Life is simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” ~Confucius
Hey there sports fans, I had to take a short hiatus in June with everything going on so I could prioritize and execute before burnout set in. But don’t you worry, I’m still grinding and storytelling, so here’s the latest. Picking up the DD214 and hitting the sites with family back in the sweet home has been amazing. Not because everything is perfect, but because we’re also getting kicked in the chest on our own terms.
It’s been a long journey, but we’re finally here. My family and I are settling into our new home and our new community after 20 years of bouncing around the globe. We decided to set our roots in Crete, Illinois, also known as Chi-South. This charming little town is located about 40 minutes south of Downtown Chicago. It has the small-town vibe we were looking for to raise the kiddos. However, nature is nature, and even though Claudia wanted to keep the sailing smooth, the rough waters of reality will always follow.
Arrive and Shine
Our new pad is the first floor unit of a multifamily home we own on Main Street. House hacking is when you own a property and generate rental income to offset your mortgage. Our little Crete Castle was built prior to 1950 and we were renting the unit we live in now to other individuals prior to our arrival. We acquired the unit back after a lengthy eviction process and it was in a pretty poor state. Since we’ve been back we have invested in new appliances, central air, and plumbing issues that needed to be addressed. This is just the tip of the iceberg, as we also had major work to do to our other properties.
It’s funny how your perspective changes after you’ve reached the brass ring you have been working toward for so long. My wife and I never thought property management would be so involved, but after the snowball of repairs we have addressed in such a short period of time it gets real fast. Every minute has a name and we will continue to grind. We finished major plumbing work in another property we own in Dekalb, and we are putting the final touches on a mid-term rental unit in Aurora.
Agent Ready!
Setting conditions to lean-in to my new adventure as a real estate agent has been a lengthy process. I have really good mentors checking in on me and I have all the tools and resources necessary to get in the game. I put August 1st as the mark on the wall to begin my outreach campaign to generate leads and leverage this real estate license that’s been burning a hole on my wall.
Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.” ~Oscar Wilde
The only way to get good at something is to do it often. Mistakes will surely be a part of the process, but the best performers are those who failed over and over again until they mastered their craft. One of my mentors, from Five Pillars Nation, gave me a great class on system and database concepts to follow as I get started. What I’ve noticed over the years is everything comes down to a power routine. Consistency is the key to accomplishing goals and objectives we set for ourselves. This is necessary for every aspect of life business or personal.
Martial Arts in Illiana
Okay, so I can’t do one of these blogs without talking about our fun on the mats as martial arts practitioners. We joined the local academy, Polaris Martial Arts in Crete, and have donned our white belts in new arts. Dominic and Brianna have started their journey in Taekwondo and Claudia and I have been training Krav Maga together over the past few weeks. On another note, a fun fact we learned living near the Illinois and Indiana border is many of our neighbors refer to this area as Illiana.
The more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know.” ~Albert Einstein
It’s been pretty cool being white belts again. Cross-training has always been a goal of mine as a martial artist and exposure to different styles makes you more well rounded and gives you depth in understanding how certain techniques can crossover to different situations. The further I go down the rabbit hole in the martial arts game the more I see how little I know about the fight game. As a practitioner, I do appreciate how most combat sports are centered around discipline, respect, resilience, and personal courage. Seeing your family overcome challenges on the mats gives a sense of confidence they will be able to endure hardship in the future. That’s all I have for now, friends. Until the next round.
One Team, One Family! ~Doc
