Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Most Successful Financial Strategies

In one’s quest to be a successful person, work ethic and perseverance is the traditional key to reach our dreams. Since we started learning that hard work pays off, we come to think that each step of activity will get us where we want to be. However, for people who want to be self-made millionaires, they know that a lot more is at stake.

In a changing financial mindset, self-made millionaire Jamie McIntyre believes that hard work is not enough. The truth is, if hard work is the end of it all then there should be more successful people. After all, can we actually say to ourselves that we have outworked everyone? Even when we worked at our utmost capacity, we know that someone can still outwork us. Thus, when it comes to adapting a millionaire’s mindset, hard work does not hold much water.

This is the value of a successful financial strategy. Along with a changing mindset, financial strategies are a reflection of smart work. As Jamie McIntyre said, “working hard and making money have nothing to do with each other in the 21st century.” Hard work can surely take you places. However, if you want to make money, you have to care more than “working hard.”

Let us take the example of Jamie McIntrye’s father. As a farmer, his father is now a prosperous and financially independent person at his age. Learning from Jamie’s grandfather, his father believed that hard work is the key to success. Even when he became rich he still believed in that. However, hard work is just an integral part of being rich. His father instead found a way to create wealth by buying land at a low price and waited to increase its value over a period of time. All the while, his wealth is created even while sleeping. Where is the hard work in that? Finding a successful strategy is more about intuition and changing perception. Sometimes hard work even blinds us to a point that we stop thinking and that is when things can get frisky. If you want to develop a successful financial strategy, start thinking.

Another well driven financial strategy is finding the opportunities in risks. As you can imagine, these strategies are not your normal laundry methods where you wash, dry, and repeat. Finding the best opportunities involves having the heart and the focus to make tough decisions despite the overwhelming forces that can stop you from acting on your instinct.

Jamie McIntyre continues his family story in driving this point. His mother always wanted a coffee shop that she could own for herself. Seeing the opportunity, her mother bought a coffee shop business. However, when the seller also offered the building where the coffee shop is located, she did not buy it since that would mean borrowing the needed money to finance the purchase of the building.

As the years go by, she struggled to manage her coffee shop to a point that she did not pay herself a salary. What more, she struggled to pay the rent of the building that could have been hers. In the end all her hard work in what seems to be a promising business, turned into more hard work. The spiral continues.

In this example, Jamie McIntyre tells us that if we are presented with an opportunity, it is not enough to think hard. Thinking hard involves being too hesitant while losing the will to act. Meanwhile, thinking smart will allow us to see the opportunities before the hindrances speak to us. Jamie explained that if her mother made the right move and bought the building, she could have been presented with more successful options.

Successful financial strategies come from an evolving financial mindset and the gut to act on your financial instinct. Thus, the biggest return does not come from hard work. Instead, it comes from unlocking keys of wealth creation by working smartly.

About the Author: Steven Miller is passionate about learning wealth creation with millionaire Jamie McIntyre who owns 21st Century Academy and it’s group of companies.

Friday, May 23, 2008

What Is A 21st Century Education?

Introduction

The concept of this modern day education might be an abstract and imaginative idea even today. Even when the wonders of technology and high finance continues to be an untapped resource where one can take advantage, the perception of most people still rely on the thinking process of the last century. As they say, people who are enjoying the trend are the ones who end up being ordinary. Thus the concept of this kind of education tries to change the olden perspective.

Education in the 21st Century

One can ask why wealth-building is a 21st century perspective. In other words, why is there a date to it?

The lingo denotes a lot of things. First, the twenty first century represents a trend and a future. This kind of education persists at a time where wealth creation through the latest technology exploits, and finance with ever increasing capital mobility is possible. Thus, this idea will continue to be relevant and critical for people willing to find the best economic standing today. Second, twenty first century education denotes a time removed from previous centuries. Therefore, there is a historical hinge to the meaning of this kind of education. The 19th century is a drive toward modernity where one can be successful by a good education and hard work. The 20th century talks about a highly urban lifestyle and the increasing relevance of college education and white collar jobs. The 21st century talks about a different perspective in which anyone who sees the trend can identify with.

Finally, the aim of this modern day education is to ask people why we think the same way for two centuries. It hopes to promote a new way of looking at a healthy financial lifestyle using today’s practices.

Challenging How We Learn

The key to education is to leave classic education behind or to modify it to be at par with the ever changing times. Unfortunately, the shift of university education to develop people with the skills of today’s demanding job cycles is not catching up. The new education does not only question how we learn but also why we need to study what we study. Does the current educational system adaptive enough to make a student successful ten to twenty years down the line? Are we teaching students about financial responsibility?

Changing Perspective

Knowing that there is a system to teach us how to be successful today is sadly not enough. Since there are no institutions that can put up a curriculum, we might be hard pressed to equip ourselves with this kind of education. However, if a few very successful people can apply it now, why can’t we?

This modern day education talks about catching up with a changed perspective. It all starts with opening our minds and being flexible with all the ideas an education feeds. There are some ideas that we might not agree on, but then we can contribute to the trend all the same. Learning the ropes of today’s world starts with finding way to think creatively in a very creative world, and getting your ideas out in a world that breathes on global fad.

Wealth creation is a 21st century perspective. It teaches us that wealth creation is not exclusive for the rich. This time, the masses can be empowered to create a healthy financial lifestyle. By applying the principles of this education, we can exploit the market lows, save us from debt, and ensure comfortable lifestyle years after retirement.

A Wise Investment

Acquiring a 21st century education is definitely not a get-rich quick scheme. Instead, it is an investment that should compound over time and give very rewarding returns. A changing mindset is the first step in being ahead of today’s financial curve along with taking the ideas as a serious educational form. Only with this realization can we appreciate the importance of this modern day education.

About the Author: Steven Miller is passionate in learning wealth creation with 21st Century Academy’s self-made millionaire Jamie McIntyre who has learned from the likes of Anthony Robbins, Robert Kiyosaki and many more. Learn some wealth education tips and get a free $97 DVD or a free ebook or enroll in the free e-course.