In the year to follow the opening of my business, my life began to evolve in the most unexpected ways. I am now working more hours than I ever have in my entire life. I am driven by shear desire and motivation. I truly feel on top of the world.
I have no time clock to obey. I stay up as long as I want & get up when I feel like it. It has been such a luxury, to be the ruler of my own life. I am now the boss of me!!
In most people’s fantasies, this would mean I was sleeping in and being lazy. But, for some reason the need for sleep and the desire to be lazy does not play a roll in my life. I pass out watching TV at night and have to force myself to get enough rest. I give myself permission to take lazy moments, but they have to be surrounded by a productive day or a reward for a job well done.
I can not sit idle, I have no time to waste. My extra job could go away at anytime. It is the blessing that has allowed me the time and the money to live, while building my business.
Because of this, I need to move forward with my renovation. I had completed my first stage & it was going fabulously. But it was just the beginning. My goal was to make my property pay for itself, support my life and finance my retirement. If I was going to succeed, I needed to get inventive and be willing to financially, think outside the box.
My finances are so tight. Each month is a juggling act. I am currently on phase 3, building my 3rd. Airbnb. 2 & 3 are happening at the same time, because I currently live in 2 & 3 will not be complete, until I can afford to plumb in another bathroom. As I move through each phase, the jobs become financially & physically more challenging. I can’t imagine doing it all myself. I am smart enough to know when it’s time & when it’s best, to leave it to the professionals.
I would like to get things moving quicker. So recently, I have been looking at purchasing or acquiring use, of an old RV, to live in. It would be a temporary situation, that would allow me to rent out my 2nd place. It would also free up some funds to help finance phases 3 & 4.
It is at the moment just a thought. But that is how all dreams start. I know It will be a sacrifice and there will be a lot of unforeseen challenges. But if I am going to do this, I must be willing to work hard, make sacrifices and reach higher than I have ever reached. I can’t give up, I can’t quite & I can’t let the fear of failure stop me.
I have two neighbors who also own Airbnb’s. We have become friends & are slowly creating a little Airbnb community. It has been an unexpected twist to my adventure. We are all so different, in our approach. It’s been fun to watch them build their business. They have become great assets, to have as friends on my team.
Our homes are right by the interstate, 3 minutes from the airport & a block away from a huge chain of hotels. It sounds very industrial. However, our neighborhood runs along the inside border, of a city park and elementary school. We are sitting in the sweet spot. If we were playing monopoly. Our houses would be on Boardwalk. If we are all smart & play our cards right, we have the perfect formula, for a very successful journey.
My neighbors have been blessed to have a handyman who lives & works on site. He has done all their renovations and does fabulous work. I have not had the luxury to pay someone to do everything. Someday I hope to be in that position.
Even though I am doing a lot of the labor myself, it has still been a true blessing to have someone to call on, when a job gets to tough. Sometimes I just need extra muscle, to keep me from hurting myself. ( Its truthfully, one of my most frustrating things to admit. I hate feeling weak. It truly pisses me off. 🙂 It’s definitely, one of my least attractive qualities.)
Asking for & accepting help, has been one of my biggest lessons I have had to face in life. I was raised with all boys, so being weak, appearing weak or being vulnerable, put me at risk, to end up on the bottom, of the food chain. This made me strong, stubborn and sometimes too tough, for my own good.
But hiring someone to help me or having a friend, pick up a hammer or saw on my behalf, has been such a blessing. It is so nice to watch someone else build the wall and fill in the hole where my garage door used to be. I am no longer afraid to say. I need some help!!! It has been sooo freeing.
It has been a little miracle to have access to someone, who is working & living, so closely to my place. After a hiring him for a few jobs & paying him for his work & feeding him while he was working. Years of my granny’s training has finally paid off, who knew my cooking could become a commodity & a source of trade.
It has become a true, Will work for food, agreement.. Thankyou God!!!
I send plates of food next door and in exchange, I have someone who helps with the projects I need help with. It’s the perfect trade & the perfect scenario for my life.
No dream is impossible, if you approach it with an opened mind. You must never give up, reach higher, work harder and risk it all. Live by your heart and reach for the things that call to your heart. There is no dream to big or to small. Love, Live and Dream. It’s not over until it’s over. Get up and REACH!!!!
Debbie Smalley ( Deb’e)
mywings.blog 