The Barefoot Investor. Scott Pape

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СКАЧАТЬ for the situation you're in. You made your decisions. You decided to let yourself cruise.

      That's the alpaca kick right there: seeing your situation for what it really is and having the courage to change it.

      Success isn't found in the eyes of others: buying things you don't need, with money you don't have, to impress people you won't know in 20 years' time.

      True and lasting success is knowing deep in your bones that you have the freedom to tread your own path in life, and the ability to protect those you love.

Be financially fireproof

      Look, life is busy. Life is a messy bathroom, running late to your kids' footy matches, unpaid overtime, and collapsing at the end of the week on the couch with Indian takeaway and pappadum crumbs on your shirt.

      If you try to do a million things, you'll do none.

Yet that's the power of focusing on just one thing — one step — and ticking it off the list.

      Let me explain why this works with one last fire analogy.

      Our fire plan was simple: on extreme risk days, Liz would pack up our son, leave the farm and head for the city. And on the morning of our fire, I was sitting at my kitchen table at the house, with my CFA-issued volunteer pager next to me.

      It hadn't gone off … yet.

      However, the smoke was starting to surround me, so I decided to drive to my neighbours', who live on a ridge, to get a better view of what the hell was going on.

      I rounded up the dogs and put them in the back of the old farm ute, turned on the tranny, and got halfway down the driveway when the ABC Radio announcer said of my area, It is too late to leave. You must take shelter now to protect yourself.

      Bugger.

      When you're in the thick of a bushfire, it's too late to start thinking about what to do. You just need to be executing your plan like a patriotic North Korean soldier.

      Here's how the CFA explains it:

       A Bushfire Can Be a Terrifying Situation

      Strong gusty winds, intense heat and flames will make you tired quickly. Thick heavy smoke will sting your eyes and choke your lungs. It will be difficult to see and breathe.

      The roaring sound of the fire approaching could be frightening. Embers will rain down, causing spot fires around you. Power and water may be cut off. You may be isolated, and it will be dark, noisy and extremely demanding both mentally and physically.

      This is not the time to be making major decisions.

      Preparing your fire plan allows you to make major decisions in advance, and will help keep you focused and make better decisions in the event of a threat.

      And you know what?

      The same rules apply when it comes to facing your financial fire: when you lose your job, or lose your partner or retire — it's too late to be making major decisions.

This book will make you financially fireproof — you will be totally prepared. You'll have made your major decisions in advance. You'll have everything on autopilot. You won't need to panic. You won't second-guess yourself. You'll know exactly what to do.

      And the result is that you'll be able to say, ‘I've got this’.

The secret is …

      At this point, after all the talk of alpacas, sheep and farms, you may be forgiven for thinking you've picked up a country and western novel. My editor had similar concerns: ‘Scott, I'd like to see more sunshine and positivity … and less fire, devastation and dead animals’.

      Okay, so this is not your typical finance book.

      Hell knows my publisher would have liked me to be a bit more ‘self-helpy’. You see, one of the bestselling books of the past couple of decades was The Secret. The guts of its message was that to achieve success all you need to do is picture something in your mind, and you'll achieve it.

      Well, let's all get out a guitar, sit in a circle, hold hands and start strumming.

      This book — and the solid-as-a-rock steps it gives you — is built on values that have stood the test of time. I learned a lot about life and money from my grandparents — they were part of the so-called Silent Generation who lived (and thrived) through the not-so-Great Depression.

      What did that mean in a practical sense?

      Well, they paid their bills on time … with cash.

      They saved their money … rather than relying on credit cards.

      They didn't expect handouts … being on the dole was something to be ashamed of.

      They lived in modest homes — not McMansions — and they celebrated when they paid them off.

      And they created a real legacy, which — ultimately — is what this book is all about.

Introducing the Barefoot Steps

      Some finance books are wishy-washy on what you should do. They say things like, ‘Write down your dreams’.

      Others are written by weirdos who have colour-coded spreadsheets for their undies drawer and whose idea of a holiday is the Bendigo caravan park (communal toilet option). They give you a laundry list of things you should be doing, culminating with:

      ‘You need to follow a strict written budget every single day.’

      The truth?

      I've never been able to stick to something as rigid as a budget, and I don't expect you to either.

      For most people, budgets don't work. They're like surviving on a grapefruit diet.

      Budgets set you up to fail. You feel like a loser with no willpower.

      You're not. You are normal.

      Here's the deal: the Barefoot Steps are not a cute way to organise a book.

      They are nine specific steps that you complete in order, one by one.

      The power of the Barefoot Steps is that they focus on you doing just one thing at a time.

      You won't get overwhelmed.

      You and I are going to plant your wealth tree, and get it growing.

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