Today, 8th December 2005 at 7am I walked away from my job a free man. No more shackles from the day to day grind of conforming to the will of society. I’ve replaced my income thanks to Jamie McIntyre (thanks Jamie) and the road is no longer rocky. My life has turned for the better. Big Time.
My new title: Full Time Investor & Life Coach
I can now do what I love to do. Invest during the day and help other achieve the same.
Look up the word Happy in a dictionary and you’ll see a picture of me.
Actually, you’ll probably find my photo next to “ecstatic”, “excited” & “over the moon” as well.
Nearly 2 years ago, when I did the 21st Century Academy Homestudy Program (the same month as Bill Stacy did his), I set a 2 year retirement target. Retire to do what I want to do, not what I have to do. There’s a big difference. I have been getting up in the morning and going to work because I had to.
Now I’ll be getting up and doing what I want to. Big difference.
My target has been achieved 5 weeks ahead of the deadline, January 15, 2006.
Meanwhile, I’m living my dreams. I’m in the Next Level. I’ve stepped up to the plate and I’m ready! Bring on life. It’s beautiful!
I’ve met some fantastic people over the last 21 months. Jamie McIntyre, Andrew Dimitri, Bill Stacy from Planet Wealth (mate, do you inspire me), Nik Halik, Adam Thomas & John Chapman from Investor Finance, Ian Daley, Roger (my graduate mate from Brissie), 150+ Graduates that joined 21st Century Academy with me in the last 18 months, numerous speakers at seminars and literally hundreds of new people I’ve met through Jamie's Program.
Has this been a fortune cookie of life, or what? Small things make big changes. I nearly didn’t see Jamie’s add in the paper that day in December 2003. I sent away for his free VHS and the rest is history.
Look up the word Happy in a dictionary and you’ll also see a picture of my wife, Cherie.
When she broke the board at the seminar in Fiji, I knew there and then. This is it. We are in the Next Level. Financial freedom is only a matter of time in my own mind. Success is approaching fast in the shape of happiness, freedom, gratitude, love, security, and financial rewards.
I am actively supporting charities. People want to know what I’m doing and want a piece of it. Life is looking pretty great right now, to say the least.
I’m really excited and there are a thousand things I want to do. Now I will be doing so with balance. For nearly 18 months, I have been working in a day job (10 hour days, 13 day fortnights), investing on the stock market, helping people get started with Jamie McIntyre's Program and pretty much been up to 11-12pm every night with few exceptions. Most mornings, I’ve got up at 4.30am to walk the dog and be at work on a construction site for a 6am start. 45 degree heat in summer, working in the sun in North West WA. I was nearly crippled or possibly killed by a near miss 6 weeks ago when a 6.75kg scaffold tube was dropped 12meters to the ground, landing within 6 inches of my right shoulder.
In all this time, I’ve watched about 6 movies, read no newspapers, watched maybe 1 hour of news and been 100% committed to the task. I only had $20,000 to start investing with and had no stock market knowledge worth mentioning 2 years ago.
Then I went to Fiji with my wife and 2 boys. That took me to the next level.
Now, I am planning balance in my life. This means evenings off. Lots of time with my family is not only on the cards but happening from today onwards. I’m scheduled to take my family to New Zealand in July 2006 and Hawaii in November 2006, followed by a few more destinations in 2007.
My next Big Holiday will be 4 weeks in France with my family. Don't know when, but it will have to be soon. The world is too big to be sitting around, waiting for things to happen.
I’d like to share parts of my goal list I wrote out during a Jamie McIntyre Homestudy session in January 2004:
• Retire to full time investor by January 15, 2006 - achieved
• Financial protection by 5 May 2005 - achieved
• Financial security by 5 May 2006 - on track
• Financial independence by 5 May 2007
• Financial freedom by 5 May 2008
• Absolute financial freedom by 5 May 2010
• Take my sons to all 7 continents by their 20th birthday – on track
• Travel to one major world destination every year – on track
• Donate 10% of profits to charity – ongoing and being honoured
• Establish my own charity for educating children by 2016
There are many more. Some were achieved a lot easier than I thought. Others were possibly a bit ambitious but still workable. The main thing is this: If I hadn’t written these goals down, I would have lost track and got off target. Today, I would still be at work and heading on a path towards retirement at the age of 65.
My inspiration source is massive. I will be sharing as much of my learning with as many people as I can. Anyone who wants to be a part of this, email me urgently. I’m building a team of 10 people to help me share this with many more people and help them do the same as me and many other 21st Century Academy Graduates. Who doesn’t want to be a Bill Stacy, right now? ( Bill, you’re a legend)
While I was writing this post, I jumped on the phone and joined up as an ongoing monthly sponsor of Greenpeace to add to my list of charities. When I nominated the amount, the response was hugely rewarding! Look. I’m taking action! I’ve been an onlooker for too long. Now I’m taking action.
One piece of advice I can give from all this: Write down your dreams, Take Action and do it! It’s all in your mind.
I’ll see you in the next level. Join me there.
