John Lee is co-founder of Wealth Dragons and one of the UK’s most dynamic entrepreneurial leaders and international speakers. His story and passion will inspire you to start your new life, now, just in time for 2014.
By the time this article is published, some readers will be focused on Christmas Day and perhaps worrying how they are going to pay their credit card bill, come January. It seems that a lot of our life is spent worrying about paying bills. Naturally, individuals want their children and loved ones to enjoy the Christmas period, but happiness needs to start from the inside and work its way out.
Some of you may well say, “What does he know, he’s a successful entrepreneur?” But I know what it is like to feel out of control of your life and without hope or will. It was only when the pain and strife became too much that I decided to take action and change my life. If I changed my life, so can you.
I was in my late teens and working awful shifts in my family’s Chinese restaurant in the North-West of England. My future lay in noodles and wok oil. But I wanted more, I knew I did, even at this young age. I dreamt of driving a Lamborghini and being self-sufficient financially.
Eventually, much to my family’s distaste, I told them I was leaving the family business to pursue education. I studied Animation at University and went on to work on some of the world’s best-known family movies, before embarking on my career as a property entrepreneur, business owner and international speaker. I owned my own yellow Lamborghini before I was 30, just as I had dreamt all those years previously.
I co-founded Wealth Dragons in 2008 with my business partner Vincent Wong. Wealth Dragons shares with students inspiration, strategies and tools to help people of all ages and backgrounds change the way they think in order to change the way they live.
How to begin:
Mindset – many of your beliefs are self-limiting based on what your family or peers taught you. If you want success in life, you have to define what that means to you personally. To some it might be £10 million in the bank and a yacht, to others, the opportunity to own your own home, a healthy family and enough money in the bank for retirement.
Education – educate yourself and learn from other experts in their field. This doesn’t mean, surfing the net and finding a few articles. Sure, this is a starting point but go and meet like-minded people within responsible training environments. Read some fabulous books, pursue a mentor, create a power network and use your shift in mindset to help shape the ‘new you’.
Action – Once you have some solid education and a positive mindset in place (and this takes time) decide what your new life looks like: if you want to start a small business, invest in property or write a book, write a plan and develop your new venture organically, while keeping your other employment going if you have to.
Lifestyle – All of the above has to happen in line with you being as fit and healthy on the inside as possible. Ensure you are exercising and consuming a healthy diet that can also be extended into family life. It isn’t expensive to eat and live healthily. And the long-term benefits are infinite.
Savings – Consider a family budget. What is necessary and what is superfluous to your family needs. Cut back on the daily latte or croissant and see how much you save – money that can go towards your education, new business venture or healthy recipe book collection. It is empowering to be in control of your finances, working on the premise of wealth rather than debt management.
In short, changing your life is absolutely possible, at any point. This life is precious and sometimes brings unexpected challenges. So make way for roast turkey with all the trimmings and toast a new you, the best you, this Yuletide. Happy Christmas everyone (and don’t expect the roast turkey to fly into your mouth either).
For more information about how Wealth Dragons’ training can change your life please visit http://www.wealthdragons.co.uk
“Man who waits for roast duck to fly into mouth must wait very, very long time.” – Jules Renard
