Role models are great things to have in your life. They give you something to aspire to be like, traits to follow and inherit, and a clear path as to what you want your own life to look like. However, what our role model’s versions of success looks like may not be the same as what yours does. We each need to get to know ourselves, what our individual goals are, and conquer the things that are most important for ourselves. With the rise of gurus and social media influencers, there are so many methods out there to model after to become successful, so much so that it has become a problem. So many people dive deep down these rabbit holes in search for a better life without defining their own purpose for how going down this rabbit hole will fill that success void. Having a strong “why” will guide you toward the right path that aligns most closely with your goals and your version of success.
Dealing with shiny object syndrome
With the rise of internet gurus, there have never been more options for people to follow to learn skills on generating wealth and success in their own lives. What they don’t realize, and what many gurus fail to illustrate is how tumultuous that path really is and how much time and energy it really takes to be successful. As a result, even though that strategy might be viable, many people will fail to see it through because they run out of steam. They have fallen trap to the notion that whatever path it is they were following would produce much faster results, and in turn, they quit and move on to the next thing in the promise that this next thing will yield them better results in a shorter time frame. This is a cycle and tends to repeat itself time and time again. The best way to deal with this is to get clear on your personal “why”, your expectations for yourself, and what you are willing to go through in order to get there. This is how I found my vehicle to financial freedom, real estate, by aligning it with a strong personal “why”, and setting goals and expectations for what success looks like for me from the beginning.
Defining a strong “why”
A strong “why” is what gets you through the hardship and uncertainty that the road to success is layered in. It is the driving force behind your success and accomplishments. Having a powerful one can be the driving force that aligns you with your version of success clearly and thoroughly. Mine is as follows: “I need to build generational wealth for myself and my family so that I can buy back my time, retire my parents, spend time with my future wife and kids uninterrupted, and give back to the communities and causes I regard as important in my personal life.” This “why” gets me fired up and drives me through the hardest of hardships. It also allowed me to become really clear on the path I wanted to follow. Real estate was the clear choice for me. It is one of the best and oldest ways to build wealth in the world, let alone America, and it has been a safe and sound investment with numerous benefits and ways to make money since the inception of our great country. Through hours upon hours of research and a little bit of algorithmic luck from Google, I ran into a guru named Pace Morby who teaches his students how to buy low interest houses with little to no money out of their own pocket. This was my true entry point into investing in real estate fully. In 2023, I’ve bought over 40 units for my own personal portfolio with no cash out of my own pocket. This will produce me a monthly income for years to come, generate wealth with loan paydown and appreciation, and provide me with many tax benefits to keep the money I make. I also use real estate wholesaling as a way to generate a healthy 5 figure monthly income so I can scale my portfolio faster with my own cash infusions. My strong “why” has gotten me this far down my own path to success. Defining yours will help you do the same in your own life.
It is so crucial to avoid shiny object syndrome by defining your “why” in a way that attracts your individualized path of success to your own life. Everyone defines success differently. You don’t need to take over the world or mirror a specific influencer completely to be successful, you need to define your “why” and find a path that will lead you to realize it.