Why?
“He who has a why to
live for can bear almost any how.” Friedrich Nietzsche
Why do you do
what you do?
Why? is a potent question. This seemingly innocuous
combination of three letters has the potential to cause havoc or an unnerving
degree of anguish when addressing a sensitive subject.
Do you ever stop to think about why you …
… do the job you do?
… live where you do?
… drive that particular car?
… go to that particular holiday destination?
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I have to pause and revisit
the reasons for my daily actions. Otherwise, the risk is that I fall into habits
of activity, the original purpose for which may be long gone.
Why Property?
Going back many years, when The Other Half and I started
investing in property, we simply bought what worked for us at the time – a holiday
home, a pied-a-terre in London – and were lucky to ride the crest of an
increasing house price wave. The over-riding reason was … fun! It added value
to our corporate-centric lives.
Since those heady days back in the late 1980’s we’ve had plenty
of ups and downs in property and life, acquiring a few rentals along the way. Years
later, we eventually realised that property had come to form the backbone of
our income, sustaining us through a multitude of moves, job changes, life and business
challenges and too many hair-brained schemes.
When we started, the income factor was not important, but
that has changed. Now, property is our business and the rental portfolio our
primary source of income. If we don’t “do” property, we don’t eat. Quite an
incentive to make it work, don’t you think? (Oh ok, I’m exaggerating just a
little – but we wouldn’t be able to go to nice restaurants!)
What’s Your Why?
Chances are, in reading this you are either considering or
already investing in property yourself.
Why? What is your over-riding purpose?
What is the ultimate reason for which you are purchasing property and renting
it out, that will keep you going through the days when tenants can’t or won’t
pay the rent, when they do a bunk and leave a mess, when you lose out on a deal
that you’ve been working on for weeks or more? What is worth the time and
hassle involved in renovating or flipping, or (gasp) the risk of losing money?
Some people invest in property because they love it – they relish
getting down and dirty with the physical bricks and mortar, or thrive on the
thrill of cutting the deal. For others, investing is a means to an end. There might
be almost as many motives as there are readers, but examples for the latter
group could include:
- Not enough pension for the lifestyle you want during retirement
- Being able to give up a hated job
- Having a more flexible lifestyle
- Helping your children get a foot on the property ladder
- Securing your family’s future
- Getting a decent return on your money.
Let’s be honest. There might well be times you wish you had
never started. So what is it that will get you through that and break through
the pain barrier to the long term reward? You may not like going to the gym,
but you do it for the gratification of good health and an enviable physique in
the long term.
As Nietzsche says, it’s the why that will get you through
the how’s. To find your why, ask yourself:
Why am I investing in
property?
When you have an answer to that, ask:
What does that get for
me?
Repeat the above question until you get to a word or phrase
that resonates emotionally, a little mental “Ah!” of satisfaction and recognition that says “yes, that’s it, that’s why I’m doing it.”
Check in with yourself every year or so to make sure that
reason is still valid. Circumstances change, attitudes change and it’s ok to uncover
a different outcome with a different why.
Key point: to invest in
property successfully, uncover the deep-down emotional reason why it is
important to you.
Helpful books:
Jayne Owen
Writer: Your Property Network magazine
Investor: Mozaique Property, South & West Wales ( @jayneowen)
Editor: The Property Bookshop (@Property_Books)
Personal and Professional Leadership Coach
Writer: Your Property Network magazine
Investor: Mozaique Property, South & West Wales ( @jayneowen)
Editor: The Property Bookshop (@Property_Books)
Personal and Professional Leadership Coach