Hello again fellow investor,
After a nice and relaxing Christmas break, I’m back in the swing of things, and I’m all pumped up for an 
exciting and productive 2009! And as I always do near the beginning of each year, I created a list of personal and business goals for myself. I considered keeping this list all to myself, but I’ve come to realize that someone who makes his or her goals public is MUCH more likely to achieve them. And I’m determined to achieve my goals, so I’ve listed them below for you and the rest of the world to see!
My 2009 Goals:
Expand MyHouseDeals.com nationwide – We currently provide wholesale deals and motivated seller leads in the ten largest metro areas in the U.S. And we’re about to expand to five more cities. But that’s not enough! I’ve always dreamed of taking this site nationwide, and with the recent increase in bargain-priced properties across the country, 2009 is the perfect year to do it!
Add 5 rental properties to my portfolio – I like to add properties to my portfolio on a regular basis. (Ones with instant equity, of course!) True wealth is built by acquiring properties on a regular basis and holding them forever! Forever is Warren Buffet’s favorite holding time, so I’ve made it mine too!
Read at least 12 books – Much of who I am, what I think, and what I believe is based on the books I read. I never know which book is going to make a big impact on my life, so I have to read dozens of them to find the diamonds in the rough. It’s just like with real estate. You have to look at a lot of properties before landing on the ones with the biggest profit potential!
Exercise at least 3 times per week – I’ve been doing this for the last ten years, and I have no plans to stop anytime soon. Without your health, money means nothing!
Eat a plate of vegetables at least 3 times per week – Seems like every week they come out with another benefit of eating vegetables. So I’ll keep eating them! When are they going to come out with a positive report on something that actually tastes good … like cheesecake? That’ll be the day!
Volunteer to teach a business course through Junior Achievement – I get so wrapped up in my own business that I forget to give back. In late 2006, I volunteered at the local cancer hospital once a week. I was the guy who pushed around the book cart so that patients could have something to read. But I got so busy with work and travel that I had to quit. It’s time to give back again! This time, I’m going to do something a little different. I’ll teach business and personal finance to young students. I’m excited already!
Fund a scholarship at my old high school – When I was a senior in high school, I remember that there were hardly any local college scholarships available to me and my classmates. I wondered why only two or three out of thousands of alums were willing to give scholarships. Well, it’s my turn to step up to the plate! This year, I’ll give a scholarship to help someone from my old stomping ground get a good college education.
Clear the clutter from my office – I’m usually pretty good at staying organized, but lately, piles of paper, and especially piles of boxes have stacked up in my office. For the longest time, I wasn’t even aware of the contents of those boxes, but I poked my head into one of them the other day and realized that they contain copies of the Advanced Short Sale System that Tim Mai and I created. I must clear this clutter, so these boxes must go … at any price! Be on the lookout for a huge sale on these items over the next few days.
But enough about my goals. What are YOUR goals for 2009? Share them here by adding a comment below, and put them on display for the entire world to see! This blog gets thousands of hits, so your goals will get all of the exposure that’s necessary to motivate you to reach them!
Until next time, happy (and profitable) investing!
Doug Smith
President
myHouseDeals.com
great post doug! i especially like your resolution to teach the kids through junior achievement. i think i’m going to look into that myself. my main 2 goals for 2009 are 1) spend more time with my family and 2) spend at least 5 hours a week making offers on real estate. you’re right, there are more discounted properties than ever. i’m seeing prices here in south florida that i haven’t seen since the 90’s. and from what i read, most parts of the country are in a similar boat. happy 2009 everyone!
hey Doug!
Thats so exciting that youre going to expand the website! My sister lives in Oklahoma City and she could really use a service like this, is that one of your new cities?
I guess my main resolution for 2009 is to get in shape. I havent worked out since college, but Ive decided to start going to yoga classes… Wish me luck! (ps how the hell have you worked out three times every single week for ten years?? no wonder youre so good at softball!) Of course, buying some rental properties is on my list, too.
I dont have any yet, but I know that Ill be able to do it with your help! Speaking of which, Ive always been interested in your short sale system but Ive just never wanted to spend what you were charging. How much are you selling them for now? and where do I look to find out about it?
Hope you have a great year!
~ sarah k
I used to always make new year resolutions but I never followed through, so in the last few years I quit doing that and instead I just make goals for myself. This has worked out much better. I think the main difference between resolutions and goals is that goals come with a plan and have to be realistic. My goals are
1. To expand my real estate business. I’m a wholesaler and I want to start buying houses to rent out. There won’t be a better time to do that than this year.
2. I want to make 20% more money than I made last year. I won’t tell you how much that is
3. I want to go to at least one seminar or boot camp to learn more about the business
4. I want to find a hobby to help me relax when I’m not working
Doug, thanks for the leads. Happy new year to you and your family. I’ll check back with you at the end of the year to see if you accomplished all your goals.
please send me more information on how to take a real estate course on investing with no money down? especially since the banks are not loaning money?
Doug, your enthusiasm is contagious! I love reading your posts!
This year, I am going to do my best to devote 2 solid hours each day, 5 days a week, to MONEY-MAKING activities … not paperwork, not managing all of the projects I have going on … things that will bring new $ my way in 2009. We all remember the days when that’s all we did as newbies, but as we get more experience, it’s easy to get caught up in the paper-shuffling status quo. I need to re-kindle the fire and quit riding the wave!
I also want to work on finding a way to give back to the investing community. A lot of people supported me when I started out, and I am trying to think of a way to support new investors in my area. You know, like a mentor/mentee program…I want to find someone to take under my wing and help them learn how to fly.
I liked your idea about reading — a book a month is a good goal. My favorite book is still Good to Great, but I’d love to hear about what you’re reading! It might lead me to a new favorite!
Best wishes for a prosperous 2009 -