Happy New Year !!!

2020 has created massive changes in so many aspects of our lives, Personally I quickly seized the opportunities the lockdowns and forced changes presented me. For the first time in years I took time to focus on my health. I was overweight verging on obese, the only exercise I was getting was when I was physically working and family time basically just didn't exist.

I had recognised that things needed to change for a while but felt I could never justify time away from the business. Suddenly in March I realised it was pointless working on my main business. Schools had far more pressing matters to deal with than me trying to sell them some artificial grass. I joined an online gym and changed my eating habits, my weight and general fitness improved. 12 weeks later my clothes fitted better, I was making time for myself and the family and overall I felt happier.

I had always planned to get into property, every time we bought a house for ourselves we added value so I also took the opportunity to get educated in property, I had agreed to buy a project earlier in the year and planned to figure things out along the way but quickly realised that despite my project management skills if I chose the right course and people to work with I could easily save more than the course would cost me by drawing on other peoples knowledge and experiences.

I've learnt and embraced the power of the 12 week year and journaling. I've always kept lists and planned things out but never to this level of detail and consistency and only rarely reflected on events. consequently I am achieving so much more. I haven't seen the biggest improvement in business though its been in my family life and my own personal well being. We have all heard the phrase "No one ever dies wishing they had spent more time at the office" but I could never figure out how to change this balance. I was always saying to myself when I've earnt this much, or when I have 3 jobs in the pipeline, I'll take a bit of time off, but it was just never happening and life was passing me by. . Recognising the importance of non work things means that they get considered first and work gets planned around it.

So 8 months on I've well and truly caught the property bug, I've analysed all kinds of different strategies along the way but my heart is in Flips, finding tired properties and creating desirable family homes, making profit for me and my investors.

I am really liking getting involved in the some of the property face book groups and as I owned a successful landscaping business for many years I have quite a bit of knowledge that I am finding the general community are appreciating and benefitting from.

Finally this year I want to own and develop commercial spaces for new businesses and entrepreneurs. Though the different iterations of my businesses I have rented on several small industrial estates and love the sense of community a well run site brings. I think shared office spaces and small business hubs are going to become a cornerstone of the developing economy going forward, so I'm actively looking for sites and opportunities to hold long term.

So unlike so many posts I have seen recently I don't think 2020 was a disaster, in fact it could be the beginning to the best chapter of my life yet. I have absolutely no inclination to make any new years resolutions because I already know I'm on the right track doing the right things that are going to bring me success in business and in life. I'll make a few mistakes this year but those will be lessons, if I'm not making mistakes I'm not pushing myself hard enough and I'll be accidently leaving opportunities on the table.

So I wish everyone a happy new year, its going to be another strange one for sure but one full of opportunity.