How to Determine What Financial Freedom Means to You
As house flippers, Tarek and I aren’t just real estate agents or investors—we’re also entrepreneurs. We set our own schedules based on what needs to be done for our business each day or week, and we manage our own time. That means we have to be on our A-game every day. The best way to do that—whether you’re flipping houses, looking for new real estate investment opportunities, or working on marketing your business—is to start the night before. So here are the four things that Tarek and I do every night before bed to set ourselves up for success in the morning.
Go Over Your Plan for the Next Day
As you unwind for the evening, take a moment to go over your plan for the next day. Visualize what you’re going to be doing in the morning and how it will carry you into the day. Go through a mental checklist for the whole day to see if there is anything you need to do tonight before you go to bed to ensure that you’re ready for everything that tomorrow has to offer.
While you’re going over your plan, you can also mentally set your biggest priorities for the next day. That way, when you wake up, those things will be at the front of your thoughts, and you’ll be ready to tackle them first thing.
Pack Your Gym Bag and Lay Out Clothes for the Morning
If you’re bad about getting to the gym in the morning (or even in the evenings), pack your gym bag the night before. Then you won’t have a lot of stuff to get ready when you wake up. It will all be there waiting for you, and you can just grab it and go before you lose motivation.
Even if you’re not going to the gym, a little bit of apparel preparation for the day can’t hurt. You might be surprised at how much more smoothly your morning goes when you already have your clothes set out. No hunting for the right socks or a belt to match your shoes. Whether you’re headed to a work site or an open house, you’ll have everything ready to go when you wake up so you can spend a few extra minutes sipping your coffee and getting your head in the game for the day.
Unplug
I’m as guilty as anybody of burying my nose in my phone, but at the end of the day, it’s time to turn it off and unplug. For one thing, studies have shown that reading or browsing on your phone before bed can be bad for your sleep. The light from your phone stimulates your brain and keeps you from closing your eyes and resting properly. So, instead of looking through Instagram or checking to see if any last-minute listings have gone up on the MLS at 10:00 at night, turn your phone off and pick up a book.
Don’t Take Work to Bed
Speaking of checking for last-minute listings, this is one thing I definitely don’t recommend. Don’t take your work to bed because you’ll never stop working. Your sleep will suffer, and you won’t feel as connected to your spouse, either. And if there’s a new listing at 10:00 PM, it’ll still be there at 7:00 AM when you wake up! You’re not going to call the seller in the middle of the night, so why worry about it?
Follow these four tips, and you’ll get better sleep so that you can do a better job of flipping houses in the morning. If you approach it the right way, real estate investment can absolutely be a lifestyle business—and who wants a lifestyle of being tired and stressed out? These bedtime habits will help you get the rest you need while you build a successful investing business.
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Tarek and Christina El Moussa have over a decade of professional real estate experience and have been featured in national print publications, online media outlets, and a popular real estate reality TV show. Christina is known for her exceptional design and aesthetic talent.
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