The path to financial freedom is not the one of least resistance. In order to reach that goal and beyond, you must have patience with the process, and trust in its ability to ultimately reach that goal. Going through growing pains and experiencing a lot of failure and turmoil is just par for the course. Having the patience and foresight to choose the right people to surround yourself with and see your goals through to achievement is the lynchpin for success.
New problems
In my game of real estate, we get paid by solving problems. This is the same for almost anyone who reaches the level of financial freedom. They do so by learning to solve problems. In the beginning, every problem you will face will be new to you. Each problem will have its own unique twist to it that you’ll have to solve which keeps things interesting. In real estate, no two deals are the same. The game is about dealing with individual personalities, and all sorts of circumstances. Problems will have some sort of recognizable patterns, and while they all will differ in some way, you will be able to draw on previous experience to better solve new problems. This process will take time and experience. You must have the patience to persist through the issues that arise, learn to recognize patterns, and add tools to your toolbelt along the way to better help you move forward. When you put in the time and effort to gain experience, you can inherently add more tools to your toolbelt.
Growing pains
A big part of patience is about going through growing pains. Throughout your journey to financial freedom, you will have times where the stress might feel overwhelming. You may feel that you’ve hit a dead end with no way out. However, the truth is, there is always a solution for problems experienced by growing pains. That’s part of the process! It took me over a year and a half of being involved in real estate to buy my first rental. For over 6 months of that year and a half, that was all I was trying to do! I knew that the key to financial freedom for me was real estate and cash flow, so I understood that getting through the pain associated with this process would be crucial to my future success. Having gone through the process of purchasing a property many times at this point, the act of doing so has become rather simple and easy. Through my growing pains and patience, I was able to perfect my craft and build the right network around me to be able to scale to at least the point where I’m currently buying 1-3 properties a month. I am still going through the process of growing pains, especially as far as how to manage the properties I own, but through my trials and tribulations, I was able to get the first part of the equation down to a science. These things take time, energy, patience, and persistence. The process is never ending, and those who have continued success over time are always looking for new ways to improve and grow.
The process is constantly improving
In order to be the best and at the cutting edge, you’ll need to be continuously hungry for new information and ways to improve your process. Scale is possible with innovation, and there is no limit to how much you can scale if you choose to do so. Some people reach a certain point of scale where they feel comfortable enough to take a back seat, and there is nothing wrong with that. It’s all about preference and goals. For those who want to push their limits even further, they’ll continuously need to subject themselves to adversity and change. The process remains ongoing for those who are looking to continue to scale, and remaining at the cutting edge takes grit, persistence, and determination. Scale means stress, and stress can be exhausting, but if legacy is something you want to create and leave behind for your family, it is something you’ll need to deal with and persevere through along the way. Whether you’re at the beginning of your journey or you’re already established and looking to scale, you must have patience and trust in the process that your ability to solve whatever problems you face will persevere.