Pam is Founder and CEO of TPK Properties LLC, a property investment and consulting firm focused on investor capital preservation and growth.
Years ago, I decided to leave the corporate world. I hung up my hat as an aerospace engineer and tried my hand as an emerging commercial real estate investor. At the time, I knew nothing about multi-family investing (aka apartment investing). I realized that while I had been considered an expert in my field for many years, I was in a place in time where I needed to retire from the seasoned expert role and embrace being a beginner.
My goal at the time was simple: I wanted to work to live, not live to work. In the corporate world, it can be a rat race that ends in mental, physical and emotional exhaustion every single day—for years on end. The side effects usually end up being lack of sleep, poor nutrition, compounding health issues and strained personal relationships.
At the time, I was a young entrepreneur, and I wanted to show myself and my loved ones that there was a smarter way to work that would allow me to be more present for them while enjoying activities we loved. However, this meant that I would need to be OK with starting at the beginning. This can be a beautiful thing.
When we are in our youth, we tend to approach new things with wonder. We find a sense of empowerment in embarking on a path less traveled and we find ourselves in awe during the twists and turns of our adventures. As we grow, we often lose that. Life can have a way of discouraging us from embracing what is new for the familiarity of what is known. That can keep us trapped in dead-end jobs and lifetime ruts that see limited joy and growth.
As I sat at the beginner’s table, learning the nuances of multi-family investing, it dawned on me: The successful investors who were coaching and mentoring me were once beginners too.
Now seasoned and excelling in their endeavors, the reality is that it didn’t happen by luck. It didn’t happen by chance or circumstance. They each were able to build passive income to become job optional because they weren’t afraid to be a beginner. Their “luck” was really that they were able to have the foresight to envision the path forward—a path that would allow them to live their best life now and not in retirement.
Here are three steps you can take to channel your “beginner’s luck” so you can ditch your 9-5 and become job optional.
1. Reframe your idea of what it looks like to be a beginner. Instead of looking at the role as one that will make you feel inferior, consider how empowering it will feel to be working towards the future of your dreams. Learn to embody the “student of life” mentality where you are always learning and growing.
2. Outline your vision for your future path. I mean that literally. In detail, outline things like how much income you want to earn each month, what your lifestyle preferences are, and determine with clarity how much time you want to actually “work” each week. The clearer your vision, the more accurate you can be in designing your path forward personally and professionally.
3. Break up with fear. Fear is often the result of negative self-talk and wildly disproportionate beliefs. It’s a response that is meant to keep us safe, but it’s also one that often holds us back unnecessarily. While no one likes break-ups, this break-up could be the one that unlocks your path forward.
I’m now at a stage in my career where, yes, I am once again a seasoned pro, but I now know the value of being willing to be a beginner again. I recognize the power of possibility that comes with being one of the least experienced in the room and the one who is willing to sharpen their skill set with intention.
Resolve to remain constant in your growth, and that is where beginner’s luck is found—in the process of constantly moving forward with humility and integrity.
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