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Posted almost 10 years ago

Burning your ship.

In Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill told the story about the burning ships.

"He was about to send his armies against a
powerful foe, whose men outnumbered his
own. He loaded his soldiers into boats, sailed
to the enemy’s country, unloaded soldiers
and equipment, then gave the order to burn
the ships that had carried them. Addressing
the men before the first battle, he said, “You
see the boats going up in smoke. That means
that we cannot leave these shores unless we
win! We now have no choice—we win—or we
perish!”

THEY WON!

The idea behind this concept is die hard dedication. No safety net, no parachute, just raw determination and the will to succeed. At first read, this idea will scare most, if not all would be investors. To me it is almost necessary for mental focus. A few months ago I decided to leave Orange County, CA and my two jobs. As a full time Wrestling and Jiu Jitsu Coach and a bartender the cash flow was good, but I knew that it wouldn't last forever. I loved the idea of constant cash flow, but really knew nothing about how to attain the golden egg. I decided to "burn my ship." I packed my bags, quit my jobs, and moved to Tempe, AZ. Here the living cost is at least half of what it was in CA. I had managed to save some money in order to fully dedicate myself to Real Estate Investing. I got an internship position for a local investment company and enrolled in ASREB (Arizona School of Real Estate and Business). Over the course of a few months, with the help of my mentor, the ASREB, and of course BiggerPockets.com, I completed my Real Estate Licensing course, passed my test, and I am ready to pull the trigger on my first deal. I have developed a well thought out plan and am ready for the obstacles I will inevitably face. I will share more about the deal later this week and I invite all BiggerPockets members to share their advice, stories, and lend any and all support possible.


Comments (2)

  1. Great story, just please don't quit training. Having a way to leave my stress on the mats makes me a better investor, father, husband, and employee. Keep us posted!


    1. Thank you for the response and the advice Levi.