Reflections on 2008 – Looking ahead to 2009

Holy cow!  Can you believe that 2008 is almost over.  It seems like just yesterday, that I was writing down my goals for a year that is about to pas. We all know it was a crazy year economically and politically.  I could go on forever about the markets, the election, and the bailouts – but I’d rather leave all that to the pundits.

First and foremost, I’d like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, or Merry “Insert your Holy Holiday here.” From my little family to yours, we wish you peace and prosperity during this season, and in the New Year!

Let’s talk abut 2008 for just a bit….

I am incredibly thankful for your comments and suggestions.  And I hope that you are enjoying this blog as much as I am.  I plan to focus much more on blogging my experiences in 2009 – so stay tuned.

I’m also thankful for the mentoring and friendship I received from Steve Cook and Pete Giardini.  Without their ability to see things in me, that I sometimes don’t see, I would not be where I am today.

I’m thankful for all my Club mentoring students.  I have learned more from you all than you have learned from me.  We will continue to grow, learn and prosper together.

And to my lovely wife Tracy who has stood by my side and supported me even when my backbone stood like over-cooked spaghetti, I am thankful to truly be the luckiest husband and father in the world.  Without Tracy, I am nothing.  She knows when I need support, she knows when I’m lacking focus, she knows when to confidently guide me when I’m lacking confidence – and she knows how to kick me in the butt when it needs kicking.  We all need a Tracy in or lives.

Did 2008 bring you all you wished for?

Maybe 2008 wasn’t as good for you as you had hoped.  Look – truth be told, I struggled for the first half of the year.  It wasn’t until a lot of people smarter than me, (including my wife) recognized that my focus was about as scattered as thoughts of a crazy man.  I really was all over the board in terms of my business vision – and that in turn took a serious toll on my personal vision.

Folks – you cannot succeed in business until you first know what you want out of your personal life.  Write that down and take it to the bank.  Its so true.  Like rats in a maze, so many of us blindly run through life looking for a way to find the cheese only to find that we really don’t like cheese.  Make sense?  If not, we’ll talk more about this in the months to come.

So, I ask you – how was your focus in 2008?  And, if you didn’t get all out of the year that you had hoped for, was it because of a lack of focus?  Was it because you really don’t know what you truly want?  If so, you need to stop right now – and focus on you and what you want from your life.

My Goals for 2009.  This is Scary!

Its a proven fact that successful people write down their goals, AND more importantly, successful people surround themselves with others who hold them accountable.  So guess what, I’m about to do something that I thought I’d NEVER do.  I’m gonna pull back the curtain and let you all in on my goals for 2009.  And I’m asking you all to hold me accountable!

Here they are:

1.  Be in the best shape of my life physically, by the end of 2009.  I will lose 40 pounds by religiously going to the gym, and severely cutting back on my caloric intake.  That fat guy below will be gone by 12/31/09.  I cannot be the best father I can be if I’m too fat, too tired or too lazy to play with my kids.  This is a very personal goal that has been a life-long struggle – and I’m making the solemn commitment to all of you to commit to myself.

2.  I will become debt free.  And folks, let me tell you – this is a number that exceeds $220K, when I include mortgages.  Don’t let anyone fool you into thinking that there is “good” debt and “bad” debt.  Its all bad.  Face it – our debt rules us.  It tells us where we work, when we work, how much time we spend on vacation, where we live…etc.  Think about it.  Its true.   I want to be 100% debt free by December 31st, 2009.  How dramatically would your life change if you had no debt?

3.  I will continue to be the best husband and father I can be.  For my wife’s undying support, I will strive to make her life easier and happier.  My children will have a father first, and a Dad who loves real estate second.  Time spent with them will be exactly that; no laptop, no cell-phone – just pure undivided attention.

4.  I will be the very best teacher I can be.  My students will work hard and they will understand that there is no free-lunch, but I will reward them with even better mentoring, and support.

5.  My business will grow exponentially as a result of focusing ONLY on wholesaling, mentoring, and rehabbing.

All The Best!

I sincerely wish you all the very best in 2009.  Please chime in with your thoughts and comments – and look for some crazy, amazing updates in the coming weeks.  My student; Prencella “PJ” Hall just started on an $80,000 rehab in Park Circle and I just started on a small “6-weeker” that should be INCREDIBLE when complete.

I’m always looking for good deals so if you come across anything you don’t want, or if you’re looking for a partner, please call me first.  I have the ability to get things done quicker than most.

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