In the pursuit of a life that’s just one percent better everyday, I like to reflect on how I spend my time daily and tweak when needed. Time is that ultimately precious resource, and I want to make a conscious effort not to waste mine. So every few months I take a moment and reflect on what is and is not adding value to my life, and adjust as needed. While this is typically an exercise done in solitude and only shared with close family, I enjoyed sharing these habits back in September. Re-evaluating my goals and supporting habits publicly is a bit daunting, but the benefit of sharing habits that make me happier is worth it.
I recently reread Everything That Remains, and enjoy the discussion around goals, and how detrimental they can be if taken the wrong way. Joshua from The Minimalists loosely likens goals to deadlines, something that sounds a bit too much like “work” for him.
I get it.
Years of obnoxious and arbitrary weekly reports, monthly goals, quarterly planning sessions and annual performance reviews are riddled with goals and objectives. And personally, holding on too stringently to a goal can blind one to the meaning and intent behind the goal. Given the past year and my personal pursuit of improving physical health, I immediately jump to weight loss. If I starve myself for three months in pursuit of a weight loss goal of 20 pounds, does hitting the goal really serve the intent of the goal: better health?
To this effect, I’m rebranding. Instead of pursuing goals, I’ll focus on intentions. It’s a subtle shift, but one that’s more in the spirit of the freedom I’ve curated in my days.
Intentions I’m Pursuing
Improve Physical Fitness
Over a decade behind a desk under the blue-white glow of florescent lighting left my health in a less-than-optimal state. Since I joined the corporate life, I gained 50 pounds, developed horrible posture, a love of high sugar and high fat foods, and a thirst for heavy amounts of alcohol to dull the pain. On the rare occasion that I tracked steps with my phone, I discovered most days I clocked in around 1,000 steps daily. Convenience foods filled my belly regularly, and my de-stressing habits centered around unhealthy activities like watching TV, going out for heavy dinners and boozing.
In November 2019, about six months after I left my corporate job, I joined a hiking group that changed the course of my health-improvement efforts more than any of us could have imagined. I reset my thinking from weight loss to training. My goals focused away from the scales and more towards specific tasks: complete the couch to 5k program, run one mile without stopping, swim half a mile in 40 minutes, etc.
Today I can run three miles, swim (almost!) one mile in 50 minutes, rock tree and dancer’s pose in yoga class, and hike uphill without passing out. As a consequence, I happened to drop 30 pounds.
Build Passive Income
Residential multifamily real estate assets are my current investment vehicle. There are many ways to invest money, this one just happens to be the one I’m most comfortable with, so it’s the one I’m sticking with for now. My current strategy is long-term buy and hold for rentals, buying properties that need some improvements and have rents below market. I bring the properties up to modern standards and raise rents, increasing the value of the asset and the cash flow.
Continuing to build passive income allows me the freedom to avoid the W2 income way of life. My current passive income is lean, but enough to live off of. The goal is grow this to a more comfortable, cushy amount without adding too much stress. Luckily, I still enjoy the challenge of renovating multifamily properties and giving good people good homes, so the stress factor is low, especially compared to my old corporate gig.
Minimize Expenses, Maximize Fun
In order to live within my means given the current, lean passive cash flow, I want to minimize expenses. I’d rather invest excess money into assets that will bring in more cash flow rather than on expenses.
I’ve been pretty good at shaving down expenses without sacrificing quality in my life, and for the past several months have been more focused on the “minimize expenses” part. But what’s the advantage in minimizing expenses if I’m not pursuing fun in the process. So this month I’m adding to this intention and plan on having some more fun over the next few months.
Optimize My Home Environment
Home is where the heart is… and we’ve all been spending way more time at home since the pandemic. Luckily (?) for me, I had some practice pre-pandemic, and appreciate how important it is for home to be a lovely space for me and my family to enjoy. The more smoothly the household runs, the happier we all are.
I truly believe that our environment has an impact on our mood, and want to make a conscious effort to improve both in my life.
Pursue Happiness
This is a new intention for me. And it really shouldn’t be. It’s so easy to take happiness, or the pursuit of happiness, for granted. So this quarter I’m making a conscious effort to pursue things that make me happy. No other reason. Sure, there may be other benefits, but what’s the point of this time-rich life if I’m not doing things that make me happier – and discovering new things that add value to my life.
Habits That Make Me Happier
Morning Exercise | Improve Physical Fitness
I’ve made a small modification to my weekly exercise routine – switched swimming for running on Fridays and pushed back my run times (thank you autumn!).
- Monday: 8am run three miles at a local park; 10:30am yoga class
- Tuesday: 9am lap swim for 45 minutes; 10:30am body flow class
- Wednesday: 8am run three miles at a local park
- Thursday: 9am lap swim for 45 minutes; 10:30am yoga class
- Friday: 8am run three miles at a local park
- Saturday: 7:30am hike six-seven miles with hiking group
Why push back my morning run times? Easy… prioritizing sleep!
Prioritize Sleep | Improve Physical Fitness
I’ve been much more tired lately. Perhaps it’s the changing seasons. Or the increased activity. Maybe the busy schedules and family visit recently. Regardless, that midday slump has turned into a late morning until dinnertime slump.
Then my energy pops back up. And I struggle to go to sleep in the evenings.
It’s like the crisp autumn air and earlier sunsets are invigorating me. Which is great in theory. But while temperatures are dropping, Central Texas is still rocking 80+ degree temperatures, and I refuse to run at a temperature higher than 75 degrees if I can avoid it, hence I need to get that out of the way before it gets too hot.
Lately, I’ve been heavier on the evening wine to get myself to sleep. Occasionally, this is completely acceptable. But lately, I’ve been overdoing it. I can tell because I’m dehydrated in the mornings, and my run suffers as a result.
So, I’m prioritizing chamomile tea in the evenings and taking a magnesium and calcium supplement with dinner to encourage an earlier sleep time.
Solidify My Real Estate Team | Build Passive Income
Over the few years I’ve been investing, the importance of having a solid real estate team has solidified. Since I currently invest in a town that’s a couple of hours away from me, the importance of a solid team is even more paramount.
When I first began investing in my small town, I had a good real estate agent, and nothing else. I asked for contractor recommendations, and after trying to schedule a few, I settled on one. Because he was the only one that showed up.
That was a mistake.
He did bad work, and did not finish work I paid him for. In my haste, I did not put together a proper contract. And he walked away with a few thousand dollars for work he did not do. That was a hard lesson to learn.
I have since found an absolutely amazing contractor in the area. He’s turned five of my units, and has walked through potential investment properties with me to give cost estimates and feedback and cost estimates on work needed. My real estate agent and I trust him, and he enjoys working with me – it’s a great working relationship.
Back in February when I tried to refinance my 8-unit property with banks local to where I live, I really struggled. Several banks promised rates and terms they did not live up to. I had eleventh hour changes that were ridiculous, and in the end backed out and chose to stick with my private loan until I turned more units. It was costly. Frustrating. And demoralizing.
After speaking to fellow investors, I was encouraged to find a lender local to my area. I reached out to several and met with a few, and have settled on a wonderful lender who understands the area, what I do, and the value I bring to a deal. We are currently refinancing my 8-unit and he’s helping me understand how I can continue to work with his bank on future projects.
I will continue to nurture and grow these professional relationships and solidify my real estate team. After a year working in this area, I finally feel like I have a solid team, and I’m excited about how this will grow my passive income.
Draft My 2021 Investment Plan | Build Passive Income
In-line with growing my professional relationships, I will draft my 2021 investment plan.
But not in a vacuum.
In prior years, this was an isolated endeavor. I would sit down for about an hour, consider what I could do and what assets and capital I had to make it happen, and develop a plan. I will do the same this year, but I’ll take it a step further and consult my lender, real estate agent, and contractor and see how we can all work together towards these goals.
Protest 2020 Property Taxes | Minimize Expenses, Maximize Fun
This one is heavy on the “Minimize Expenses” and pretty light on the “Maximize Fun” side of things, but it’s a necessary evil.
I encourage anyone with property – personal or investment – to protest property taxes. At the very least, educate yourself on the process. In my area, I can ask my local tax assessor-collector for their analysis, which includes comps in the area and notes on how they assessed the value of my property.
For the past few years as an investor, I have always asked for their tax assessment proof, and requested an informal tax protest meeting. I study their assessment, and bring photos of items on my properties that need work and bring down the value. This can be anything from appliances that need upgrading, HVAC systems, water heaters, damage inside from the last walk-through.. even neighboring properties that are deteriorating can bring your value down. Every time I’ve had this meeting, my taxes have gone down a bit.
It’s boring. But worth it.
Plan Mini Adventures | Minimize Expenses, Have Fun
The weather’s cooling off, and my State Park Pass is burning a hole in my pocket. Texas has some amazing state parks, and planning a day trip is a great adventure. So far I’ve gone to Enchanted Rock a couple of times, and Guadalupe River State Park. Since it’s not too chilly, I can still squeeze in a few “watering hole” spots. I’ll probably try to catch Lost Maples State Park in time for their autumn display (fingers crossed, it’s usually short-lived).
As Christmas approaches, I’m researching the best places to see Christmas lights in the area, and will use this as an excuse for some evening road trips with hot cocoa.
Clean Out Closet | Optimize My Home Environment
Losing weight has one of those love-hate side effects. Clothes start fitting differently. A couple years ago I bought some “fat clothes” that I no longer need. I also have some “I’m too fat clothes” that I moved to the back of my closet.
When my partner’s family came to town, I was behind on laundry and tried on one of those “I’m too fat” pair of trousers and, what do you know, they fit well.
Which means my wardrobe needs culling.
The rest of the closet could use some attention as well. Closets have a way of storing those things we really don’t know what to do with. Luckily the rest of the house got a ridiculous spring cleaning treatment due to my partner’s parents visit. They are lovely, but his mom is a retired interior designer, so I go a bit over-the-top cleaning the majority of the house when they visit. Which isn’t a bad thing. Bookshelves got their annual dusting 😉
So this quarter I’ll focus my organizing and purging energies on the dark corners of my home, like the bedroom closet. It’ll make getting dressed in the morning easier. And bonus, I’ll find clothes I need and may put them on the Christmas wish list.
Backyard Gardens & Landscaping | Optimize My Home Environment
Yard work. The bane of my existence. Also, the bane of my partner’s existence.
We do not enjoy yard work.
I enjoy the look of a beautiful yard and garden. But mowing seems like such a dumb thing. Grass, itself, seems like a futile effort in Central Texas. So this summer I sat down with my partner and we talked about what we could do to make our backyard less of a hazard and more of an oasis.
This past spring, we built a brick patio. Which is AMAZING.
But the yard itself does not do the patio justice.
In our discussion, we discovered we both hate mowing and weed eating. I want shrubs against the back fence to block the view of close neighbors and help my home feel less like a house in the middle of suburbia. I’d also enjoy a small vegetable and pollinator garden.
So we made a plan, plotted out our garden beds, discovered wax myrtles as a great solution for our climate and living privacy fence in the backyard. And he discovered microclover.
If we didn’t have a dog, we’d be more inclined to put in fake, real-looking turf – and have not completely ruled this out if current plans don’t work out. But microclover promises some great upsides. It’s very resilient to droughts and poor, clay-heavy soil. It doesn’t grow past six inches and will likely never need to be mowed. And it’s pretty.
So this autumn, as the weather cools and the Texas sun becomes less oppressive, we will prepare our gardens for spring planting, plant our hedges, and seed our lawn.
Fingers. Crossed.
Morning Reading | Pursue Happiness
Like much of the world, I watched The Social Dilemma. Unlike much of the world, the addictiveness and data collection tied to social media did not surprise me.
In my previous, corporate life, I worked in data analytics, and as a data scientist. Eventually I managed three teams: data science, business analytics, and reporting. I never doubted how feeds change based on how you interact with them, or how these algorithms are built. Hell, I’ve built my own algorithms in my day.
What I did reflect on, however, was my daily use of social media.
I really didn’t think it was a big deal. Or that I used it a lot. Then I started tracking when I picked up my phone, and was not pleased. Turns out my old corporate-life habit of checking my emails when I wake up simply switched to checking social media when I wake up.
Facepalm.
So I installed an app called Blocksite and now can only reach social media on my laptop. And since my laptop is more for things like writing blog posts, fiction, and financial tracking of my properties, social media isn’t a big pull on there.
Instead, I’ve been reading for the hour between waking and exercise. And it’s awesome. I read either one of my library books or my monthly Scientific American magazine. A welcome improvement to mind-numbing scrolling.
Weekly Blog Post | Pursue Happiness
Last, but not least, I want to recommit myself to weekly blog posts.
I’ve enjoyed contributing to this blog. I enjoy learning of other bloggers and keeping up with them. I’m slowly finding a group of individuals online that I can identify with, that share my values and whose thoughts add value to my life. And I’d like to contribute to those conversations in my own small way.
This weekly writing exercise will, hopefully, improve my writing skills. And hopefully that will translate into more fiction writing. Simply developing the habit and cadence is huge, and this blog is helping me get there.
Writing is one of those habits that makes me happy, and contributes to a life that’s just one percent better everyday.