aspect as that is a weakness of mine (mostly cuz im 18)
 
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MTEE1985

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Never thought it was easy, (Cents). I downloaded my real estate first book yesterday morning "The straight path to real estate wealth". Plan to have it finished by September and will likely jump into another one immediately. thanks for bringing up the real world experience aspect as that is a weakness of mine (mostly cuz im 18)

Good for you, you’re already doing more than I did at 18. If that’s where you want to focus then find a job in it. That will help you find a need or problem that you can work on solving.
 

Zcott

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Welcome. :) Starting off at 18 is incredible. Do not let go of your ambitions or life will easily gobble you up and before you know it you will have 101 excuses not to do something.

save up some money ... Don’t start buying sh*t you don’t need.

This.

It is reasonable that you have some fun with money whilst you are young, but don't be stupid. Follow a savings plan. If you start now you will be grateful later on (saving is important, just do not make 40 years of saving and compound interest your path to being rich). Many people around my age of 25 are playing catch up because they did not start saving whilst young. If you do not do this, give it a couple of years, it will hit you hard.

I am a bit older than you and many people around my age complain they have no money, that everything is expensive... yet they constantly buy things they do not need. They get a car with 76 monthly repayments, a phone with 24 repayments, buy coffee every other day. Suddenly half their paycheck has gone. Yes, housing is expensive but some people do not help themselves.

Humans are creatures of habit. That is the reason why some people spend $25 on starbucks every week even though they can get coffee for free at work. Be aware of your spending habits.

Oh, and enjoy being young, life goes by fast.

This is something you won't really get until you're even a few years older than you are now... You do not realise it until that time has passed.


All the best!
 
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Untamed_fast

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It is reasonable that you have some fun with money whilst you are young, but don't be stupid. Follow a savings plan. If you start now you will be grateful later on (saving is important, just do not make 40 years of saving and compound interest your path to being rich). Many people around my age of 25 are playing catch up because they did not start saving whilst young. If you do not do this, give it a couple of years, it will hit you hard.
Maybe you know how i feel but sometimes saving money brings me as much pleasure as spending it. especially if its being saved for something in mind.
 

Zcott

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Maybe you know how i feel but sometimes saving money brings me as much pleasure as spending it. especially if its being saved for something in mind.

I know how that feels. I was travelling last year and I never stressed so much money as much as I did then. Now when I look in my account and see I have money saved it gives me pleasure (and relief).

Another thing I'd tell my 18 year old self is there is never going to be a right time, just do it now. If you wait for the right moment you will never do much of anything.
 

MTEE1985

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Here’s something I just read from Naval Ravikant that applies to you. He was asked by Tim Ferris what is a bad recommendation or advice he hears in his world and his answer was:

“You’re too young. Most of history was built by young people. They just got credit when they were older. The only way to truly learn something is by doing it. Yes, listen to guidance, but don’t wait.”
 
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The Abundant Man

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Even though you had diabetes the entire time and they didn't even notice... wouldn't it have been fair to except the same performance from you which I'm assuming was adequate since they hadn't kicked you out
I was asked to do a physical. During my physical they drew blood. The doc asked me, "Did you eat anything with sugar this morning because your blood sugar is too damn high." I'm like, "Well, I ate cereal and a bunch of pastries with some eggs and bacon." So I went to go get it checked out with my regular doctor. She told me," Yeah. You're Type 1 Diabetic." I'm thinking how can this be? I'm young and fit. Next thing you know I"m taking all these diabetes nutrition classes and pricking my finger 24/7.

I went into the ROTC Office and told them about it. The lady told me, "We'll let you finish the rest of the year." I got a scholarship and Congressional approval. I better. It was a really fun year though. PT at 5am. 12 mile Ruck Marches. Field Training Exercises during the Winter. Outside of the ROTC group, I hung out with the wrong crowd and partied too much. Since all my money relied on the scholarship, after the year I moved back in with my parents then we set off to South Korea.

But it's all good. It's been a major journey since then. Currently I'm living on my own. I have a wonderful beautiful girlfriend. I'm working a full time(45 hours) and another part time job(Only few hours out of the week). I'm in school for IT. I'm doing MMA(Early morning) and playing guitar in a band(On the weekends). I'm trying to set up an online marketing business(Late night) and a YouTube Channel(Early morning) at this moment so I can be free.

As long as my blood sugar is fine lack of sleep does not affect me.

Books like Rich Dad Poor Dad, Millionaire Fastlane , 4 Hour Week Work and Unscripted have really changed my relationship with time and money. Seriously guys, 52 books in 52 weeks challenge. All it takes is at least 30 minutes of your day to read and take notes. Read, take notes and take massive action on them.

I also bought a white board. I write down my vision, my goals and the habits that I do in order to reach those goals.(Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg is an amazing book) I always read it every night and every morning.

I want to travel. I want to start up a Diabetes Foundation.
 

Knugs

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What were you up to at 18?
What do you wish you knew?
Biggest mistakes?

You are in the beautiful position of having little to no responsibility. Soak up a lot of knowledge, learn the fundamental skills and experience as much life as possible.
This way, you don't need to look out for needs. Once you develop an eye, you will see them everywhere around you.
 
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Untamed_fast

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You are in the beautiful position of having little to no responsibility. Soak up a lot of knowledge, learn the fundamental skills and experience as much life as possible.
This way, you don't need to look out for needs. Once you develop an eye, you will see them everywhere around you.
Well I love in my own so my responsibilities aren't null however you're right I don't have a mortgage or anything. And when I do my tenants will be taking care of it for me
 

Untamed_fast

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Whats sup man! I'm 19, lots of young fastlaners here!
Well I'm not a fastlane yet. The closest thing to a business I've had is a direct sales commission job. Keep in touch man young guys gotta stick together
 

Niptuck MD

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if its real estate taht you are intersted in read every thread created by users like SteveO and MidwestLandlord
 
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Crexty

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Well I'm not a fastlane yet. The closest thing to a business I've had is a direct sales commission job. Keep in touch man young guys gotta stick together

Nice man! Even a sales job is ahead of the game at our age man!

PM me whenever man!
 

MJ DeMarco

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My name is Donovan and I'm 18, youngest here

Nope, youngest I've ever seen here was 13, and plenty of 16 year olds.

Welcome aboard and thanks for the introduction!
 

Rabby

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At 18 I set up a boutique manufacturing business, building my own equipment in my parents' back yard. To their horror and confusion, I might add. It had sporadic income, a laughable marketing model, and a very limited market. It was probably exactly what I needed, experience-wise :rofl:

If you want to get into real estate, there are groups called REIAs... real estate investor associations. They have locals everywhere, and similar offshoot organizations or meetups. Don't go to copy what the people are doing... plenty of them are making bad decisions, just like anywhere else you'll go. But you might want to go just to find out what they want, and what their problems are. Sure at some point you'll buy a house, wholesale a house, flip an office building, or convert a power plant into an apartment building with a Mad Max theme... but you may not have the financing figured out yet, right? So what do these real estate people need? If you can successfully sell them solutions to their problems, you'll be "making money in real estate." But, as an upstart business, not necessarily an investor just yet. Heck, get a few hundred of them subscribing to a service, and you might find out you're making it. But don't spend the money on crap. Buy freedom first, and use excess passive income for things you don't need.

Also, don't be discouraged if the first 10 things you do don't work, or if my and everyone's advice is/seems wrong. Experience happens as you try things. Think about why some things work and some don't. I wish I had heard of "passive income" when I was 18. I have it now, but I was at least 25 before I ever heard of such a thing. You're already ahead ;)
 
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