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NO B.S. FRIDAY: Announced! Did you win an i-pad?

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Today we announce the winners of the Knowledge Source Power Challenge. Drum roll please…

Ok, through the first four weeks of the year we ran the Knowledge Source Power Challenge – 8 simple exercises to focus your mind, steel your will, and set yourself up for a full-power year ahead. 

So the Knowledge Source algorithm has cranked its gears and given us the following winners:

First Prize Winner

Congratulations to Timbo – You have scored yourself a brand new, top of the line i-pad. Well done mate.

I had a read through all of Timbo’s responses, and I have to say he is a very worthy winner. He was there throwing out lovebombs of support to other people, and was really honest with how the challenges sat with him.

I did want to pick out one question Timbo had about the ‘Know Your Pain’ challenge:

“Jon, I have to ask you, as much as you say we should connect with our pain, isn’t this emphasising the negative? Is this really the way forward?”

This is a really good question, and this is a dance we all have to work with. We have to maintain a positive and optimistic outlook, but this can’t be done by blinding ourselves to the uglier aspects of our current reality – through acts of deliberate self-deception.

Everything needs to be made conscious – our pain, our short-comings, our fears – it all needs to be held with compassion and honesty. Once this is done, then it is time to fall back our faith, and trust that everything will work out for the best.

But that can only happen if we are doing our best to make everything conscious.

So well done, Timbo. Keep up the great work.

Power Challenge Winners’ Circle

Okay, so we have selected another eight winners to join the winner’s circle. Each winner will receive the full Dymphna Boholt Library – 5 books valued at $149.75 . In no particular order:

1. Debra Moloney

Debra’s responses were really touching, and it was great how honestly she shared how hard it was watching the effect of the drought on the farm, and to see her husband still working at 70 years of age, even though it’s supposed to be ‘our time’.

Debra says she’s giving herself permission to dream big about the future and enjoy the benefits. You go for it Debra. You deserve it.

2. Adam Stone

Adam seems to have a very clear focus on how he’s going to get away from his day job and set himself up as full time investor. He also has some great practices in place already. I think he’s well and truly on the way.

3. Gina Scriven

Gina is an artist, and it’s great to see someone creative applying these productivity practices to their craft. Wealth is just one of the areas we are trying to take to the next level. Really what we’re talking about is living a full-power, full-spectrum life. Go Gina.

4. Andrew Thomas

I was very happy to see Andrew’s name in the list. Andrew has already achieved fantastic results, and I remember a couple of years ago we got him up on stage on at the ILRE super-conference as one of our success stories. But he’s not resting on his laurels. And here he is, still dedicated to his own growth and performance. This is the stuff that greatness is made of.

5. Malcolm Gibson

Malcolm promised to give up chocolate for a week.  Full props for that.  I also loved how grounded Malcolm seemed on his ‘why’. Seems to have his priorities sorted.

6. Jodi Taylor

Jodi shared some beautiful reflections on how hard it can be to ask for help sometimes. She also said,

“I have a property that is perfect for Mark to take on, but have been too scared to tell him about because I don’t know him and I don’t have experience. I don’t want to look like a fool.”

I say, just do it Jodi. Tell you what – I know Mark Rolton. As you know, he doesn’t take just anyone one, but I’ll put in a personal word you, and say that you’ve just completed the Power Challenge, and that you are obviously a woman of commitment and dedication.

7. David Thorpe

David’s triumph over his body was to force himself to wash his car. Bravo. Like a lot of us, David also seems to be getting a handle on his limiting beliefs. This is a powerful start. Once you have identified the problem, the rest is just logistics.

8. Alison Clunes

Well done Alison for recognising that sometimes fear holds us back from taking action, and congratulations on finding a beautiful new partner who lets you practice the art of receiving. Up you go.

Congratulations!

So congratulations to everyone who took part. I hope it gave you real clarity and drive as the year began. And I hope it continues through the year for you.

If you are one of our winners, we will email you on the email address you used to submit your answers in the comments section of each challenge. Keep your eyes peeled for a direct email from us.

And congratulations again.

So proud of you all.

No B.S. Friday: This humbled me. Totally humbled me.

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Your responses to the Power Challenge really showed me just how far I have come and how much I have to be grateful for.

Ok, I’m still blown away that over 100 people made it all the way through the Knowledge Source Power Challenge.

This really is phenomenal. I am totally humbled that people gave it their time and energy, just as the year was lifting off the tarmac.

I know you all had a 1000 other things to do this month. But I’m blown away that there are that many people in this community who are willing to back themselves, invest in themselves, and who have enough faith to answer a call to action when it comes.

And having read through the responses, I’m so amazed at the positivity, the passion and the radical self-responsibility that came through again and again.

I wonder if people get just how much this juices me up.

And for me it’s been a powerful reminder of just where I’m at in life right now.

It wasn’t always this way. I used to be stuck. I used to be surrounded by people who thought it was all too hard, or too unfair, or just too cruel to give it their all – to invest themselves in their dreams.

… to put their hearts on the line.

But reading through the responses I can see how far I have come.

I can see that I’m now thick in a tribe of passion. Everywhere I turn now I meet people who are backing themselves, who are taking action, who are getting it done with a smile on their face.

This is not normal. This is not the way most people live. This is the not the disempowered mud that most people find themselves stuck in.

We are the lucky ones.

I am a lucky one.

And I am truly grateful that people are willing to come with me on this journey – that they’re willing to even consider whatever insane advice I sprinkler all over the internets.

When I started these blogs, it was because I felt like I had something to give, even if I didn’t know exactly what. I was transitioning from young buck to wise old man (in step with my greying beard).

And I was at a stage of some sort of completion. I had become untouchable financially. I was well and truly sorted. And part of that journey was developing the inner resources that made financial success possible.

So I felt qualified to share something.

So I share from an intimate personal space – from my own personal experiences. … and then just hope that people resonate with it.

I still find myself writing stuff and then wondering, what the hell are people going to make of this? This kinda worked for me. But am I just tripping? Maybe for some people this is going to be totally inappropriate advice.

I don’t know their situation. I don’t know what particular challenges they are working with, what particular wounds they are trying to heal. Maybe they actually need to be a little less Jon Giaan, and a little more Elmo or something. I don’t know.

So yeah, take it all with a grain of salt. This is just one man’s journey from broke no-hoper to millionaire on a boat.

You have to feel it out for yourself. Only you can know what is right for you. Part of the journey is learning to litmus test everything against your own truth.

But yeah, today I find myself a little less worried about not meeting people where they are at.

Because having just done the Power Challenge – over 450 people took part, over 100 made it all the way through to the end – and having read through the responses, I feel like I have a better sense of what our “tribe” is.

I am lucky enough to be part of a tribe that is passionate, inspired, open and action-orientated. A tribe where self-responsibility is a focus, drive is a virtue and pretence can be left at the door, thanks. And it is a tribe that encourags and celebrates success.

That’s pretty awesome, right?

Today I see that. I see how far I’ve come. And I see how much I have to be grateful for.

So a big BIG thank you to you all.

I did say I was closing the Power Challenge today. Maybe I’ll let it run through to the end of the weekend before drawing out the prizes.

If you want to get on board, you can catch up with them here, or hit them all at once. I reckon you could get through them all in less than half an hour. And people are telling me that’s it’s given them real clarity, direction and motivation.

This is the full list of challenges:

Challenge One: Energy

Challenge Two: Know your pain

Challenge Three: Take the reins

Challenge Four: Radical Honesty

Challenge Five: Connection

Challenge Six: Receiving

Challenge Seven: Pure Desire

Challenge Eight: Full Permission

Go on. Change the tribe you run with. Change your reality.

Heartfelt thanks again

Is The Global Economy Making Our Property Prices Fall?

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What does the “globalisation of property” mean for investors?

Do you want to invest in the global economy?

You don’t have a choice.

Even if you’re investing in boring old properties down at the end of the street, these days you are still investing in the global economy.

We are all globalists now.

We’re in the middle of the Knowledge Source Power Challenge and today I wanted to have a look at why I take such an interest in the global economy, and why relentless self-education has to be one of your habits.

Bloomberg was running the story last week about how a number of property markets across the world are following each other lower. You thought it was just Sydney and Melbourne, but no, we’re not alone there.

In Manhattan, the median condo price dipped below $1 million for the first time in three years. Hong Kong home values endured their longest losing streak since 2008, while prices in outer London neighborhoods fell for the first time since 2011. Sydney home owners are grappling with the worst real estate slump since the 1980s.

Luxury residential prices are growing at the slowest rate since 2012, according to a Knight Frank index of prime properties in 43 cities…

Governments became concerned the gains were unsustainable, and reacted with measures aimed at curbing the flows of international money…

Similar dynamics are playing out around the world. The number of home sales in Vancouver dropped 32 percent in 2018 from the previous year, following a series of new taxes, stricter mortgage rules and rising interest rates.

Median prices in Auckland registered their first annual drop since 2008 after the New Zealand government passed legislation to restrict foreign buying that it said was partly to blame for escalating housing costs.

Home prices have dropped 11 percent in Sydney from their 2017 peak after government restrictions on foreign purchases and tighter credit.

I knew this was happening but it was interesting to see the data all in one place.

It’s on the IMF’s radar too. Last year they released a report showing that house price growth has become increasingly synchronised at both the city and country level, particularly since the global financial crisis.

The global economy is a new beast. Financial markets are integrated, inflation trends are global in their reach, interest rates are synchronised thanks to free-flowing capital, and institutional money managers tend to hunt in packs. Taken together, all property markets, even your humble little suburb, are global property markets now.

I mean, it used to be the case that houses were just consumables. They were just things people lived in.

Then, with the rise of the property investing class, they became assets. They became things we invested in as well as lived in.

And now, with the integration of the world’s financial markets, they are behaving like financial assets – like stocks and bonds. What happens here depends on what investors all over the world are doing.

This is the new reality. Property is a global financial asset.

And it means we need to keep one eye on what the global economy is doing. We need to keep our vision broad.

Now that is easier said than done. I’m lucky enough to have a research assistant who keeps me up to speed. (Of course I’ll share the gold with you here – watch this space).  

But for now, it is just enough to take an interest in this space. And even simply being aware that property now behaves like a global financial asset will put you a good stride ahead of the pack.

But the broader point here is that no strategy survives for long. The world is changing. Strategy’s that made sense five years ago are obsolete now.

So we have to treat our education and development as an ongoing concern. It’s not a do-it-once, set-and-forget type thing.

You need to be constantly curious – how can I be better, stronger, more savvy?

Curiosity is the key. Ask the question, and the rest will take care of itself.

Power Challenge 7/8: Bad news! Only seven days to live.

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Your opportunity to win an I-pad – and make a full-power start to the year. Challenge Seven – Pure Desire

What would you do if you had just seven days to live?

This is challenge number seven in the Knowledge Source Power Challenge – your opportunity to set a cracking start to the year and win some great prizes.

We’re almost there now. Over 100 people have come this far with us. Have you done it? Are you giving you practices a quick overhaul and setting yourself up for a full power year? This is where we’re at:

Challenge One: Energy

Challenge Two: Know your pain

Challenge Three: Take the reins

Challenge Four: Radical Honesty

Challenge Five: Connection

Challenge Six: Receiving

Challenge Seven: Pure Desire

Challenge Eight: LOCKED

In our last challenge we looked at receiving. Many of us just don’t know how to do it. We get uncomfortable. We bail out. So I encouraged you to think of it as an endurance event.

So now that you’re primed to receive, the question is, what do you really want?

Do you know?

Today I want you to share with everyone your most pure, your most intimate desires.

Actually, maybe intimate isn’t exactly the right word. I’m definitely not looking for an answer like, a crackling fire, a bear skin rug, David Boon and a carton of VB.

I mean intimate in the sense that it cuts through all the layers of guff, and gets to what you – the real you – actually wants.

For a lot of people this is a difficult question to answer. Many of us don’t know what makes us happy, because we haven’t been practicing. We haven’t had the time or the resources or the self-love to do things that truly make us happy, so we don’t really know what those things might actually be.

And into that breach can step a whole lot of “inherited” desires – desires that your family or society or soft-drink companies tell you that you should have.

So today’s challenge is about getting right to the heart of our pure desires. That’s what this little exercise is about.

And so I am very sad to announce that the world is ending. Right now, there is a massive space alien dinosaur riding on the back of giant asteroid and it’s about to slam into the earth.

The earth is going to be destroyed. There’s nothing we can do about it. We all have just seven days to live.

Soz.

So tell me, what are you going to do with your last seven days?

Of course you’re going to spend time with your parents and spend time with your kids and go to church to pray for our eternal souls.

But then what?

What would you do if you, and the entire human species, had just seven days to live?

That’s today’s challenge. Hit up the blog and let us know.

The reason why I like this thought experiment is that it brings you back into the moment – where your joy truly is. There’s no point making plans. There’s nothing that you ‘should’ do anymore. All you have is seven days to make the most of it.

It’s also important that the entire human race should be wiped out too. I think about this a lot.

Because so much of what we think we actually want is actually these inherited desires. They’re not really ours.

Some people will say, I like making money, or I like exercising and getting buff, or I like working on my singing voice or I like driving my kids around to footy matches.

But would you still be doing these things if there was nobody left to impress?

We all have to come back to our most intimate desires. Leave the world and everyone behind, and come back to what it is that truly makes you happy.

Once you have that list of two or three things, then ask yourself, am I doing these things enough. Right now, can I point to a time in my diary where I have scheduled time for each of these things?

If not, do it.

Life might be longer than seven days, but it’s still too short not to do be doing the things that make us truly happy.

BONUS

One of the things I would do with my seven days is write. I actually enjoy it. I always have. So as a bonus, I’m going to imagine myself in this scenario, and write my last piece on earth. I’ll then share it with everyone who completes the Power Month

Challenge. I have no idea what I’m going to say yet, but I expect it will be some mix of funny, profound and poorly organised. I think you’ll like it. But as I said, it’s just a bonus for everyone who hits all eight challenges.

So that’s it. A super quick one today. Hit up the blog comments section below and let us know:

What are you going to do with our last seven days on earth?

And lets all live a little closer to our pure joy this year.

Jon

Ps – What would the last piece I write be? You’ll have to hit every challenge to find out. Do it. It will set you up for a full-power year. Promise.

Power Challenge 6/8: Receiving

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Your opportunity to win an I-pad – and make a full-power start to the year. Challenge Six – Receiving

Ok, so this is the Knowledge Source Power Challenge – your opportunity to set a cracking start to the year and win some great prizes.

We’re getting down to the business end, but it’s not too late to get on board. This is where we are at so far:

Challenge One: Energy

Challenge Two: Know your pain

Challenge Three: Take the reins

Challenge Four: Radical Honesty

Challenge Five: Connection

Challenge Six: Receiving

Challenge Seven: LOCKED

Challenge Eight: LOCKED

So today, I wanted to look at the often-overlooked art of receiving.

The Australia Day holiday is coming up. It’s a good time to reflect on our capacity to receive – rest, nourishment, anything.

It is actually an art. It’s a skill that we need to practice. I think we start out pretty good, as children. But as we grow up, we lose the knack.

In many ways, growing up itself is learning how to give more than we receive.

And why are children so good at receiving? I think it is because they are ok with being vulnerable. They are little. They don’t have fire-arms. Vulnerability is their natural state.

When we receive, we are put in a vulnerable state. Power lies with the giver. They are the one with the gift. They are the one orchestrating the transaction.

And so as we become adults and no longer have the luxury of wallowing in helplessness, we turn away from vulnerability. It’s something we run from.

As a result, we become givers. We feel powerful when we are giving, and we find it difficult to withstand the vulnerability required to receive.

We cannot ‘tolerate’ it. It’s why so many of us just suck at receiving.

But receiving is a very important skill. I mean, think about your vision for where your life is going. Doesn’t it involve receiving a passive income stream from your investments, receiving love and affection from your family, receiving a Long Island Ice Tea from the pool boy?

Doesn’t the ultimate realisation of your vision involve a lot of receiving? So when are you going to practice that? You’re not just going to magically get better at it once you’ve made your money.

And what does the universe make of someone who is always pushing away opportunities to receive? What message is that sending?

So we need to practice the art of receiving. And to do that, we must practice the art of standing in our vulnerability.

So this is your challenge for today.

Place yourself in a situation of receiving. Ask your wife for a foot rub, ask your friend for a compliment, as the trolley boy to carry your shopping, ask your children to make dinner. It doesn’t matter, just find one thing that puts you squarely in the receivers seat.

Tell us what it is…

And do it.

And when you do it, treat it as an act of endurance. It’s like running a marathon, or jumping in an ice bath, or sitting in a super-hot sauna. But just notice how it draws on your inner resources just to be able to tolerate it.

Notice how we all have to learn to tolerate love, tolerate affection, tolerate care… as ridiculous as that sounds.

And maybe commit to building up your tolerance levels this year.

So that’s it. That’s the challenge for the week. Hit up the blog and let us know:

What are you going to do this week to practice the art of receiving? Just one thing. (And if you can’t think of one act of pure receiving, what does that say about your life?) How long were you able to ‘endure’ it?

And here’s hoping you’re open to receiving everything you deserve this year.

Jon

Ps – Hit us up in the comments of down below for this challenge, while –This link will take you to the previous challenges. It’s not too late to have the best year ever.

Power Challenge 5/8: Connection

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Your opportunity to win an I-pad – and make a full-power start to the year. Challenge Five – Connection

Ok, so this is the Knowledge Source Power Challenge – your opportunity to set a cracking start to the year and win some great prizes.

It’s not too late to get on board. This is where we are at so far:

Challenge One: Energy

Challenge Two: Know your pain

Challenge Three: Take the reins

Challenge Four: Radical Honesty

Challenge Five: Connection

Challenge Six: LOCKED

Challenge Seven: LOCKED

Challenge Eight: LOCKED

Staying with relationships, and after having committed to a little more honesty on Friday, let’s have a look at how we can use our connections as a source of strength.

The truth is that humans are a pack animal. There’s a theory that (some of us) shed our fur so we could have more intimate connections and more ways to build social cohesion.

(Rub my belly and I’ll practically do anything for you.)

The uniquely human neo-cortex is devoted to language and managing our social relationships. We didn’t get to the top of the food chain through opposable thumbs alone – we did it because we could work in teams and build cultures of knowledge that could be passed down through time.

We are social by design.

And so I think that if we’re cut off from our ‘pack’, it is a stress that starts to niggle at our biological organism. By the same token, the more intimate connections we have, the more we are touched, and the more we feel supported by our pack, then the stronger and the more confident we feel.

And I’ve learnt that if there’s anything I can do that will make me feel more confident and more powerful, then I will do it. Don’t underestimate the challenges that we’re facing.

So this is for you challenge for today. Tell us what it is that makes you feel supported by your pack, and how you’re planning to tap more of that energy this year.

It really could be anything. Humans are multi-spectrum beings. It could be a regular phone hook up with your brother. It could be Ladies’ Night at the day-spa. It could be sport (which is primarily an excuse for grown men to have a cuddle, let’s be honest).

But look for the connections that give you strength, that give you confidence, that increase the depth of your resources.

Note that I’m not talking about connection as a way to increase your sense of meaning. Looking after an infant gives you purpose, but it doesn’t increase your power. What connections give you strength?

*** BONUS CHALLENGE ***

Pay particular attention to the individuals that give you strength. So say if, like me, your footy team is a source of strength for you, pay attention to which individuals in particular really lift you up.

Or what friend always inspires you? What friend always has your back?

Now send them a short note. Just say, “Hey, been doing a bit of thinking over the break. Just wanted to let you know you’ve always been an inspiring influence in my life. I appreciate having you around.”

This year, give a little more attention to the power connections in your life, and be open to the energy that is returned.

That’s it. Hit up the comments section and let us know

Where and how do you connect with your power pack? How can you do it more this year?

BONUS

Send someone a short note of gratitude. Tell them you’re glad they’re in your corner.

And let’s power-up, together.

Jon

Ps – It’s not too late for anyone to get involved. If you’re sending someone a note, why not invite them into this challenge? There’s still three more juicy challenges to go.


Power Challenge 4/8: Radical Honesty (e.g My writing is crap)

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Your opportunity to win an I-pad – and make a full-power start to the year. Challenge Four – Radical Honesty

Ok, so we’re almost half way through the Knowledge Source Power Challenge – your opportunity to set a cracking start to the year and win some great prizes.

But half-way in, I’m realising that my writing is crap. Or my ideas are crap. Or my understanding of the crooked-timber of humanity is crap.

We had 400 people sign on to challenge one. By Challenge Three, we’re down to 93.

Classic. Don’t worry. I’m not taking it personally. It’s actually better than I expected. I know it’s hard to follow through. It’s one of the biggest challenges we face – to take initial bursts of enthusiasm and sustain them over strategic courses of action – even if it’s just eight 5-minute challenges.

But it’s not too late. If you did the first challenge but I haven’t followed it up, I challenge you to complete the rest of the challenge. All I’m asking for is 40 minutes this month.

Do it.

Ok, so this is where we are at so far:

Challenge One: Energy

Challenge Two: Know your pain

Challenge Three: Take the reins

Challenge Four: Radical Honesty (You Are Here)

Challenge Five: LOCKED

Challenge Six: LOCKED

Challenge Seven: LOCKED

Challenge Eight: LOCKED

So today’s challenge is around honesty.

Now honesty is a virtue. It is it’s own reward. But I’m not interested in the effect it has on our higher psyche or whether it increases our chances of getting through the Pearly Gates or what not.

Today, I’m only interested in one thing: efficiency.

My holiday reading was ‘Principles’ by Ray Dalio – the most successful hedge fund manager in the world, and in history.

Mostly it’s about the debt cycle, but Dalio also talks about how he manages his team. One of the principles he uses there is ‘radical honesty’.

At first I was like, whoa. That sounds pretty extreme, flower child. But the point Dalio makes is that we can waste an awful a lot of time faffing about and dancing around the truth.

So say someone in your team is underperforming, or has a way of talking that alienates others in the team.

You could dance around it and hope the situation improves, or you could practice radical honesty and hit it head on.

“Look, Ted. I can see your rubbing some people up the wrong way. Can we talk about that?”

And maybe that doesn’t go well. Maybe Ted freaks out and trashes the break room. But Dalio makes the point that whatever happens, it’s better than spending months or even years in a sub-optimal situation, just hoping things improve.

To practice radical honesty you have to stand fully in what you want, and you have to be prepared to fight for it, or at least have a few awkward conversations.

It is a commitment to keep moving forward and to never let a fear of uncomfortable situations delay or derail you from your dreams.

It is a commitment to efficiency.

So this is your challenge today:

a. Identify one area of your life where you are dancing around the truth.

b. Identify what it is that is stopping you from attacking it directly.

So it might be something like. a. I haven’t told my husband that his ideas for the renovation are dumb. b. Because he gets a bit touchy about that stuff and I don’t want to freak him out.

Or it might be something like, a. I haven’t told my mother-in-law that her chicken korma is rubbish. b. Because it is good that she comes around and helps with the kids, and I don’t want to seem ungrateful.

Now, I’m not going to tell you to go out and write them a letter or anything. I’ll leave it to your innate wisdom and social skills to figure that situation out for yourself. I get that it’s complex.

All I want to do today is identify a natural tendency we all have – to dance around the truth.

And all I want for you this year is that if you are going to dance around the truth, that you do it consciously. That you are aware that you are doing it.

And maybe, bit by bit, we can all start doing it less.

*** BONUS CHALLENGE ***

Radical honesty is a great thing to bring to your relationships, but it’s most powerful application is with ourselves. We are born masters of self-deceit, but growth is only possible when we face our sh!t and deal with it.

So as a bonus challenge complete this sentence:

“I am pretty flipping awesome, but I know I annoy some people because…”

Even the most awesome people we have ever met have their quirks and their challenges. I can guarantee that you do too.

But can you identify what your most public failings are? This is harder than it sounds…

HIT THE BLOG (Comments Below)        

So that’s it. Scroll to the comments below and jot down your answers. Give it five minutes of thought, and 30s of writing.

Radical Honesty Challenge

a. Identify one area of your life where you are dancing around the truth.

b. Identify what it is that is stopping you from attacking it directly.

Bonus Challenge

Complete this sentence:

“I am pretty flipping awesome, but I know I annoy some people because…” And here’s to a more honest (and efficient) year ahead.

What ‘empowered investors’ are doing

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I could tell you a few stories about what this market is doing. But does it matter?

So we’re in the middle of the Knowledge Source Power Challenge – track back and find them all here. Do it. It’s the quickest thing you can do to set yourself up for a full-power year.

But today, let me ask you a question. How do empowered investors meet the current market?

I mean, I could tell you some stories.

Like, last year APRA continued to clamp down on credit, leaning into a cyclical unwinding that was already taking place in Sydney and Melbourne. This left over-indebted households scrambling for finance, investors shut out of the market, and with a glut of high-rise stock driving vacancies up and rents down, prices found themselves without support. Prices are down about 7% but this is only the beginning. Hold on to your hat / arse.

What do you think of that story?

Or I could tell you a different story.

I could tell you about an Australian economy that continues to perform well. With unemployment holding around 5%, the labour market remains very tight. Structural changes in the labour market, particularly high levels of immigration, have eroded workers’ bargaining power and have kept wages growth lower than what you would normally expect. However the first signs of stronger wages growth have emerged, and with the prices of consumables continuing to fall, households are feeling wealthier.

At the same time, high levels of immigration have meant that our biggest cities remain chronically undersupplied, and demand remains hot. Prices are coming off their peak, but the market had got ahead of itself and a consolidation was always inevitable. The (hopefully) temporary restrictions imposed by APRA should also wash through the system relatively quickly. Once these factors have run their course, we will see that the fundamentals of the market are solid, and growth should resume in the second half of the year.

Giddy up.

What do you think? Am I telling a good story?

Now, you’ll hear a lot of people out there say that investors should ignore all the fear and negative hype. They should keep their mind’s eye set on story two, and keep their mood bright and buoyant, a sparkle in their eye, a swing in their swagger.

But to the empowered investor, it just shouldn’t matter.

The empowered investor, or the empowered individual, is not influenced by stories one way or the other.

Content and self-sufficient in themselves, they are able to take the posture of a disinterested observer – someone watching things play out, disentangled from the drama.

The empowered investor needs to know the balance of risks and they need to have contingencies built into their strategies, but they’re not getting buffeted about by whatever the market appears to be doing.

The empowered investor should have enough faith in their inner resources, and enough faith in their strategies that they can sit back and watch it all play out, the good and the bad, without getting caught up in the drama.

They can hold themselves in their power.

This is something to aspire to as an investor, and it’s something to aspire to in life.

So this year, let go of the stories. Give time to your inner resources. Hold yourself in your power instead.

Power Challenge 3/8: Take the Reins

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Your opportunity to win an I-pad – and make a full-power start to the year. Challenge Three – Take the reins.

Alright, the Power Challenge is in full-swing. There are 360 (so far!) heroic individuals who have committed to making this an awesome year. I’m giving you eight quick but deep challenges to see if you are fully in alignment.

(Think of it as a tune up for your success engine.)

There’s still time to get on board. Find the challenges here. As long as you do all eight challenges some time this month you’ll be eligible for the prize draw. I’m relaxed like that.

Ok, so challenge number three. This is about self-discipline.

The road to self-mastery begins with mastering the body.

The Buddha said that the conscious mind’s controls the body the way a rider controls an elephant. The elephant is strong, and has agendas of it’s own. It won’t just do what you say unless you have established control.

So today, I want you to hit up the blog and write down one thing that you’re going to do this week that goes against the instincts of your body.

Maybe it will be taking a cold shower. Maybe it will be going a day without food. Maybe it’s walking up the stairs to your office, which was Stephen B’s answer to our first challenge. (Stephen, you’ve got to come up with something else.)

Think of just one thing you can do this week. Declare it to everyone on this blog.

Then do it.

And when you do it, whatever it is, I want you to pause just before you do it and watch for two things.

1. The Whingeing

First, listen to your body’s excuses. Standing on the edge of a cold lake, you might here yourself complain, “It’s too cold, I’m might catch a flu, I’ve just eaten, I look ridiculous in these budgie smugglers.” Sometimes your body is crafty. Sometimes just whingey. But it always pushes back.

But notice how your body sort of has a capacity to over-ride your inner monologue. Notice how your body’s thoughts can be mistaken for your own thoughts, if you’re not watching carefully. Notice how your boldest agendas can be derailed by the worst and whiniest instincts of our body.

This happens to us ALL. THE. TIME.

There is an art to knowing when your mind is raising reasonable objections, and when your body is just being a little wuss bag. It takes time to know the difference.

2. The Loving Command

Second, I want you to force yourself to do whatever it was you were planning to do. Jump into the lake. Get up at 5 a.m. Fast.

(Actually, fasting is great because you are constantly being presented with temptations.)

Whatever it is, assert your authority, assert your control, and just do it.

But as you’re doing it, I want you to hold an attitude of “loving command.”

Don’t go hating on your body. Don’t go screaming at your body, “Shut up you flabby ball of failure. We’re doing this. I’m throwing us in this lake. F-youuuuu!”

No. Hold an attitude of loving command. Say, “I can see you don’t want to jump in this lake. I know that it’s cold. But I want this for us. And I have the reins. I am in control.”

And then do it.

I think an attitude to loving command is the key to having sustainable, heart-centred self-discipline, which in turn is one of the key pillars of success.

So that’s it. That’s the third challenge. Share the act of discipline you’re going to commit to this week right here in the comments section. And then watch for those two things – The Whingeing and The Loving Command.

I really believe it will help you grow a more powerful self-discipline and self-mastery this year.

Power on!

Jon

Ps – Why not rope somebody else into this challenge. Who do you know who could travel the road of mastery with you? Forward them this email and get them on board.

NO B.S. Friday: Power Challenge #2: Know Your Pain

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Your opportunity to win an iPad and make a full-power start to the year. Challenge #2 – Knowing Your Pain 

Wow, 326 responses to Challenge #1 and counting… If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check your email inbox or click this link. 

Let’s move on to Challenge #2 (Participate – Movement creates momentum). 

There’s a story where I come from of a master craftsman who kept his old apprentice’s apron in the attic.  

Every night he would go up to the attic and connect with the apron, as a way of remembering how far he’d come, and the road that he was still on.  

In a way, I think we are all escaping from something 

I mean, you don’t set out to overhaul your life if everything is perfect, right? You’re not here for the entertaining way I confuse ancient wisdom and footy coaching clichés. You are here because you want something more.  

But our mistake is to hide our pain from others and from ourselves.  

We pretend like everything is more or less sorted. We’re here just for a bit of spit and polish. Just to put the finishing touches on a life that is pretty much complete.  

And we can’t admit that our life is on fire – that it’s coming apart at the seams and taking on water.  

Maybe it’s pride. Maybe we think it’s polite to keep our suffering to ourselves.  

But whatever the case, there is an opportunity missed here.  

The human, in its pain response, is incredibly energised. Of course it is. You might struggle to get up off the couch, but if the house was on fire, you’d break land-speed records getting out the door.  

So if we muffle our pain, we muffle our pain response – and that deadens us, makes us less energised.  

So this is your simple challenge for today: Connect with your pain. Connect with your discomfort.  

Give yourself two minutes (that’s all it’ going to take), and just free-form it. Don’t think about your answer. Just write.  

Leave a short comment below:  

  • What in your life right now just isn’t working.  
  • What just doesn’t fit?  
  • What pisses you off?  
  • What would you leave behind in 2019 if you could? 

Go! 

Ok, be aware that you are sharing this with random people on the internets, so maybe don’t go into the specifics. Don’t name names.  

But spend time with the part of you that is uncomfortable. The part that wants to move – that wants to move forward.  

Despite what the happy-clappy success gurus say, it is a pain that should be central to our daily drive.  

So this is your challenge for today. Comment below.

And if you missed your challenge #1, here it is again. 326 people took the time to share, so the buzz is real. Check out what they’re responses were, plus add yours! 

Remember, everyone who completes the Power Challenge goes into the prize draw to win at the end of the month. 

Power on. 

JG 

P.S. – As a bonus, share this with someone who you think resonates with the pain you are pointing to. Say, “Hey, this wanker Jon asked me to do this. But I thought you might resonate with this. Is this how you would say it?” Copy and paste. 

P.P.S. Still reading? Good. Now time to take two minutes and do the work. Here are the questions again. Don’t think, just write. There are no right or wrong answers. 

  • What in your life right now just isn’t working.  
  • What just doesn’t fit?  
  • What pisses you off?  
  • What would you leave behind in 2019 if you could? 

Post your answers here.