I attended an awesome 3-day mastermind earlier this year; here are 20 of the best wisdom nuggets I noted down in my notebook.
Table of Contents
Money and Investing
Here are some tips to help you deal with money and investing:
1️⃣ Stick with the S&P for 5 years.
Patience almost always wins. Chasing quick returns in the stock market often leads to emotional decisions and unnecessary losses. This timeframe helps you ride out market volatility and benefit from long-term growth trends.
2️⃣ Buy and hold.
Time in the market consistently beats trying to time the market. Constantly buying and selling often leads to missed opportunities and higher transaction costs.
3️⃣ Cost average, always.
Commit to buying the same stocks on a regular schedule, like monthly, without worrying too much about the daily price fluctuations. This strategy, known as dollar-cost averaging, reduces risk by averaging out your purchase price over time.
4️⃣ Dividends and real estate depreciation create wealth.
This powerful combination is a cornerstone for many investors. It builds your cash flow while simultaneously offsetting your tax burden. Dividends provide regular income, while depreciation is a non-cash expense that can significantly lower your taxable income from real estate.
5️⃣ Prioritize cash flow over net worth.
Cash flow is what funds your lifestyle and pays the bills. A high net worth might look good on paper, but it doesn’t provide liquidity.
6️⃣ Avoid problem properties.
If a property has a history of issues that previous owners could not fix, do not assume you will be the one to solve them. Properties with foundational, legal, or recurring tenant issues can drain your time and money with little hope for a turnaround.
7️⃣ Sell the problem properties you have.
Some properties are easy to manage and generate reliable income, while others are a constant headache. Cut your losses and move on. Focus your energy on assets that perform well instead of getting bogged down by ones that consistently cause problems.
8️⃣ Building cash flow takes time.
Stick with your strategy long enough to see it bear fruit. Many people quit right before their efforts are about to pay off. Whether in real estate or business, generating substantial, reliable income streams is a marathon, not a sprint.
9️⃣ Starting a fund takes years.
Be prepared for a long journey. Raising capital, deploying it, and seeing significant returns is typically a 5 to 10-year process.
🔟 Flipping is fun, but risky.
To build long-term security, combine the occasional flip with a portfolio of properties that provide steady, predictable cash flow. Market shifts can leave you with an unsold property, so balancing flips with stable rental income provides a crucial safety net.
Life and Relationships
Here are some tips to deal with life and relationships:
1️⃣ Spend time with your kids now.
They need your presence and guidance most when they are young. You can’t get this time back. The moments you have to shape their lives and build strong bonds are most impactful when they are young.
2️⃣ Put your phone away at home.
Be present with your loved ones. This simple act of undivided attention makes a massive difference in the quality of your relationships.
3️⃣ Make date nights non-negotiable.
Schedule them on the calendar and protect that time. Keeping the connection and romance alive requires intentional effort.
4️⃣ Start the day with love.
The first words you say to your partner in the morning can set the tone for the entire day.
5️⃣ Do not stop asking your teens to hang out.
They may say no frequently, but the consistent invitation reinforces that you care and want to be part of their lives. Eventually, they will come around.
6️⃣ Understand that winning is about gratitude.
Success is not just a number in a bank account. It is about appreciating how far you have come and what you have already accomplished.
7️⃣ Read “Parenting with Love and Logic.”
This book is a game-changer for anyone wanting to raise responsible and resilient kids. It offers practical strategies for raising self-reliant children by allowing them to face natural consequences.
Health and Longevity
Here are some tips to help you with your health and longevity:
1️⃣ Focus on your Heart Rate Variability (HRV).
Just 30 minutes of Zone 2 training daily can significantly improve your longevity markers. HRV is a key indicator of your body’s resilience and recovery. Zone 2 cardio, or low-intensity steady-state training, is highly effective at improving it.
2️⃣ Sleep is essential.
A consistent lack of quality sleep puts you at a much higher risk for memory loss and other cognitive issues down the road.
3️⃣ Cold plunge, then workout, then sauna.
The order of this routine matters if you want to get the best results for performance and recovery. Starting with a cold plunge can boost adrenaline for your workout, while finishing with a sauna aids in muscle recovery and relaxation.
A Final Thought on Simplification
Here’s how you can simplify your life:
1️⃣ Laser focus beats overwork.
Success is about choosing the right dream to pursue, not just working harder on everything. Achieving a significant goal comes from concentrating your energy on the right objective, not from being busy for the sake of it.
2️⃣ One dollar in cash flow today is better than two dollars in future equity.
Real-time, predictable cash flow is what keeps your operation running and gives you options. Guaranteed income now is often more valuable than potential gains in the future, as it provides immediate stability.
3️⃣ Let your tenants pay off your loans.
Remember that you are in the principal pay-down business. The goal is to hold assets as your tenants’ rent payments build your equity for you. Do not be in a hurry to sell.
After all, the real question is: What are you doing that you don’t need to be doing?
Full List
Here’s the full list of all of the wisdom nuggets:
- Stick with the S&P for 5 years.
- Buy and hold.
- Cost average, always.
- Dividends + real estate depreciation = wealth.
- Cash flow over net worth.
- Avoid problem properties.
- Sell the problem properties.
- Building cash flow takes time.
- Starting a fund takes years.
- Flipping is fun, but risky.
- Spend time with your kids now.
- Put your phone away at home.
- Make date nights non-negotiable.
- Start with love.
- Don’t stop asking your teens to hang out.
- Winning is about gratitude.
- Read “Parenting with Love and Logic.”
- Focus on HRV.
- Sleep is essential.
- Cold plunge → workout → sauna.
Conclusion
These wisdom nuggets reveal a consistent philosophy: prioritize what generates reliable, long-term value over what looks impressive on paper.
The real wisdom: Stop chasing complexity and start doubling down on the fundamentals that actually work. As the final question suggests, most of what we think we “need” to be doing is just noise distracting us from the simple strategies that build lasting success.
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