What Motivates You To Be An Investor?

Question

Hey all! I have been a lurker for quite some time have personal question.

My question is simple - what motivates you? Why do you do the investing thing, and how do you push through the really cruddy seasons of it?

I ask this because I am in a rut and just don't care much about anything - but I know I should. I used to love building and improving most anything - and I would always excel at whatever I set my mind to. I am truly curious about what drives people, because I am attempting to shift myself into a better mindset.

Ola Dantis · Answer

@Tim Swedberg These are like my favourite questions ever!

What motivates you?

LEGACY | Life past my grave! Ensuring my time here on earth is well spent and maximise my potential every single day. Just imagine BiggerPockets for a second, @Joshua Dorkin had an idea and now 1.5M people use and benefits from it every single. No matter that is legacy!

HAVING CONTROL OF ONE'S DESTINY | We all hear about someone losing their job or being laid off and we feel sorry for them. Investing in Real Estate gives you the ability to at least have "some" control over your life. Yes, if there is a recession then that might affect you a little bit. However, for the most part, you know that you are covered and ready to pass the baton to your children and grandchildren or charity.

LOVE TO BRING AN IDEA TO LIVE | Building a business motivates me and many other entrepreneurs. So, it is always nice to see an idea come into fruition and maturity before one's eyes over time. That is what motivates me to continue building our firm, Dwellynn.

HELPING OTHERS | Anytime I get a text from someone saying you know what you told to do - House Hacking? I say, yes, and the person says I just got my first duplex under contract and I am excited to close. Those calls or messages brings so much joy to my heart.

My philosophy comes from Zig Ziglar's quote:

"You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.”

How do you push through the really cruddy seasons of it??

WHY AM I DOING ALL THIS | Constantly ask yourself why am I doing this? Many people live a very content life by going to their 9-5 jobs every day and never even question it (there is absolutely nothing wrong with that). Honestly, I joke with my entrepreneurs' friends' that I think entrepreneurs have a little bit of madness mixed with creativity, of course, to do what we do every day. Understanding that the whole thing is a process to be enjoyed is key!

For instance, I enjoy replying you and sharing my thoughts with you, Tim. I would have done the same thing if I met you in person at a conference or wherever. It is all part of the process. It's should never be about ME-ME, but I how can I be of service to this world?

Also, I posted a reply to this BP forum: Depression and Real Estate. Check it out!

Sometimes, it is ok to be in a rut but you never want to be there too long and/or start ruminating.

You want to get out, literally. And start thinking of what can I do for others? (serve at a homeless shelter, sign up to volunteer in a charity)! This is the KEY!

Tim Swedberg · Answer

I can see how that is empowering! But what do you do once you achieve the freedom? The time you spend working is no longer spent being someone's employee and instead you have the ability to call the shots when you are working. But what does that provide in your life? Are you happier? Is life more challenging but more fulfilling because of it? What has changed from who you were back then to who you are now?

Ola Dantis · Answer

Tim, glad we could also connect here as well...

Life is fascinating and one's mind can get warped into that nihilistic philosophy and yes life can be perceived as that at times (perception isn't always reality though).

However, we do have to expend the time we have here on earth somehow (and purposely, at least), so we might as well find what gives us joy OR find out by trial and error OR speaking to someone who can help draw it out from us.

As humans, we are innately social beings and anything that interrupts that natural flow of things can have serious consequences, as seen with Social Media (excluding YouTube), which have proved over and over again. Going out to meet people and seeing how others (different people) see the world and listen to them can be a huge help.

To answer your questions:

What is the source of your motivation?

I believe I answered this question, so re-read my first response again.

How do you develop your vision around Legacy, control, love and helping others?

Vision has to be first developed by taking a pen and paper (yes, ditch the laptop, use an actual pen and paper). Write down what you'd like to see in your future.

Ensure that the Vision isn't just about yourself but how can I serve others? You may be a natural when it comes to talking to people so go volunteer at a local old peoples' home and speak to the elders there and become someone they enjoy talking to. Now, you may do that and not like it OR you do it and fall in love with talking to old and wise people, who have actually probably go through what you are now going through and offer some sage advice that transforms your mind.

Remember, the key is to get out there.

Fill circle back to Real Estate Investing. If there isn't a pain point that REI is helping with, it might be challenging to get started. For instance, many people get into REI because they don't like their 9 - 5 jobs and hope to quit that and do this full time, so that become the vision, which pushes them every day.

Hope that helps...

Scott Mac · Answer

This is my passion.

Plus Money.

But this is my passion.

Matt Maurice · Answer

Financial Freedom.

Now, you can achieve FI plenty of different ways than real estate investing.  So why real estate?

Control.

I can't control whether or not the CEO decides to sleep with his secretary and the stock price plummets.  I'm a self-proclaimed YouTube certified anything, and in some circumstances was just young and dumb enough to be ambitious.  I was able to significantly increase my ROI and ROE (return on education) with every deal I bought.  I now have a portfolio of cash flowing properties, and never need to call a plumber/electrician/HVAC/handyman or roofer to handle anything at my personal residence.

Matt Maurice · Answer

@Tim Swedberg FI, similar to life, is not a destination but a journey (you can probably find a poster of that with a cool sunset on @Brandon Turner's bedroom wall).

FI gives you the ability to work on what you want, when you want to.  Want to start up a new business (which I tend to have an addiction to), then go for it!  Want to pursue a career that you never otherwise would have?  Give back to the world through charity or philanthropy?  The options are literally limitless when you no longer are beholden to debt and can put food on your own table.

"F you money" is not a bank account balance, it's a passive income status.

Anthony Rosa · Answer

My opinion - Motivation can be anything that makes you strive for being all around better. Do things that make you and people around you happy.

I motivate myself to be better and all of the other investing and work stuff falls into place. Take care of yourself first and have a goal.

Tim Swedberg · Answer

Hi Ola,

Thanks for the reply, I appreciate the time you put into it. I actually heard of you first when I listened to a podcast between you and and Scott Royal Smith. I always have intentions of doing volunteer work, but never end up doing anything about it. Thanks for bringing it up. I really do want to invest myself into that type of work, I just distract myself from it constantly...

There is a question at the end. If you want to skip to that, feel free to do so   :)

I guess I have always struggled with the "why." I have always been far too existential, probably bordering nihilistic, throughout my life. Even though I have great relationships with almost everyone in my life, at the age of 28, I still don't have a significant other and feel pretty disillusioned to most of what life has to offer. But when I engage in life I have a ton to offer - hard worker, good friend, positive influence, etc. I have worked to create lots of opportunities for myself, but now I can't seem to care enough about any of those opportunities to capitalize on it.

I don't want to define my life with negativity. Even though naturally I feel pretty depressed I am still moving forward - being bummed out doesn't really matter in the long run anyway. I just struggle since I don't have the motivation/drive/intention.

Question: What is the source of your motivation? How do you develop your vision around Legacy, control, love and helping others? I want all those things! But they are such high concepts that I don't know how to translate them into a tangible roadmap.

Sorry for the rant, once again. I am still just pressing forward regardless of the whining. I just want to work through it as fast as possible so I can get into REI in the future. Just suck at being self-motivating because I can't identify any goals worth dedicating my life to. Or so I tell myself :)

Tim Swedberg · Answer

Hey Matt,

Thanks for the reply! Best of luck to you moving forward!

Dillon Dale · Answer

@Tim Swedberg striving for financial freedom and I find real estate investing to be fun

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