Why the hard way is more rewarding?

[Andrew L]

With a very trying 12 months coming to a close, i was reflecting last night on what it takes for me to want to continue doing this journey and why I want to achieve my goals so bad its OK to feel some pain along the way!

Its funny to look back on 2009 - I ticked quite a few box's and if not for some nasty situations flaring there heads it would have been a very successful year. I feel I actually learned more through the processes I've gone through than if everything worked the first time. My wife said at the start of this that i need to be careful what i wish for. Oh how true that statement was!!!!

My big ahhhhaaaaaaah for 2009 is that although inexperienced in this big world of PI, I allowed myself to think that because a person has 'X' they are better than I am, Or they know more than I do. I didn't push for understanding or clarity on the questions that we're running around my head and I didn't push the people I was paying to do things for me. Basically i didn't question others advice enough to put my mind at ease, I just assumed that they new the best way and as it turns out thats not always the case. Some are lazy and go the easy road................ now i know more than them? Its always a great feeling of empowerment when something I've gleamed of SS is offered as a sugestion to these "others" and there jaw hits the floor that "someone like me" could offer that solution or even know it exists...... lol

Solicitors, brokers, accountants and friends all in the same boat. Its not until now that I've been through some tricky situations and built up a thinker skin and confidence to match, have I begun taking peoples advice with a grain of salt as mum would say. Looking at peoples opinions and evaluating it for what it is, As opposed to in the passed presuming firstly that the advice is right and they are offering the advice for the right reasons and have my best interests at heart.

If it was not for the support of many of the loyal members of this forum this period of my life could have ended very differently so to those people I thank you whole heartedly. If there's a chrissy drinks party for SS members I'll owe a few drinks for sure. All of these people have offered advice with nothing in return. Most of it from there own previous experiences and solutions that helped them succeed.

So to the thread title " Why the hard way is more rewarding" i don't plan on ****ing everything up but I have a much greater self appreciation from getting through this year, I also feel alot stronger and wiser for the experience.
Bring on 2010 there some deals to be done for sure for sure ( pretend thats in a fine scottish accent it adds to the sentiment)

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Player]

Stronger, Wiser, Better

Good on you Andrew, thanks for sharing your stepping stones and learnings.

Concur that no one else is better than us and nor we better than they. In this game I also agree one needs a thick skin..........and I shall also add a soft heart. In life, as in the investing arena, so many of us have it the other way round. Thin skin (easily offended) and a hard heart (incapable of forgiveness especially of our own mistakes/failures/learnings), leavng people inflexible.

With the pain (that you described you felt along the way) you have grown. Jim Rohn summarises it well with just three words.

Stronger Wiser Better.............not better than anyone else, but better than we used to be.

I don't know that there is truly an easy way. Each one of us has different goals, aspirations and criteria for how we invest and what we invest in. The process chunked down into small manageable steps is simple, but not easy. Easy implies lazy and usually the easy way (even if it does payoff once or twice in the short term) usually leaves folks stuck on the comfy couch and restricted from moving forward when things get tough, as they can, from time to time.

* Edit* Generally for those who are only willing to do what's easy, life is hard. However if they are willing to that which is hard, life (generally) becomes easy.

All the best to you in 2010 and your future journey as you both succeed and fail forward

Thanks for sharing

 

[josko]

Its funny to look back on 2009 - I ticked quite a few box's and if not for some nasty situations flaring there heads it would have been a very successful year. I feel I actually learned more through the processes I've gone through than if everything worked the first time. My wife said at the start of this that i need to be careful what i wish for. Oh how true that statement was!!!!

Good on you Andrew,

Experience and actions speak louder than words.

You really can't beat a good "battering" to understand what life is really all about and put things into perspective. The lessons we learn the hard way are often the best ones.

You sound so positive and it's great! There are so many great opportunities in store for those of us with our eyes wide open.

Regards JO

 

[Rolf Latham]

Perspective as has already been said.

Always 2 ways you can look at something and taking your view is more valuable than making a buck, for often we learn more when we FAIL and take a leap forward rather than 'succeeding" incrementally.

A basic that I learnt from one of my biz mentors is that everything you ever truly/ really wanted is ALWAYS outside of your comfort zone.

ta
rolf

 

[DanielG]

Whenever you get involved in something you don't understand fully, anticipate mistakes. Nothing teaches you faster than getting burnt hard.

The way I see it, all people who are successful are so because they fell, got up and tried again with a wiser perspective. The trick is not to let it keep you down, because then you really have lost.

 

[Perp]

My big ahhhhaaaaaaah for 2009 is that although inexperienced in this big world of PI, I allowed myself to think that because a person has 'X' they are better than I am, Or they know more than I do.

Sometimes I ask myself "Why do you think you can pull this off?" And then I remind myself that "Person X pulled it off, (s)he isn't smarter or more knowledgeable than you are!" (Of if they are, I can ask them for help. )

Bring on 2010 there some deals to be done for sure for sure ( pretend thats in a fine scottish accent it adds to the sentiment)

I think you mean Irish.

A basic that I learnt from one of my biz mentors is that everything you ever truly/ really wanted is ALWAYS outside of your comfort zone.

Never heard it put quite that way, Rolf; thanks for sharing.

 

[Nathan]

Hey Mate,

They hard yards build charachter and make us stronger.

Nath.

 

[Casserole Dish]

Its so true that anything REALLY worth doing is REALLY hard (especially when learning). If it's coming too easy to begin with, you aren't doing it right I reckon.

A short list of life changing challenges...

1. All aspects of having kids and parenting
2. Getting into investments
3. Job training ie. nursing
4. Driving a car
5. Knitting only kidding

I agree that it's so comforting to know the SS forum is sort of 'holding our hand' through the journey. Thankgoodness for the internet.

Here's to 2010!

 

[Piston Broke]

"Nobody gives it to you for nothing!"

My big ahhhhaaaaaaah for 2009 is that although inexperienced in this big world of PI, I allowed myself to think that because a person has 'X' they are better than I am, Or they know more than I do. I didn't push for understanding or clarity on the questions that we're running around my head and I didn't push the people I was paying to do things for me.
Basically i didn't question others advice enough to put my mind at ease, I just assumed that they new the best way and as it turns out thats not always the case.

Welcome to my world! As EA sports games keep saying: Challenge Everything!
And don"t forget that many of those may appear to have more than you, or use fancy words to give that impression, but they dont actually do.
And many that do have it because they give advice to others and not themselves.

Solicitors, brokers, accountants and friends all in the same boat. Its not until now that I've been through some tricky situations and built up a thinker skin and confidence to match, have I begun taking peoples advice with a grain of salt as mum would say. Looking at peoples opinions and evaluating it for what it is, As opposed to in the passed presuming firstly that the advice is right and they are offering the advice for the right reasons and have my best interests at heart.

Ahhh, now we're on the same page, but careful with that confidence thing as you might end up like me lol

If it was not for the support of many of the loyal members of this forum this period of my life could have ended very differently so to those people I thank you whole heartedly.
All of these people have offered advice with nothing in return. Most of it from there own previous experiences and solutions that helped them succeed.

Amazing that those who have nothing to sell could possibly know more than the "arm chair" experts and gurus who know all the "secrets" and charging thousands innit?
What we really learn is which questions to ask, which generally they don't like to answer.
I'm sure you'll work it all out for the best.

 

[quoll]

The trick is not to let it keep you down, because then you really have lost.

Agree, I've seen a few that stuff up big and then just go and hide in the shed for a few years, takes them a long time to come out and try anything again.

You really need to just get back into it straight away and learn from your mistakes. It really sux making big mistakes. Good bye $500k.

Cheers
Graeme

 

[BayView]

With a very trying 12 months coming to a close, i was reflecting last night on what it takes for me to want to continue doing this journey and why I want to achieve my goals so bad its OK to feel some pain along the way!

Its funny to look back on 2009 - I ticked quite a few box's and if not for some nasty situations flaring there heads it would have been a very successful year. I feel I actually learned more through the processes I've gone through than if everything worked the first time. My wife said at the start of this that i need to be careful what i wish for. Oh how true that statement was!!!!

My big ahhhhaaaaaaah for 2009 is that although inexperienced in this big world of PI, I allowed myself to think that because a person has 'X' they are better than I am, Or they know more than I do. I didn't push for understanding or clarity on the questions that we're running around my head and I didn't push the people I was paying to do things for me. Basically i didn't question others advice enough to put my mind at ease, I just assumed that they new the best way and as it turns out thats not always the case. Some are lazy and go the easy road................ now i know more than them? Its always a great feeling of empowerment when something I've gleamed of SS is offered as a sugestion to these "others" and there jaw hits the floor that "someone like me" could offer that solution or even know it exists...... lol

Solicitors, brokers, accountants and friends all in the same boat. Its not until now that I've been through some tricky situations and built up a thinker skin and confidence to match, have I begun taking peoples advice with a grain of salt as mum would say. Looking at peoples opinions and evaluating it for what it is, As opposed to in the passed presuming firstly that the advice is right and they are offering the advice for the right reasons and have my best interests at heart.

If it was not for the support of many of the loyal members of this forum this period of my life could have ended very differently so to those people I thank you whole heartedly. If there's a chrissy drinks party for SS members I'll owe a few drinks for sure. All of these people have offered advice with nothing in return. Most of it from there own previous experiences and solutions that helped them succeed.

So to the thread title " Why the hard way is more rewarding" i don't plan on ****ing everything up but I have a much greater self appreciation from getting through this year, I also feel alot stronger and wiser for the experience.
Bring on 2010 there some deals to be done for sure for sure ( pretend thats in a fine scottish accent it adds to the sentiment)

Cheers
Andrew

Och, wee the noo!

For what it's worth Andrew, and we are by no means high fliers in this caper... a good number of our investing years since we (consciously) began back in 2000 have been bloody hard work and sacrifice.

Not physically, even though the renos I've done have been that - but emotionally and financially.

Happily, we have never given in, and always looked at the big picture, and now the rewards are kicking in.

I reckon you need to look at all this as a 10 year project; the first 5 being probably the hardest - unless you are extremely fortunate to be a high income earner who can buy something and still have a few bob left over to live a decent lifestyle even worth a few neg geared IP's under your belt.

Most people aren't this, and have to tough it out.

Good luck to you and keep the chin up Lad.

 

[cu@thetop]

With a very trying 12 months coming to a close, i was reflecting last night on what it takes for me to want to continue doing this journey and why I want to achieve my goals so bad its OK to feel some pain along the way!

Its funny to look back on 2009 - I ticked quite a few box's and if not for some nasty situations flaring there heads it would have been a very successful year.

Lets not write the year off yet- still two months to go. The fortunes of war (as Julius Caeser would say) are fickle.

Had a potential massive loss (big time for me anyway) rear its head 3 weeks ago - 60k plus- did a bit of fancy footwork and made good in reducing it to nil. My situation is now completely different now than it was 3 weeks ago - so you never know what is around the corner.

I like the learning part of setbacks- so the year , like yours wasn't all bad- and after all you survuved it so that is a victory in itself

 

[bespoke]

I read Andrew L thread about his development nightmare with the builder when it was all happening and never found out what happened.

What happened? Did it all turn out OK?

 

[House_Keeper]

One of my favourite quotes from Jim Rohn:
"Don't wish it was easier, Wish you were better"

Cheers,

 

[Andrew L]

I read Andrew L thread about his development nightmare with the builder when it was all happening and never found out what happened.

What happened? Did it all turn out OK?

Ahhhhh yes and no - lost the court case or settled lets call it. I have a judgement against me for the debt that was in dispute. So that's not great. But not as bad as bankruptcy. We still own the site and its neutral at the moment and CG was more than I earned last year

The plus's are its slowed me down and I'd even say been a blessing in disguise as I was doing anything and everything to get the duplex built. To be honest its been the lesser of two evils as I don't think the deal was right at the time although numbers wise it was to return 130% of my money and 27% of costs but with interest rates and my personal situation amongst other things if I had built it I think it may have gone pear shaped and bankruptcy would have been the only way out.

The process looking back on it now was being forced to work no matter what, not a great way to make the best decisions.

As per my epiphany thread in the "Meeting Forum" this circus called my life of the last 12-18 months has really helped settle me and given me patience not due to me till I'm much older ( 32 now).