Category: Mindset

As I approach my 27th birthday tomorrow morning (7/3/19), I am thinking more and more about my goals, where I am in life, and where I want to be 1/2/3/4/5 years down the road.

Here is an incredible quote I read the other day in ‘Miracle Morning’ authored by Hal Elrod.

“Your level of success, will rarely exceed your level of personal development, because success is something you attract by the person you become.”

Read that one more time: “Your level of success, will rarely exceed your level of personal development, because success is something you attract by the person you become.”

Profound and powerful statement.

Earlier this morning I had a very calming walk in a natural preserve area. Most people living in Florida in the summer wouldn’t consider a walk outside in 95 degree humid weather to be calming, but I have decided to think of it much differently. In life, you have two options, you can look at the glass as half full or you can look at the glass as half empty.

What 95 degree weather allowed me to do?

Well one, it allows me to be outdoors walking a natural preserve area with little to no distractions from others. Going outdoors to walk in a natural preserve area when it feels like 105 degrees outside is probably not the most appealing thing to do for most individuals. Good, more calm and peace for me. Secondly, it allowed me to be outdoors and meditate while listening to the birds, frogs, insects and wind blowing. All sounds around me were unobstructed by any cars, planes, or distractions from my cell phone. I turned off my phone, brought a book with me and a pen to write down thoughts and ideas.

15 minutes into walking the trail, this is where I ended up stopping!

What an incredible spot. Calming. Relaxing. Peaceful. Zero distractions.

How To Shift Your Mindset?

In this life you live, there are two options you have. You have the option of having an fixed mindset or a growth mindset. There are many books that explain this in great detail, but this is what it means to me.

Fixed Mindset: A fixed mindset, to me, means thinking things are the way they are and they can’t be changed. You have no impact on whether or not good things or bad things happen to you. You are merely along for the journey and can’t control the outcome. Hopefully good things happen to you, and if they don’t you will blame things outside of your control

Growth Mindset: A growth mindset, to me, means you live in a world of abundance. Not thinking there are limitations to your potential. Not thinking there are limitations to your personal development. Not thinking there are limitations to the relationships you can develop. Not thinking there are limitations to the amount of money you can make. Not thinking there are limitation to the amount of people you can have an impact on.

What I Promise Myself For The Rest Of My Life?

In the past, I will admit, I have lived with a Fixed Mindset. I think the main reasons are from how my parents brought me up and how their mindset is. They both have fixed mindsets and instilled that in me from a young age. Don’t take risks they would tell me. Don’t invest your money in things that are calculated risks. Go to school to get a stable job with a company that is well known. Trade your time directly for money and don’t have your money work for you.

Moving forward, I promise to shift from a Fixed Mindset to a Growth Mindset. I promise to think in terms of abundance and not scarcity. I promise to continue developing myself both personally and professionally. I promise to develop my mindset. I promise to give back to others. I promise to have a positive mindset and outlook on life. I promise to smile more. I promise to build stronger and more meaningful relationships.

Key Takeaways:

• Be one with your thoughts. Take time to walk outdoors completely disconnected from technology and others. Be one with your thoughts.
• Understand the difference between a Fixed Mindset and a Growth Mindset. Think abundance, think positive outcomes, think you can have an impact on the things that happen to you
• One last time 🙂 “Your level of success, will rarely exceed your level of personal development, because success is something you attract by the person you become.”

Why, you might ask? If I make millions of dollars I am going to be super duper rich! Bahaha What a load of crap. Why? Well, pretty simple really. I can make $1,000,000 per year, but if I spend all of it, am I really wealthy? I may look wealthy to the people I am trying to impress, but if I don’t own anything putting money back into my pocket each and every month, am I really wealthy? Introducing the crazy concept of lifestyle creep. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

As my career has continued to progress, this has been the single most difficult thing for me to be aware of. In the consumerism culture we live in, it is so simple to buy the newest gadget, buy a new car, or spend more money going out to eat and drink every weekend.

Let me ask you a tough question for you to be very self critical of. When you received your last raise or bonus, what did you do with the additional money?

The answer for most is probably spend it on some flashy thing. You might argue, well I earned it so I am going to spend it. Calm down, calm down young grasshopper. Yes, you did earn it. But what are you trying to accomplish here? Are you trying to stay living in the rat race and immediately spend every dime you make? Or, are you trying to be intentional with your money and spending?

Be aware of lifestyle creep. What is lifestyle creep?

In simplest definition, lifestyle creep is continuing to spend more and more money as your income increases. If you get a 10% raise, you would immediately begin spending 10% more on items you don’t need. A new car, a bigger home, nicer dining, more alcohol, etc. You get the point hopefully!

Whenever I begin speaking to people about money and about being intentional with how I spend and invest, the question typically comes up, well how much do you make? The point isn’t about how much you make, but rather how much you save to invest. I also ask them in return, how many 26 year old individuals do you know making six figures driving a 2008 car with 118,000 miles on it? If I were to guess, a very small number. Yes, I could go buy any car I want to right now with cash, but my goal isn’t to look wealthy, but rather be wealthy. There is a difference!

Save where it makes sense for you! Spend where it makes sense for you!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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“The object of life is not to be on the side of the masses, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.” – Marcus Aurelius

Are you currently following down the path of the masses? Living what marketers are selling as the American dream? To me this would be something along the lines of:

• Graduating college with student loan debt
• Getting a safe job with a respected company
• Living a lavish lifestyle always needing to have the latest and greatest gadgets
• Spending thousands of dollars on that perfect engagement ring
• Purchasing a home you can hardly afford because you feel you deserve it
• Buying the brand new car to take on a car payment you didn’t need
• Getting that promotion at work and immediately having lifestyle creep
• Watching Dancing With the Stars every week (Bigger Pockets Beardy Brandon’s favorite go to!)
• Going out and spending way too much money on alcohol that isn’t good for your body

All too often we drift down the path of the masses because, well, it is easy. Doing what others do does not require intentional thought. Let’s be honest with ourselves, when we get home from our day job the last thing we want to do is think. It is much easier to spend all your cognitive stamina at a job and then come home to lay down on the couch and turn the TV on. This is the path of the masses in the current day and age of technology.

What if you took one step off the path of the masses each and every day? What if you challenged yourself to do one thing that made you uncomfortable each week? What if you started listening to audio books or podcasts on your commute to work?

Straying away from the masses is not something easy to do. You must be intentional with your time, thoughts, and energy. Are you willing to put in the time and effort to set yourself and/or family up for the rest of your life? If you want to change your life (for whatever reason), start with paving a path less traveled.

Key Takeaways:

• Don’t drift down the path of the masses because it is easy
• Challenge yourself to do one thing a week that makes you uncomfortable
• Listen to audio books and/or podcasts on your commute to work

Enjoying the content? Best way to keep up to date or reach out to me is through Instagram. IG @TheYoungRetireeBy33.