Are you looking to make a name for yourself? Are you worried that you will get lost in a sea of competition? Well, these are good questions and honest thoughts. However, don’t let limiting beliefs stop you from committing to your future.
I have been a US Marine for 23 years, and I learned a few things along the way. One thing I learned is to add to your resume continually. As a Marine, I need to go on deployments, attend courses, and participate in conferences.
All of these things add to my career stats, along with staying in shape and earning awards. After 23 years, I have a long list of achievements and accolades. These things mean a great deal in the military but probably won’t transfer over to the civilian world.
My 60-Day Pre-Retirement
A different path. Thus, as I transition out of the Marines, I have to create a new resume. If I want to stay in the world of Marine Air Traffic Control, then my resume is befitting. But, I don’t ever want to work for someone again, so what are my options?
I can build my own Happy Cash Flow Retirement system consisting of military retirement, dividends, and rental income. For the most part, these endeavors are passive. What will I do with my time?
Enter Royalties. Royalties are one of my favorite sources of passive income. Royalty income is cash flow you receive when someone purchases your creative works.
Royalty income is extremely fickle. It’s funny because things you think will sell well may not sell. Others you feel questionable about may go on to burn up the charts. It’s fascinating because the market wants what the market wants.
Why You Need a Job
But you can’t just create one thing and believe people will flock to you. You have to put in the work to earn people’s respect and hard-earned money. If you consider writing a couple of blog posts or taking a couple of pictures enough to garner respect, try again.
Create your body of work. In the creative world, your resume is your body of work. A body of work proves that you have what it takes to succeed in this brave new world.
When you begin your creative journey, you’ll have no work, and you will suck at what you want to create. In my case, I was not a great writer, blogger, or creator. My blog posts were short, and my artwork was lame.
How to FALL into Investing
No matter how bad you start, always keep your historical body of work. It’s impressive to see where you came from, and your fans will love to see your origin story unfold.
How to create. You create when you have an abundance of information and motivation in your mind & spirit. Thus, to create, you need to find your “why” and consume as much content as possible.
At the intersection of your self-determination and the information you gathered, your mind will want to merge ideas and experiences into something creative. What your brain creates is different for everyone.
Debt-Free? So, What’s Next?
I classify creative works into six categories: music, photography, art & design, video, audio & speech, and writing. I am sure there are many more, but these are the ones I notice the most.
To create, you need to consume and create regularly. For example, I read at least one hour a day, talk to my wife for at least one hour on the phone, and watch 2-3 hours of YouTube a day while making art.
Create content daily. As you consume content, your brain will tell you that you have a different opinion or perspective than what you read or hear. That is your mind saying to create something.
The Magic of House Hacking
If I read that aiming for $2,000/month in dividend income is ideal, and I believe that $10,000/month is better, then now I have an article to write, “$2,000 or $10,000/month in dividends?”
You should be creating something every single day. I read this in “The Practice” and have stuck to this since reading these impactful words. You need to exercise your brain every single day. Not only create, but release your work every day.
Why create daily? You create daily because your mind will start to think like a producer. You’ll listen to information with a powerful ear. You’ll find content in everything you hear, watch, and discuss.
Losing Friends? You’re Doing Something Right
I read in a book that if you hear a problem three times, you should create a solution. I always hear that people fear cryptocurrencies, so I wrote “Crypto Investing 102: Overcome Your Fear of Cryptocurrencies.”
As you create daily, your body of work will grow tremendously. Not only will your catalog grow, but you’ll also get better and can create faster. You’ll become more proficient than you ever would imagine.
It takes 10,000 hours to become great at something, so why wait? Create, create, and create.
What are some use cases for your body of work? Your body of work is your resume. Whatever you do in life, you can now refer to your body of work. If you are an artist, you can have a Facebook group with all of your artwork.
What Type of Home Business Should You Start?
When people ask what you do, you can say you are an artist and refer them to your work. You’ll be surprised at the new doors that this will open for you. Not many people (1-3%) are creators and can produce a massive library of work.
Show the world that you are not just talented but consistent as well. Ultimately, showing that you can create every day will be a massive boon for your reputation.
In the business world, investors don’t want to see entrepreneurs present ideas; they want to see products. Thus, the entrepreneur with a working prototype or an active website will win.
RE Lifestyles 2: Investor vs. Lender
Therefore, when you show others you have 850+ blog posts, they understand your commitment to the process. It’s fantastic to build your own resume. It’s also good for the soul to release your creative works into the world.
Conclusion. Are you looking to build your reputation? Build your portfolio of creative works. Your body of work will tell the world that it is to take you seriously.
Are you looking to get started? Start consuming books in your discipline. Learn as much as possible, then combine ideas and experiences into wholly unique creations. You’ll get there if you want!
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Disclosure: I am not a financial advisor or money manager, and any knowledge is given as guidance and not direct actionable investment advice. I am an Amazon Affiliate. Please research any investment vehicles that are being considered. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. All Right Reserved Military Family Investing
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