What Are Your Goals for 2009?
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
