Success Journal - The journey to actualising one's potential

BeExcellent

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Couldn't be more pleased for you BTC. You have taken the risks and committed yourself to your own best interest...and doors...they open.

So pleased for you. Keep rolling on & be aware of the Sharks who'll want a piece of you.

Cheers - BE
 

BeTheChange

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Couldn't be more pleased for you BTC. You have taken the risks and committed yourself to your own best interest...and doors...they open.

So pleased for you. Keep rolling on & be aware of the Sharks who'll want a piece of you.

Cheers - BE
Thanks BE. Appreciate your support and guidance.
 

BeTheChange

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Update time.

Net worth floating around the $300k+ mark in spite of us being close the bottom of the crypto bear market due to some favourable portfolio re-balancing and an increase in the value of my real estate holdings. Someone offered me almost $50k more than the price I paid for a property I purchased a year ago. The buyer said it needed another $20k worth of work so I rejected his offer and decided to do the work myself. Had a couple of setbacks (the lead builder had a heart attack!) but the work is almost done, and the next set of tenants are due to move in a week or two from now.

Had some problems with my credit score, which prevented me from getting a mortgage for a third property purchase. Turns out I had too much short-term debt and a few other issues. I’ve cleared almost everything with only around $10k to pay off. My credit score is looking healthy again so once the cash is there I’ll be seeking to push for a third property. Aiming for the end of September.

I am also owed some in-the-money options and crypto payments, which I have not included in my net worth calculation. Still pushing for millionaire status by 2020/21. Could be a lot sooner but really depends on the real estate/ crypto market, how generous the Directors are and most importantly on my own resolve and performance at the fund. My ambition is to one day run the whole fund and advisory business. The good news is the latter are entirely in my direct control.

Back with my ex-gf although on a less serious basis. Not completely casual but still non-committal. Had a good three weeks to process the breakup, reprioritise things and set new goals in the process.
  1. Gym six times a week
  2. Read one book a week
  3. Meditate twice per day
  4. Bring in one signed deal per month
  5. Attend one salsa / bachata class a week
  6. Attend one work / social event a week
  7. Be positive
  8. Make timing everything
  9. Step into their shoes
  10. Practice the art of listening
  11. Commit to going abroad at least once every two months. Leave my city twice a month
  12. Save at least 50% of my earnings every month
 
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BeTheChange

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If one is expecting to find a quality woman with ease, then they are setting themselves up for unhappiness. What is unhappiness really? For me it’s a mental position where your expectations and your reality consistently fail to reconcile, leading to a sense of frustration and failure. In that respect it is simply a state of mind influenced by three things. Your value, the world around you and your expectations. Your value influences what you can obtain from the world around you, and your expectations determine whether you are content with the result. Of course, your value and the world both influence the likelihood of your expectations becoming reality. And your expectations are developed from both your perception of your value and the world itself. So, it’s almost like a circle.

But expecting to find a quality woman with ease in a metropolitan city is not easy. We live in a society where women are actively encouraged to ride the c*ck carousel and where the link between actions and consequences is extremely tenuous for women of all ages. Because of this I have decided to concede the idea of meeting a quality woman in this day and age while simultaneously acknowledging they do in fact exist. Because they do. Most of my friends are in LTRs or married to such women. In the vast majority of cases they met at university, which brings me to an important observation. I remember during my master’s degree taking a political economics class and the lecturer making a joke about how people didn’t appreciate just how comparatively easy it was to meet likeminded members of the opposite sex at university. He ended the joke by saying that if we hadn’t met anyone by now then we may as well just give up.

Although it would be ludicrous to agree with the statement entirely there is some value to embracing it. Let’s be honest here.
I would say the probability of finding a woman who is attractive, reasonably intelligent, health conscious, non-feminist, single AND interested in a relationship is actually MUCH higher at university. Add to that I flat out won’t consider anyone above 30 for an LTR and you see my predicament.

In the 6 years I have been in London I have dated a lot of women and that’s in spite of being monogamous for half that time. I would honestly say I’ve met a total of five women that I would have considered for an LTR but every single one of them had something missing. One was the first gf I had in London, which failed because of our inability to handle a mature relationship and internal issues (on both sides) that came to the surface.
The other three were cool, clearly saw LTRs as an option at their early ages (all were 23 or younger), just not with me.

The final one is the girl I’m seeing now. Although she sees us as being in an LTR on paper, she is not IMO mentally committed to building something long term right now. She just doesn’t think that way and likely never will until she has a significant shock to the system –hits the wall, her best friends all get married or have kids, she gets tired of just coasting through life. Sadly, I doubt this will happen till she’s comfortably in her 30s. Right now, she is late 20s. I see this mentality amongst women all the time.

For the last couple of years, I have firmly believed that with enough effort and willpower you can accomplish anything you set your mind to and so ultimately you can control the outcome of your own life. Having this mentality got me to where I am today and will continue to propel me forward. But I look at the amount of energy I’d need to put in to just pursuing women in the hopes of finding that needle in the hay stack, with no guarantee of a positive outcome and I don’t think I have the fight in me anymore. It isn’t even about the dating and filtering process (which is an unbelievably time-consuming venture). It’s the mental space it occupies, it’s the rejection, it’s the frustration, it’s the male enablers, it’s having to deal with yet another chick who thinks she’s above you because tinder has distorted her perception of her own value to such a wild degree. But this all part of being a Don Juan they say. In all honesty, the real problem is the woefully low return on investment. I am turning 30 in a few months and this is what has prompted this bit of introspection. So many hours wasted.

It’s a long post but I needed to write this to put to rest the idea of pursuing the quality of women. I think combining the philosophies of “women as sex and entertainment” and “build it and they will come” with the belief that some quality women (by your own personal definition) do in fact exist, allows you to appreciate the present moments with plates that perhaps are fun to be around but not LTR worthy, while still focusing on self-improvement and recognising that becoming a better man (which is of course great for yourself and your capacity to enjoy life) is also going to help you in attracting the highest quality women, should you happen upon them. Till then, it’s time to enjoy life and let the chips fall where they may.
 

BeTheChange

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Net worth remains roughly unchanged at c. $300k since the start of the summer. Any fiat I've been stacking from my salary has been more or less offset by losses in my crypto portfolio. I don't have a significant part of my portfolio in crypto anymore and have allocated funds to a few solid projects like WTC and RSK. The VC firm I work for has a strong financial interests in RSK, Fantom, ICON and a few others so I don't need to be too exposed to the crypto market to benefit indirectly. After all, if these coins 40x I'll still see it through my bonus and share options.

The bank is revaluing one of my investment properties today, which should allow me to pull out equity as a deposit for the next purchase. The aim is to have three houses fully occupied by the end of the year.

They say you spend your 20s figuring out what you want to do, your 30s getting good at it and your 40s reaping the major benefits. That definitely rings true. I am approaching 30 soon and know where I want to focus. I'm using this opportunity as an associate in the venture capital world to really build up my expertise. I have a good knowledge of distributed ledger technology, distributed systems, stacks, scripts, APIs, etc but only on a high level, with the exception of some DLTs like the Bitcoin protocol and a few others which I've been able to study in more depth. As such I decided to self teach computer science and programming. And we aren't just talking about a "Learn Coding in 21 day course on programming from udemy but what I hope will be the equivalent of a degree. I want to be a self taught computer scientist. This won't be easy but I'm committed and so far it's been great. I'm already seeing vast improvements in my ability to analyse and explain fairly complex mechanisms within blockchain like Hashed Time Locked Contracts, routed payment channels, elliptic curve cryptography, etc.

Undoubtedly it will also make me a much better Venture Capitalist.

I've also started learning Italian in the last two months as my current gf is from Italy and learning another language or two has been an ambition for the last decade. I'm also trying to read more general books as well since this is absolutely a marker of success (Bill Gates reads upwards of 50+ books a year and takes a two week holiday every year solely for reading).

My typical day is:

05:30 - Wake Up
06:00 - Gym
07:30 - Head to work. Study Italian audio lessons on the way to work while on the tube.
08:30 - Study Computer Science or Discrete mathematics at desk. Right now I'm doing two days of CS and two days of Maths with both on the weekends. I am working through "Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs" by Harold Abelson
09:45 - Start work
18:00 - Study Blockchain related material. I'm currently on my second read through of "Mastering Bitcoin", by Andreas Antonopoulos. The book is very technical and aimed at coders
19:00 - Leave work. Read non technical book on the tube. Currently reading "America Declares Independence" by Alan Dershowitz
20:00 - Get home, chill, watch netflix, bang my gf, etc. Some nights I go out with friends or attend industry events.
22:00 - Bed

Rinse and repeat. I work a 6 day week but I am more content in my job than I have ever been. My goals are simply to maintain this schedule sustainably and in a years time I'll be looking at a vastly improved version of myself.
 
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nicksaiz65

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Nice, man. I’m actually in school for Computer Science myself. Tough, but really fun field. I’m trying to teach myself as much as I can about the field on the side as well. Good job!
 

BeTheChange

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Nice, man. I’m actually in school for Computer Science myself. Tough, but really fun field. I’m trying to teach myself as much as I can about the field on the side as well. Good job!
Awesome. If I could go back in time I would definitely have done Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics or maybe Applied Mathematics. Genuinely challenging and useful way to spend your time at university. Instead I opted for Economics. Four years of what could be easily learnt on Wikipedia in 3 months. But can't go back in time and change it now! You are in a great position.
 

BeTheChange

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Net worth remains roughly unchanged at c. $300k since the start of the summer. Any fiat I've been stacking from my salary has been more or less offset by losses in my crypto portfolio. I don't have a significant part of my portfolio in crypto anymore and have allocated funds to a few solid projects like WTC and RSK. The VC firm I work for has a strong financial interests in RSK, Fantom, ICON and a few others so I don't need to be too exposed to the crypto market to benefit indirectly. After all, if these coins 40x I'll still see it through my bonus and share options.

The bank is revaluing one of my investment properties today, which should allow me to pull out equity as a deposit for the next purchase. The aim is to have three houses fully occupied by the end of the year.

They say you spend your 20s figuring out what you want to do, your 30s getting good at it and your 40s reaping the major benefits. That definitely rings true. I am approaching 30 soon and know where I want to focus. I'm using this opportunity as an associate in the venture capital world to really build up my expertise. I have a good knowledge of distributed ledger technology, distributed systems, stacks, scripts, APIs, etc but only on a high level, with the exception of some DLTs like the Bitcoin protocol and a few others which I've been able to study in more depth. As such I decided to self teach computer science and programming. And we aren't just talking about a "Learn Coding in 21 day course on programming from udemy but what I hope will be the equivalent of a degree. I want to be a self taught computer scientist. This won't be easy but I'm committed and so far it's been great. I'm already seeing vast improvements in my ability to analyse and explain fairly complex mechanisms within blockchain like Hashed Time Locked Contracts, routed payment channels, elliptic curve cryptography, etc.

Undoubtedly it will also make me a much better Venture Capitalist.

I've also started learning Italian in the last two months as my current gf is from Italy and learning another language or two has been an ambition for the last decade. I'm also trying to read more general books as well since this is absolutely a marker of success (Bill Gates reads upwards of 50+ books a year and takes a two week holiday every year solely for reading).

My typical day is:

05:30 - Wake Up
06:00 - Gym
07:30 - Head to work. Study Italian audio lessons on the way to work while on the tube.
08:30 - Study Computer Science or Discrete mathematics at desk. Right now I'm doing two days of CS and two days of Maths with both on the weekends. I am working through "Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs" by Harold Abelson
09:45 - Start work
18:00 - Study Blockchain related material. I'm currently on my second read through of "Mastering Bitcoin", by Andreas Antonopoulos. The book is very technical and aimed at coders
19:00 - Leave work. Read non technical book on the tube. Currently reading "America Declares Independence" by Alan Dershowitz
20:00 - Get home, chill, watch netflix, bang my gf, etc. Some nights I go out with friends or attend industry events.
22:00 - Bed

Rinse and repeat. I work a 6 day week but I am more content in my job than I have ever been. My goals are simply to maintain this schedule sustainably and in a years time I'll be looking at a vastly improved version of myself.
Wasn't able to implement learning Computer Science from scratch for a few reasons. My ex girlfriend broke up with me literally a day or two after I wrote the above which completely disrupted my flow and took me away from my centre. Also given the current condition of the crypto market my job security isn't predictable so will need to wait until the end of the year for more clarity. If I'm still in this job come January then I can focus on a long term plan for acquiring more technical knowledge.

Have started therapy to deal with anger management issues. 12 counselling sessions, then 14 group therapy sessions. Have had 3 sessions so far. I didn't physically abuse my ex-gf or anything crazy like that but there were a lot of situations where my response was disproportionate to the event itself. Have been reading a book on cognitive behavioural therapy, which has been really helpful but knowing about the problem and solving it are two different things so daily reading of this book and reviewing my behaviour is something I'll be doing for the next 12 months in order to cement lasting behavioural change. So far I've read the book everyday for the past 37 days and intend to continue doing so. Read slowly, finish the book, implement the exercises, rinse and repeat. It has helped a lot. Goal is to read this everyday till October 2019 and complete all 26 therapy sessions.

Have been meditating once a day. Beginning to master my thoughts better. Goal is to keep it up.

Also lost a lot of weight in the past few months and realised It'll be more difficult to get a girl as hot as my ex or better without putting on considerable size. That's just the way it is when you're going for 8s and 9s. I'm 5'9 153 lbs. Aiming to get to 165 lbs within 3 months and then build slowly from there focusing more on muscle building rather than pure weight. 170 - 175 lb is the weight that someone of my height looks SICK. You can wear a jacket or sweater and still look juicy. 180 lb is beast mode.

Net worth still pretty much static at sub $300k as the crypto market goes sideways. Been asked to take on the COO/CFO role at a portfolio company I have been supporting through their pre-ICO. I love this project and believe in the product and team so accepted. Meeting on Monday to discuss the package.

Was able to pull out some equity from one of my properties, although not as much as I'd hoped. I used those funds to put an offer down on an apartment, which would be my third property. Offer was accepted and now we are just sorting out the paperwork. I bought a new Rolex with what was left over. A purchase I believe I finally deserved. Felt good.
 

Von

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Wasn't able to implement learning Computer Science from scratch for a few reasons. My ex girlfriend broke up with me literally a day or two after I wrote the above which completely disrupted my flow and took me away from my centre. Also given the current condition of the crypto market my job security isn't predictable so will need to wait until the end of the year for more clarity. If I'm still in this job come January then I can focus on a long term plan for acquiring more technical knowledge.

Have started therapy to deal with anger management issues. 12 counselling sessions, then 14 group therapy sessions. Have had 3 sessions so far. I didn't physically abuse my ex-gf or anything crazy like that but there were a lot of situations where my response was disproportionate to the event itself. Have been reading a book on cognitive behavioural therapy, which has been really helpful but knowing about the problem and solving it are two different things so daily reading of this book and reviewing my behaviour is something I'll be doing for the next 12 months in order to cement lasting behavioural change. So far I've read the book everyday for the past 37 days and intend to continue doing so. Read slowly, finish the book, implement the exercises, rinse and repeat. It has helped a lot. Goal is to read this everyday till October 2019 and complete all 26 therapy sessions.

Have been meditating once a day. Beginning to master my thoughts better. Goal is to keep it up.

Also lost a lot of weight in the past few months and realised It'll be more difficult to get a girl as hot as my ex or better without putting on considerable size. That's just the way it is when you're going for 8s and 9s. I'm 5'9 153 lbs. Aiming to get to 165 lbs within 3 months and then build slowly from there focusing more on muscle building rather than pure weight. 170 - 175 lb is the weight that someone of my height looks SICK. You can wear a jacket or sweater and still look juicy. 180 lb is beast mode.

Net worth still pretty much static at sub $300k as the crypto market goes sideways. Been asked to take on the COO/CFO role at a portfolio company I have been supporting through their pre-ICO. I love this project and believe in the product and team so accepted. Meeting on Monday to discuss the package.

Was able to pull out some equity from one of my properties, although not as much as I'd hoped. I used those funds to put an offer down on an apartment, which would be my third property. Offer was accepted and now we are just sorting out the paperwork. I bought a new Rolex with what was left over. A purchase I believe I finally deserved. Felt good.
Keep it up... Eyes on the Goals always that will remove the obstacle.

I am 30 years old too, I feel way behind you right now.

But I have a goal and love what I do, once my studies are done i'll be able to concentrate more on the business aspect and read other stuff. Still, I know i have to iron it in my rountine/habit to do all of it including the studies and it will be succesful I know.

Also, I will start Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in 2019 to deal with my anger / adhd.

So you have a buddy here to share your experience with
 

BeTheChange

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Keep it up... Eyes on the Goals always that will remove the obstacle.

I am 30 years old too, I feel way behind you right now.

But I have a goal and love what I do, once my studies are done i'll be able to concentrate more on the business aspect and read other stuff. Still, I know i have to iron it in my rountine/habit to do all of it including the studies and it will be succesful I know.

Also, I will start Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in 2019 to deal with my anger / adhd.

So you have a buddy here to share your experience with
Thank you mate. I try and stay humble. There are people who have achieved more by the time they turned 16 and yet many who will never accomplish what we have in their entire lives. As cliche as it sounds the game is about trying to be the best version of yourself. You are only truly answerable to the person in the mirror. Comparison is the thief of joy.

You're definitely right. Always got to keep the eye on the prize. I've been using some of the drama in my life as an excuse. Distractions require discipline to ignore.

It isn't easy changing your life. It's great that you recognise you need to work on your behavioural issues. We're in the same boat. I'd recommend "Overcoming Anger and Irritability". I'm a firm believer in incremental steps towards mastery. I am 50 days in and have made sure to do something everyday - a chapter or half a chapter a day for the longer or more important ones. I read the more relevant chapters several times before moving on. Finish the book, rinse and repeat and will continue to do so for a year. Often I'll I keep it front of mind.

Know that it will require intense devotion because you are trying to alter patterns of behaviour you have developed over your entire life. Give yourself 30 minutes a day, everyday for a year and you will see a difference. Well done for taking up the hero's journey. You won't regret it.
 
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BeTheChange

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It was my 30th birthday recently. Over the past few weeks I've been reflecting on how I can get closer to the ideal man I'd like to be.

I've detailed in previous posts how I've intended to aspire to be better but never wrote down (in this thread at least) what that would actually look like.

Here's what I'd like to be a year from now:

Calm and slow to anger. Kind and POSITIVE.

High quality relationships with friends and family

Italian Speaker (conversational)

Advanced salsa dancer

Entrepreneur with min. $350k net worth.

Owner of five investment properties

Jaguar driver

Rolex wearer

Fit, healthy and well groomed
 

BeTheChange

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It's looking very much like my job at the VC firm won't be lasting past 2018, with the battering that blockchain projects and the crypto market has taken this year.

Decided to review my expenses and cut back on self indulgent costs:
- Cut therapy out. Don't need to be spending almost $100 a session when the self help and cognitive behavioural books I've been reading have been far more helpful. As long as I keep my daily routine going I'll eradicate those negative thought patterns and the behavioural issues that go along with them
- Cancelled my gym membership and moved to a no frills gym instead. I was paying more than $200 a month for a luxury health club - jacuzzi, sauna, swimming pool, etc...used them once or twice in the nine months I've been there. I go to the gym to lift weights. I don't need all the other fancy stuff.
- Plan to cut back on my food costs and general eating out

With just these minor changes I'm already saving $1000 a month now with no real change to my life. I also have my property income to cover some costs too. It will work out that for the next two months I'm still being paid I'll save 70% of my take home.

So at least if it takes me a bit of time to find a new gig (I doubt it will but it's good to be prepared for a worst case scenario) I still have enough hard cash to sustain myself for a years. I am strongly considering travelling for a bit but don't want to disrupt the momentum I'm on as far as hitting financial goals. Trying to find a role that will let me work remotely so I can potentially live in another country and pick up the language.
 
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BeTheChange

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Life is great. Text my ex gf after over 2 months of NC. Told her I was happy to hear she was doing well and vice versa. Suggested we grab a drink to catch up before the Christmas break and she declined, saying she didn’t want to see me right now because it would be “too painful”. I was an as$hole in the latter part of the relationship so took it on the chin. Always be improving and just make sure you don’t make the same mistakes with the next one. I replied that I was glad she was progressing and settling into her new life. Not going to lie, got a bit of an ego boost from knowing that she still cared and that she was actually affected by the breakup in her own way. When a chick breaks up with you, even if it is for poor behaviour on your part, there’s a tendency to think they never cared at all by the end. A part of me always knew that wasn’t the case, but it was nice to have the confirmation.

Things with the new plate are going well. I’m losing my one-it is for my ex and realising it was blinding me to how hot this current plate actually is. I have definitely spent the last two months underrating her. She may not have my ex’s body, but she is prettier and hits the gym hard.

Still at sub $300k net worth at the end of November since any savings I make are more than offset by the decline in the crypto market. There is excellent news, however. I picked up a new contract in little under two weeks, despite this being the worst time of the year to find a job. The mid December start date means that if I can finesse a holiday in the last two weeks of my current role, then I can basically get paid for all of December in job A and half of December for Job B (since as a contractor there wouldn’t be any rules against taking on multiple roles). Win!

Contract is for six months and pays almost $700 a day (direct to my bank account, as I arrange my own tax affairs). I am also negotiating a package with a start-up I’m close to that will see me carry out adhoc work with them as their COO/CFO, likely for c. $1000 a month + equity as I’ll be doing one day a week on a Saturday. So, between this, my new contract and my property income I should be clearing what would be the before tax equivalent, in a typical salaried job, of a quarter of a million dollars. I was staring at the numbers in my spreadsheet with a big grin on my face. Feels good that the hard work of the last ten years is starting to pay off. This is what they mean when they say, as a man, work hard in your 20s and you will be rewarded for it in your 30s.

Plan is to save 75% of my income and continue to invest in real estate and crypto. I am aiming for 4-5 real estate deals in 2019. I also want to visit a new country in Europe once a month. 2019 is going to be an awesome year.
 

BeTheChange

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Been a while since an update.

Settled into my new contract pretty well and it’s highly likely I’ll be invoicing these guys, on what is a hefty day rate, till at least July.

Offer has been accepted on my latest potential acquisition – a 2 bedroom maisonette. It has a double garage that I’m hoping can be converted into another bedroom. Updated my financial forecasts and it looks like I should be able to get to at least five investment properties and possibly as many as seven investment properties by the end of the year in total.

I’ve divested out of cryptocurrencies completely except for a small holding of BTC and ELA. I’m indirectly exposed to Fantom and RSK. If the latter two coins moon I won’t benefit directly financially but they’ll be opportunities to make money through more work since I’m close to both projects. The COO gig with the start-up hasn’t materialised yet since they were unable to raise funds. I’m looking at new alternatives for a side income hustle.

My net worth is easier to estimate without all the fluctuating crypto holdings and now sits at $270k. If I can squeeze in the 5 deals I plan to execute over the next 11 months (all depends on bank financing and continuing to invoice) and make the necessary renovations and refurbishment (aiming for 10% unrealised gains post completion) I should be able to add $150k to my net worth by year’s end.

2019 is the year of building a secure base. 2020 I will start to explore reinvesting in crypto, making a handful of new real estate deals and taking ownership stakes in other enterprises. I am looking at cafes, restaurants and nightclubs since I think these are the few brick and mortar businesses which are less susceptible to a recession or the threat from consumers shifting activity online. I am hoping that if I continue with this buy and build strategy I should be in a position to focus on business ventures as a full time role by 2022 with occasional contracts to act as liquidity pumps.

The only thing that eludes me at the moment is a hot chick! But I'm working so much I don't really have the time to game...and the calibre of women I'd accept for an LTR makes the process even more challenging. However the closer to financial freedom I get, the easier the game will be.
 

BeTheChange

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Almost finished up on the latest property deal, which will be my first of the year and third overall investment property. The lawyers are finalising details and a completion date should be set shortly - likely to be mid March close. There's a nice little equity buffer in there to as they accepted on a price around 10% below asking.

Net worth sits at c. $285k.

I have a first date with a new girl coming up. Met on tinder. We've been texting sporadically since early Jan, as I was dating another girl, a "relationship" which ended last week. This new chick is 22 years old, an Oxbridge graduate (equivalent of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc), works in finance and is smoking hot. On paper she is an ideal match for a man of my aspirations.

I am planning to take her to a chic c0cktail bar, famous for their strong drinks but relatively unknown outside of certain circles. Then if things are going well I have a restaurant booked for after. Haven't told her the details, just where to meet.

Life is good.
 

BeTheChange

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Contracts have been exchanged and completion is set for Monday. Looking forward to picking up the keys. Net worth now sits at $300k!

I banged that tinder date but she was a good 2 points lower in person than she came across on the app so I didn't bother calling her after. I was so disappointed that I ended reaching out to another plate, who I know isn't worth LTRing, but who definitely wants that girlfriend title. She's hot but can be draining (Law 10: Avoid the unhappy and unlucky)

Still seeing her now, but I am out 3/4 times a week with friends, salsaing, partying and of course keeping my eyes out for any new fresh prospects. She complains I don't make time for her (negative nancy). I hope I can bump into someone worth pursuing long term. We will see.

As soon as the keys are handed over to me I am also going to go balls deep in crypto again - BTC, ETH, ELA and a few others I'm keen on.

In the Real Estate game I plan to do a lot of large scale refurbishments and landscaping on all three properties and then remortgage two of them in the summer to pull out a lot of accumulated equity. I'll then use some of that to buy a place in London late summer in the $500k - $700k range. That should get me a decent two bed apartment here and I can rent out the other room.
 

BeTheChange

Master Don Juan
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Late update for the month of April. Net worth at $325k largely due to the valuation uplift from a refurb on my third property. We strippedall wallpaper and ceilings dispose of rubbish, fitted a new bathroom and kitchen, replastered and redecorated the whole house, fitted in a new boiler, removed a bedroom wall and rebuilt in stud work and plasterboard.

Haven't been dating anyone for about a month now...trying to remedy that but the game is pretty savage here in the big city.

Still sizing up the risk/reward opportunity of a sizeable investment (by my standards) in crypto of around $30k - $50k but want to see if this current pump is an indication of a sustained rally or just a whale induced short squeeze, rather than organic long term buyers.

Had an offer accepted on property number four so in the process of having the lawyers deal with the paperwork. In the month of May I'll look forward to seeing this deal close and resolving a conflict with a tenant renting out property 2. I may also need to find a new contract, but once that's resolved it's full steam ahead in crypto.
 

BeTheChange

Master Don Juan
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Update for the end of May. Net worth at $340k. Tenant issue has been dealt with and I now have my property back. He owes c. $9,000 in rent, admin and legal fees. Court has issued a judgement allowing me to enforce payment of the debt. Going to hand this over to a debt collector as dealing with this will myself would inevitably take time away from more productive ventures.

Will definitely vet future tenants with an eagle eye and take out rent insurance to avoid this scenario ever happening again.

Dating is going much better. Have six solid plates and a few other decent prospects, two of which I'm actively banging. Hopefully make that atleast three by the end of this weekend as have multiple dates scheduled.

Put some additional fiat into crypto. Gearing up to add another $10k in June and July, but don't want to risk more than that as need the cash for investment properties.

Deal on property number four is still ongoing. Don't expect it to close till the end of July. Refurb work is almost complete on property number three. Should hopefully have a tenant in by end of July as well.
 
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