This is Gentrifanatic!
A blog that addresses life hacks for finance, health, and general well being for those of us that didn’t necessarily grow up in environments where these important life lessons were emphasized or even addressed at all.
Welp, I made it to another post! Anyone reading is probably saying, “dude, this is only your second post”! I know, I know but hear me out! So one of my weaknesses is constantly trying to do too much at once, and then triaging what I’m doing and dropping off the things that are not going to immediately benefit me. Pretty bad habit but I don’t think I’m alone! Point is I’m here…in your hand…being creepy.
So if I’m going to become good at blogging I have to practice right? Growing up I always used to hear “practice makes perfect” just like everyone else did. So I was like “OK, whatever I practice enough I’ll become good at”, so I started practicing how to dunk a basketball like The Reign Man, Shawn Kemp!
A little bit about me before I get into that. Growing up in elementary and middle school I was always the biggest kid on the scene. Playing basketball for the local rec leagues the coaches always put me at power forward or center because I was like 5’6” and all the other kids were like 5’2”.
Ok, back to dunking like Shawn Kemp. I put on ankle weights and balled all day with those on trying to strengthen my calves. I was constantly jumping trying to get rim thinking that if I did I would be that much closer to dunking. Finally one day at an elementary school
where we used to run pick up games I did it…of course it was before everyone got there and I have never done it since…but I swear!
Now, my lesson from this was that if you practice something enough you’ll probably do it, and maybe get good at it, but are you practicing the right things?
While my boys (and some girls) grew 8, 9, and 12 inches during high school, I grew two inches and stopped at 5’8”! My dream was to play basketball but I spent most of my time practicing to dunk like Kemp…I was practicing the wrong thing.
If your dream is to be wealthy, what are you practicing to get there?
If you think about it everything you do and even everything you think is practice. Don’t dream of wealth and practice poverty.
What do I mean? Well in the last post I talked about assets and liabilities. As a recap an asset makes you money and a liability costs you money. Here’s an example, my dream is to have money like Lil Wayne and I can spit a little but I’m being honest with myself and the chances of me getting a record deal are slim to none (I’m not into crushing dreams so let’s say I’ve been trying to make it rapping since 20 and I’m 30 now).
So my mindset is still on rapping so I buy all the new Jordan’s that come out and I have a $500 car note. I have a good job so I can afford that stuff and it makes me happy…I think. By buying Jordan’s and having a huge car note what am I practicing? Shoes are costing me money and what do I get in return…maybe the opinion of someone I don’t really know or care about? My car is costing me money unless I have an Uber and a Lyft sticker on my S550 Mercedes. I’m practicing buying things that cost me money, so I’m practicing poverty.
Lil Wayne owns a Sports Company that makes him money! This is the behavior that we should be copying, not trying to keep up with what I call “opinion trends” or things that we purchase to influence someone else’s opinion of us.
Lil Wayne is practicing wealth by buying a sports company that will make him money…an asset.
So think about your daily life, what do you practice? What are you practicing with the shows or videos you watch? What about what you read…or what you listen to…or what you eat?!?!
It’s ok to relax and watch some ratchetness every now and then, I know I do (wooorrrllldstaaaarrr)! Just don’t let it consume you. Jim Rohn says “you are the average of the five people you associate with the most”, what are you practicing by the company you keep?
After wrapping my head around this concept most of what I do is in line with accomplishing my goals. Practice innovation, practice wealth, practice health!
What I’m saying is, practice doesn’t make perfect. You have to practice things that will get you to your goal. I can’t practice dunking and expect to get into the NBA. We can’t practice buying things that cost us money and expect to become wealthy. We can’t practice eating processed food and expect to become healthy.
Do things for where you want to be in life and you’ll get there.
If you need help or have questions hmu…I’ll be around!
