Success Journal - The journey to actualising one's potential

[BeTheChange]

Crypto has been doing great so far and my decision not to pull out my initial has been a positive one. My net worth is fast approaching the $300k mark but there are always ups and downs.

A lot of money floating around this space and more money will be flooding in this year. Everyone and their dog wants to know about crypto so I ended up starting a cryptocurrency group on telegram to discuss ICOs, research coins and pool for pre sales. There are more than 50 of us and we are growing fast.

Self key crowdsale sold out in 11 mins. The ico market is heating up and getting more competitive everyday. Pre-sale pools will be the only way to stay ahead of the competition so my focus over the next few months will be on growing my telegram group and helping everyone in the group make as much money as possible so we can pool.

Most people in the group already assume I do this full time as I'm so active helping everyone with questions and alt coin recommendations. Trying to make a move to a part time role within my company so I can focus more on crypto atleast 3 days a week full time with no distractions. Opportunity does not stay opportunity for long so got to grab it with both hands.

 

[PrettyBoyAJ]

You’ll be doing this full time soon. All you need is one big hit. Congrats on all the accomplishments. 2018 is going to change both me and your life.

 

[switch7]

Crypto has been doing great so far and my decision not to pull out my initial has been a positive one. My net worth is fast approaching the $300k mark but there are always ups and downs.

A lot of money floating around this space and more money will be flooding in this year. Everyone and their dog wants to know about crypto so I ended up starting a cryptocurrency group on telegram to discuss ICOs, research coins and pool for pre sales. There are more than 50 of us and we are growing fast.

Self key crowdsale sold out in 11 mins. The ico market is heating up and getting more competitive everyday. Pre-sale pools will be the only way to stay ahead of the competition so my focus over the next few months will be on growing my telegram group and helping everyone in the group make as much money as possible so we can pool.

Most people in the group already assume I do this full time as I'm so active helping everyone with questions and alt coin recommendations. Trying to make a move to a part time role within my company so I can focus more on crypto atleast 3 days a week full time with no distractions. Opportunity does not stay opportunity for long so got to grab it with both hands.

Interested in joining your group if you have any spaces

 

[BeTheChange]

Ended the month with a net worth not too far off $400k so in spite of the bear market several of my larger positions have done well once released on market. Properties all have a 100% occupancy rate and have benefited from great appreciation in the area. I managed to buy a handful in 2016/2017 shortly before all the big money moved in so I'm seeing some sharp rises.

In the crypto space I have large positions in CPChain, Matrix, Elastos and SingularityNet . All long term holds and protocols. Have been flipping a few of my medium term holds for profit but will be holding all four of these coins for at least a year, without selling any of my positions.

I sold all my BTC at $11k+ to fund a number of real estate purchases. I set up a ltd company to invest in properties for tax and liability purposes. Have put an offer down for a 4 bedroom house.

Quit my job to focus on a few business ideas I have, including crypto.

I am meeting a friend tomorrow and a blockchain developer who he met at a conference. Together they are hoping to start a company and eventually launch an ICO. They want me to join as a founder, as I can bring financial and business experience to the table.

Right now I am undecided between focusing on my property, crypto and business ventures full time or taking on a contract role for 3 - 6 months at $500 - $700 a day and throwing all of the income into crypto and property.

 

[BeTheChange]

First day no longer working, although I get paid till the end of the month. Phone is ringing constantly regarding new job opportunities and potential interviews. I wanted to take the next couple of months off to try new ventures (like crypto) but the money is tempting. I am getting calls for roles from anywhere between $500 and $1000 a day. The idea of making five figures from my job alone each month does sound tempting. No way am I making another $10k-$20k a month from crypto more than I would have made if I just worked full time and hodl rather than quitting my job and doing crypto full time. So I think I will try and get a solid high paying contract and invest in a few good quality ICOs each month.

If I pick up a contract soon I want to spend more money on enjoying life - new car, regular holidays, high quality clothes, a luxury watch - and split the rest across real estate, equities and cryptos. I was also looking at trading derivatives once I have sufficient capital.

The major development point I should take from my time in a mega corporation is that I need to spend more time generating legitimate relationships - this goes against my utilitarian view of how I spend my time time but I need to think about the long term benefit of establishing these relationships.

 

[BeTheChange]

Big contract secured! One or two more years and I'll have gone clear.

 

[BeExcellent]

Awesome BTC!!! Keep moving and paying close attention to the way opportunity flows around you. Some things will recede while other things come to the forefront...remain fluid, keep a percent liquid, be ready for whatever develops in this dynamic framework.

To your continued success! Cheers - BE

 

[BeTheChange]

Thank you for the kind words @BeExcellent

Ended Feb at just above $350k net worth. Almost two weeks into a one month contract and have several opportunities in the pipeline once this finishes.

A combination of bad weather, long hours and not being able to get to the gym has left me deflated and lacking motivation, unclear on what I really want. I picked up the Success Principles by Jack Canfield during my morning commute this morning - the train was stuck in snow and severely delayed - and managed to read the first couple of chapters. It really made me think about what I actually wanted. I intend to finish the book and read it over.

Even though the pay for these contracts is solid the work is unfulfilling because it isn't what I actually want to be doing. It's still too accounting heavy. And even if it did allow me to achieve my financial goal of $1m net worth before 2021 then what? I'd be 31 by that point. Is that really the age to be giving up on your career? I'm not the kind of person who would necessarily be happy with blogging, youtube videos or trading cryptocurrency for a living (it isn't technical enough of an asset class for me to truly enjoy delving into) so even if I made enough to live comfortably it almost seems a waste of my skill set to leave it there. Property development is more technical due to creative financing techniques but doesn't interest me as much as equities or debt as an asset class.

So what would I really want?

A technical role that allows me to be creative.
A role with a heavy element of direct revenue generation - I want a clear impact on the profit and loss. Commercial support doesn't interest me long term.

It's clear that any commercial finance or accounting role is out the window. It looks like if I'm truly honest with myself what I want at least for the next ten years is a role that takes the best part of being salesman and combines it with the best parts of being a finance professional. I've narrowed it down to a few career paths:

• Banker
• Relationship Manager
• Insurance Underwriter
• Broker (Insurance, Stocks, etc)
• Sales & Trading (Equities, Bonds, Derivatives, Commodities, etc)

I'm glad I can finally be honest with myself and now I finally have the time and capital cushion to dedicate myself to getting a role in one of these areas.

I'll commit myself to this for the next 3 years. If I find something, great. If not, then at least I'll be making good money contracting in the meantime and when I hit $1m I can say I honestly tried. And a $1m net worth, blogging and making youtube videos is a pretty good consolation prize.

 

[TheProspect]

Thank you for the kind words @BeExcellent

Ended Feb at just above $350k net worth. Almost two weeks into a one month contract and have several opportunities in the pipeline once this finishes.

A combination of bad weather, long hours and not being able to get to the gym has left me deflated and lacking motivation, unclear on what I really want. I picked up the Success Principles by Jack Canfield during my morning commute this morning - the train was stuck in snow and severely delayed - and managed to read the first couple of chapters. It really made me think about what I actually wanted. I intend to finish the book and read it over.

Even though the pay for these contracts is solid the work is unfulfilling because it isn't what I actually want to be doing. It's still too accounting heavy. And even if it did allow me to achieve my financial goal of $1m net worth before 2021 then what? I'd be 31 by that point. Is that really the age to be giving up on your career? I'm not the kind of person who would necessarily be happy with blogging, youtube videos or trading cryptocurrency for a living (it isn't technical enough of an asset class for me to truly enjoy delving into) so even if I made enough to live comfortably it almost seems a waste of my skill set to leave it there. Property development is more technical due to creative financing techniques but doesn't interest me as much as equities or debt as an asset class.

So what would I really want?

A technical role that allows me to be creative.
A role with a heavy element of direct revenue generation - I want a clear impact on the profit and loss. Commercial support doesn't interest me long term.

It's clear that any commercial finance or accounting role is out the window. It looks like if I'm truly honest with myself what I want at least for the next ten years is a role that takes the best part of being salesman and combines it with the best parts of being a finance professional. I've narrowed it down to a few career paths:

• Banker
• Relationship Manager
• Insurance Underwriter
• Broker (Insurance, Stocks, etc)
• Sales & Trading (Equities, Bonds, Derivatives, Commodities, etc)

I'm glad I can finally be honest with myself and now I finally have the time and capital cushion to dedicate myself to getting a role in one of these areas.

I'll commit myself to this for the next 3 years. If I find something, great. If not, then at least I'll be making good money contracting in the meantime and when I hit $1m I can say I honestly tried. And a $1m net worth, blogging and making youtube videos is a pretty good consolation prize.

I read the Success Principles a couple months ago. It’s a good book, and very practical at that. I recommended you to finish it.

BTC you’re a lot farther in life than I am at the moment. I am 3-4 years younger than you with a zero net worth (if you exclude student loans) and almost half way through a BBA degree with a double major in finance and accounting. I find your journey to success inspiring and encourages me to keep working hard in my own life.

I’m not really in a position to give you career or professional advice, but in regards to what you want, I found that in my own life that how I figure out what I want is just a matter of making decision and following through with action. To figure out what I want I can’t just take my time weighing the pros and cons, I need to make a decision, pick an option, and follow it up with action. Sounds like you’ve dipped your foot in a few different areas and found out what would suit you best, now you’re taking action. Good on you. Congratulations on what you’ve accomplished so far, I have no doubt in my mind you’ll be stylin’ and living a more than comfortable life before you’re 40.

Cheers

 

[BeTheChange]

Thanks @TheProspect

The Success Principles has been a great read so far. I've just finished chapter 7 so still lots more wisdom to pick up on and ways of thinking, actions and behaviours to incorporate into my life.

This chapter makes a fantastic point on the three components of goal setting.

1) Write down your goals
2) Make a public declaration of your goals
3) Be accountable to another person - a coach, accountability partner or mastermind group

I definitely need to work on number 2 and 3! Would you be interested in getting involved in this and being an accountability partner? Of course it would be reciprocal.

 

[TheProspect]

Thanks @TheProspect

The Success Principles has been a greatbread so far. I've just finished chapter 7 so still lots more wisdom to pick up on and ways of thinking, actions and behaviours to incorporate into my life.

This chapter makes a fantastic point on the three components of goal setting.

1) Write down your goals
2) Make a public declaration of your goals
3) Be accountable to another person - a coach, accountability partner or mastermind group

I definitely need to work on number 2 and 3! Would you be interested in getting involved in this and being an accountability partner? Of course it would be reciprocal.

“Make a public declaration of your goals”

I’m iffy on that one. If people genuinely want you to succeed I would definitely speak up about your ambitions, however there is a lot of negative or indiffeeent people where if you share your ambitions and desires it will just fall on deaf ears of people who don’t care one way or another. Don’t cast your pearls before swine. Personally I like to make such a declaration through my “actions”. I don’t like to tell people what I want to do, I prefer to show them through action where I’m heading. Maybe I’m overthinking or misinterpreting it, but the public knowing my goals or not has never really affected my motivation in regards to achieving them.

I agree strongly with 1 and 3 though.

Yes, we can do some form of accountability partnership. Surprising how hard it is to find people in real life who are consistently reliable and ambitious. I guess those traits aren’t as common as we’d think.

 

[BeTheChange]

“Make a public declaration of your goals”

I’m iffy on that one. If people genuinely want you to succeed I would definitely speak up about your ambitions, however there is a lot of negative or indiffeeent people where if you share your ambitions and desires it will just fall on deaf ears of people who don’t care one way or another. Don’t cast your pearls before swine. Personally I like to make such a declaration through my “actions”. I don’t like to tell people what I want to do, I prefer to show them through action where I’m heading. Maybe I’m overthinking or misinterpreting it, but the public knowing my goals or not has never really affected my motivation in regards to achieving them.

I agree strongly with 1 and 3 though.

Yes, we can do some form of accountability partnership. Surprising how hard it is to find people in real life who are consistently reliable and ambitious. I guess those traits aren’t as common as we’d think.

My perception of 2 is to relay those ambitions and goals to friends as opposed to throwing them out on facebook but I see your point.

Here are my goals:

High Stretch are those goals that will stretch you and require you to grow to achieve them. It's a good thing to have some goals that make you a little uncomfortable because the ultimate goal in addition to achieving your material goals i to become a master at life.

The Breakthrough Goal is a goal that would represent a quantum leap for you and your career. The achievement of that one goal would change everything.

Goals

1) I will read 42 new books by 31 Dec 2018 by (i) reading one book per week and (ii) establishing a one-book-a-month book club

2) I will build a wider professional network by (i) having lunch with one new person every week and (ii) attending one meet up per month focused on property or crypto

3) I will develop greater focus and mindfulness by meditating twice a day – once in the morning and once after returning home from work

4) I will break into a front office role by 5 Sept 2018 and secure a six-month contracting role for the interim by the end of my current contract

5) I will be 78kg by 31 Dec 2018 by smashing the gym four times a week and eating heavy

6) I will be conversational in Spanish by 31 Dec 2018 through (i) finishing Pimsleur 2 and 3 before 5 May 18 and (i) Platiquemos for 5 Nov 2018


High Stretch

7) I will own 10 investment properties with 100% occupancy by 31 Dec 2018 through creative financing, maximising rental income and building up the side hustle


Break through goals

8) I will amass a seven-figure crypto portfolio by 31 Dec 2018 through investing in one high quality ICO per month and reinvesting profits

9) I will publish a book



----------------------------------------------

Feel free to add your own goals and we can discuss how you are getting on next Sunday?

 

[TheProspect]

My perception of 2 is to relay those ambitions and goals to friends as opposed to throwing them out on facebook but I see your point.

Yeah, we're on the same page then.

1) I will read 42 new books by 31 Dec 2018 by (i) reading one book per week and (ii) establishing a one-book-a-month book club

What books do you got lined up after The Success Principles? Is there a certain genre you read? I try and read a lot myself (not as consistent as I should, due to school), no novels or fiction though.

2) I will build a wider professional network by (i) having lunch with one new person every week and (ii) attending one meet up per month focused on property or crypto

Great goal, very important. I am a full-time student so I myself will need to compensate my lack of current income by networking around campus and wherever else I can.

3) I will develop greater focus and mindfulness by meditating twice a day – once in the morning and once after returning home from work

I'll think I'll adopt a similar goal. I meditated here and there over the past couple of years, and it definitely calms and de-clutters your mind. Do you have a minimum time limit?

5) I will be 78kg by 31 Dec 2018 by smashing the gym four times a week and eating heavy

Where is your weight at right now? And what is your height and body fat percentage just to get a better idea? Are you seeking to set any PR's on any of your lifts too or is just consistently getting in the gym and reaching your goal weight the priority for now?

6) I will be conversational in Spanish by 31 Dec 2018 through (i) finishing Pimsleur 2 and 3 before 5 May 18 and (i) Platiquemos for 5 Nov 2018

I took a Spanish 101 class at my university a little over a year ago. Too bad I lost the majority of it already or we could have maybe practiced our Spanish on Skype or something. Best piece of advice I can give for learning Spanish is to just look for excuses to speak as much Spanish as possible, if you can somehow find a native speaker to interact with on a regular a basis you can pick it up pretty fast.

Regarding your investments and career, I can't really give you advice or insight as I am not at that stage of my life yet but I can keep you accountable to your goals at least.

Feel free to add your own goals and we can discuss how you are getting on next Sunday?

I do have goals in life, but what I think I will do in this case is to add some habits I am interested in acquiring that will help me achieve said goals as well as just become a stronger version of myself overall. I believe our daily habits and routine are what determine whether we achieve our long-term goals or not. Later today or sometime tomorrow I'll take some time and make another post with some habits. Feel free to suggest any habits that you've adopted in your own life that made a positive impact in the meantime.

 

[BeTheChange]

I just finished "House of Cards" by William D Cohan. It's a look into the demise of Bear Stearns. Now I'm reading "Treasure Island" a book on Tax Havens and the offshore world. Next I'll shift towards something less finance focused and fiction - thinking Doctor Sax by Jack Kerouac followed by a few of his other books. I like to read authors in bursts to get a feel of their writing.

 

[BeTheChange]

It's important to remain fluid. Just secured a 3 month contract paying $550 a day. The hiring manager likes me so it is very likely to be extended to 6 or 12 months, although I won't necessarily take that option in June. I am running it through my limited company so will be paying minimal tax or none at all. They want me to start as soon as my current contract ends. It's lower than I could have gotten in the market but it is a great role from an experience perspective as it's at a Manager level and is also five minutes drive from my house. I look at the requirements for roles paying $1000+ a day and this contract will help me learn a lot of the skills necessary to market myself into those roles so in 3 - 6 months time I'll be ready. Always got to think about the long game.

I am seeing this as being paid $550 per day to learn.

As long as I stick to the plan and use my contracting funds to invest in property and follow the same strategy as my previous houaes I'll be a millionaire by 2020 even if my crypto portfolio stays exactly where it is today. Good times ahead.

 

[BeTheChange]

More great news and unexpected. The best jobs are those that you would do for free and I have finally found it.


My original goals were focused on making as much money as possible through contracting and investing in stable assets like property in order to work for myself early because I didn’t truly enjoy the work I was doing. Now I’ve been offered a position that I would honestly do for free and have been doing for free for some time now.


It is an Investment Associate position at a prominent Venture Capital fund focused on blockchain startups. I met them for what I assumed was a final interview. Instead two of the Partners took me out for a booze, cigars and a three course meal, where they spent the evening telling me about the business – offshore investment vehicles, advisory fees, investing in the Ethereum ICO of 2013 - and offered me a job at the end of it.


This is the kind of job I have dreamed of since I was 18. Private Equity. After bombing my bachelors degree I never thought I’d get this opportunity. More than 10 years of hard work has finally paid off.


Comp should be anywhere from $175k and $1mm+ and will include:

· Cash

· Crypto

· Equity

· Share options

· Carry

· Percentage of advisory fees commensurate with deal involvement


This role is all upside. Even if cryptocurrency bombs (and I don’t believe it will in the long term) I’m in a great position because this fund is tech focused and looking at the specific companies themselves rather than the tokens, which are essentially high risk forex plays. All their investments have been in the equity of the businesses. In a couple of years I’ll be sitting pretty, having built up a reputation and track record in the crypto space through the fund. By that point I’d have so many options – progress to Partner, move to Silicon Valley, Ivy League MBA (probably at Stanford), launch my own ICO, join the board of a prominent start up. This changes everything.

They said to expect a written offer by Friday. Other than writing this post I am trying not to think about it too much because I’m still contracting now and for me this is like winning the lottery. If the offer comes through by Friday and it hits the $175k - $1mm threshold I’m buying myself a sports car for the summer or Daytona. I’d definitely deserve it!

 

[fastlife]

Hey bro, just thought of you the other day—glad to see you’re still kicking it & even gladder to hear you’re crushing it.

Blockchain (even independent of crypto-related application) is a great field to be in—with the potential to revolutionize how information is stored, searched & distributed. It’s like being proficient at Excel before anyone else even knows what Excel is.

Also, all the markets are sagging a little & I personally believe we’re on the verge of a technical revolution probably more significant than any we’ve seen to this point (including the steam engine & the internet), so being paid in options, etc. in the near term is the way to go. Especially compared to property (which is unsustainable & bubbling a little).

 

[PrettyBoyAJ]

More great news and unexpected. The best jobs are those that you would do for free and I have finally found it.


My original goals were focused on making as much money as possible through contracting and investing in stable assets like property in order to work for myself early because I didn’t truly enjoy the work I was doing. Now I’ve been offered a position that I would honestly do for free and have been doing for free for some time now.


It is an Investment Associate position at a prominent Venture Capital fund focused on blockchain startups. I met them for what I assumed was a final interview. Instead two of the Partners took me out for a booze, cigars and a three course meal, where they spent the evening telling me about the business – offshore investment vehicles, advisory fees, investing in the Ethereum ICO of 2013 - and offered me a job at the end of it.


This is the kind of job I have dreamed of since I was 18. Private Equity. After bombing my bachelors degree I never thought I’d get this opportunity. More than 10 years of hard work has finally paid off.


Comp should be anywhere from $175k and $1mm+ and will include:

· Cash

· Crypto

· Equity

· Share options

· Carry

· Percentage of advisory fees commensurate with deal involvement


This role is all upside. Even if cryptocurrency bombs (and I don’t believe it will in the long term) I’m in a great position because this fund is tech focused and looking at the specific companies themselves rather than the tokens, which are essentially high risk forex plays. All their investments have been in the equity of the businesses. In a couple of years I’ll be sitting pretty, having built up a reputation and track record in the crypto space through the fund. By that point I’d have so many options – progress to Partner, move to Silicon Valley, Ivy League MBA (probably at Stanford), launch my own ICO, join the board of a prominent start up. This changes everything.

They said to expect a written offer by Friday. Other than writing this post I am trying not to think about it too much because I’m still contracting now and for me this is like winning the lottery. If the offer comes through by Friday and it hits the $175k - $1mm threshold I’m buying myself a sports car for the summer or Daytona. I’d definitely deserve it!

I call shotgun in the sports car. Congrats brother. We got in this journey around the same time. Nice to see us doing well!

Sounds like a great company you got there. Wish there was something local to me in the states like that. Would be great to go to a club and treated with food and have that be people I work with. Again, congrats and if there is any information you can share that'll be helpful in this blockchain journey, please share.

 

[BeTheChange]

Thanks for the kind words guys. I just got off the phone with two of the Partners. Happy with the offer. To be honest I would work there for free. If the fund performs as well as they did last year the offer would be the before tax equivalent (BTE) of a full package of $700k per year if I were in a normal salaried job paying income tax of 45%.

We are structuring the agreement in a tax efficient basis - they have funds offshore. I will speak to an accountant and a lawyer about the best way to manage this process. When we are talking about this kind of money it would be silly to deal with such agreements and relationships solely on my own.

The package is:

• Cash - $75k
• Commission and income from performance fees (based on 2017) - $300k paid in crypto (immediately convertible to cash)
• Share options - Amount TBC
• Carry - Not explicitly stated but I expect to be able to push for this once I have proven my worth

Looks like millionaire status by the end of this year is a very real possibility and doing what I love in the process. The next goal is 10!

But as great as the money should be, for someone my age, what's better is the chance to learn so much and be exposed to so many new things well outside my normal role.

 

[BeTheChange]

The VC role is great. Won't be writing too much about it going forward due to confidentiality issues. Commission structure is a bit more volatile than expected but should conservatively still come out with a total comp of $150k - $300k before tax once share options and bonuses are considered. As a business we will perform incredibly well this year (hopefully resulting in a good bonus!) since we hold an investment that I think will do 100x and we are working with some solid clients on the advisory side.

Things ended with a girl I've been seeing since October. Less than ideal as spinning plates is time consuming but a lot of positives. Can really focus on smashing this new role, stacking those funds and getting back into some of the neglected hobbies.