“Some people WANT it to happen, some WISH it would happen, others MAKE it happen.” – Michael Jordan : NBA Legend

I just recently watched the movie Bohemian Rhapsody which in case you have no idea what that is about, it is the story of the rock icons Queen. If you still have no idea who Queen is, not the Queen of England, I’m sure you know the songs We Will Rock You or the title song of the movie, Bohemian Rhapsody, or We Are The Champions. All legendary songs that will live on forever. Needless to say, I loved the movie. And I am so glad they kept it with a PG-13 rating since it could have very easily been made R. You should definitely watch it.

The reason I am writing a Finance blog post about Queen was because of something that happened in the movie. I honestly did not know the background to how Queen came to exist and I don’t know how accurate the movie really is. But if it is anything close to what is portrayed then it is worth discussing.

Dumb Luck

So in the movie Freddy Mercury, at that time using his real name, just happened to be in the right place at the right time and met with a band right after their lead singer quit. They basically told him to take a hike but he let his vocals change their mind and basically that is how Queen started.

Now looking back at that specific moment in time, was it just dumb luck? Was one of the most influential bands in history formed just by chance? A million things could have prevented that moment from happening. He didn’t go to the concert that day, he didn’t walk out back to congratulate the band, the singer didn’t quit that day, the band took off before he got there, he was too scared to do anything, the list goes on. So the dumb luck possibility is one theory. But I would like to explore another possibility.

Make Your Luck

Freddy had been a big fan of this small town band and had been following them for a long time. He knew their songs and he also knew he had a talent that he had developed on his own. He put himself in a position to be at the right place at the right time to then seize an opportunity. I assume neither he nor any of the other band members knew they would have the level of success that they received but this is what they wanted to do. Freddy wanted to be a singer in a band and he made it happen.

He could have sat at home and done something else with his time. He could have accepted his fate to just get a job and follow the rules like the rest of the world. But he decided to TAKE ACTION. He did everything just right. Made all the small steps it takes to get to a great starting point and then built an empire from that humble beginning.

Take Action

No matter where you are on your path to financial independence you will never get to where you want to be by doing nothing. Doing nothing keeps you where you are at. I recently heard that the Army Officer handbook says that in a time of conflict being attacked you are more likely to die if you stay still. Fear will kill you. But if you move you have an 80% chance of survival. So don’t sit still and die.

Whether your dream is to start a business, or buy rental properties, or invest in some other way to reach financial independence you can’t do it if you only dream about it. You have to move and make it happen. It may seem like luck along the way. But by simply working at it, you will see great things happen.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Start learning the basics. Read books, read blogs, listen to podcasts, watch webinars, go to meetups and talk with people that are doing what you want to do. This will help with your learning curve and build your confidence. Along the way you will network and make connections with people that may help you one day.

If you want to buy rental properties, start by analyzing one or two properties every day. It doesn’t matter if you don’t plan to buy it, just run the numbers so you can become an expert in analyzing properties. Start calling banks and find a lender that you like and that will work with you. Find a Realtor that will help you. But you must always run your own analysis, don’t ever rely on somebody else’s analysis.

If you want to start a business, learn about that industry. Find out what licenses may be needed and if any regulations exist for it. Find a business owner whether in that industry or not and ask them how they got started.

Baby Steps

Just start with the basics. Don’t overwhelm yourself. But don’t sit still. In the game of Chess a lowly Pawn can become a Queen if it can make it all the way across the board one space at a time. Don’t just settle down and watch TV every day. Personally I practically don’t watch any TV. I feel it is a waste of my time. I am always looking for the next deal or forming a plan for something.

I’ve mentioned it before, but I started learning. I read a lot, I listened to a lot of podcasts, I watched a lot of webinars, and I asked a lot of questions. Once I felt comfortable enough I had to push past the fear. I bought my first four-plex. That starting point got me to my next properties about a year and a half later. But along the way I met a lot of people. Some potential and future partners on some deals. That led me to my next deal which alone is expected to be enough to have a life changing result. The people I reached out to on that deal looking for potential partners, led me to my next potential deal.

It’s one I’m still working on now so I can’t give too much information but it involves purchasing a business that should produce a high income for all the partners and which will lead to definite future deals that span from it. If it happens I will document it because it will be awesome!

So, the point of all of this is YOU can be the next Freddy Mercury and Queen in doing whatever it is you want to do. But you can’t just hope that it will happen to you. You must get out there and MAKE IT HAPPEN! Once you get involved and immerse yourself in that thing, you will see the change. YOU are the author of YOUR destiny. Take action today so you can look back on today 2 or 3 years from now and be amazed for what you’ve accomplished.