Securing your financial future – 2016 predictions and beyond

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I’m going to give you a brief economics lesson because we are holistic teachers. So if you find that boring or offensive, you can shut down, close the email and go back to whatever you are going. After all I know there are many who, for whatever reason, have interest only for the narrow focus of their tomorrow. No future focus.

On the flip, if you have any inkling that the future economy could have a massive impact on your personal financial security, your ability to put food on the table and the ability for you to cloth your children, you might choose to read on.

I have been holding back on this message to you for nearly 15 years, waiting to see if the signs support the predictions I have been collating from those whose insights into future economy I trust. And as the time is getting closer, if I don’t tell you know, I will suffer regret for my silence.

So on one side I have the risk of the small percent who will opt out in disgust at our audacity to talk about something outside of sets and reps, body fat and how to get bigger and stronger. I do that, and have been prolific contributor in professional development for many decades. What I also do it teach holistically. You can tell me you are only interested in sets and reps and bodyfat and strength all you want, but know that some point in your future your ability to do those things will be impacted directly or indirectly by your ability to create the legal tender to survive.

So if your head isn’t in the sand by now, I want to share with you the consensus of opinion from my teachers about the impending economic challenges we may face in the next few years.

I was raised in a Great Depression household, where my father watched his father struggle during the Great Depression of the 1930s and the flat 1940s. It left a strong imprint on that generation. However as the western economies boomed through the 1970s and beyond, the next generation became complacent. After witnessing the 2001 9/11 impact on the US economy I wanted to learn the signs and triggers of any potential future depression, so I could be forewarned and share this with others.

Those in my inner coaching circle who were with me in the early 2000s will vividly recall me talking about the prediction that the world economy would suffer a significant downturn in the 2007-2008 period.

This prediction was spot on – the US suffered what become known as the ‘Sub-Prime’ loans crisis, where the collapse of a large number of housing loans brought the US economy to it’s knees. Australia called it’s economic challenges the ‘Global Financial Crisis’ (GFC).

Now as a person who earns their money training people, you may ask what does this have to do with me. I not interested in economics or future predictions! I understand this, but what I want to share it this – when the economy turns down significantly you are/will be affected.

Why do I say this? I watched the impact of the 2007-2009 economic downturn in various countries.

As a student of futurism and holism, the study of future economic changes of significance has been. Sport sponsorship reduced sharply and wages and number of positions in sport contracted. Everyone in the general population was affected financially, and the spending on non-essential services such as gym membership and personal training declined.

I have many wealthy friends and after watching the impact on them during the 2007-2009 period, I learnt that no-one is immune.

So you can stick your head in the sand and say ‘If its not about sets and reps, I couldn’t give a flying f—!’. And I look forward studying the outcome of this group, as well as the group who take my future economy concerns more seriously.

One of the strongest themes I have seen about the economy in the immediate future is reference to 2016. Which is why now, in 2015, there has never been a better or more important time to learn new skills such as those taught through the KSI Leveraged Income Challenge. Click here to learn more:
http://bit.ly/LeverageIncomeChallengeInterest

Robert Kiyosaki, US financial educator, has been calling this period for some time, writing about this in his book “Rich Dad’s Prophecy: Why the Biggest Stock Market Crash in History Is Still Coming… And How You Can Prepare Yourself.” http://www.smh.com.au/business/robert-kiyosaki-says-to-prepare-for-the-worst-20141114-11jyhr.html
http://www.news.com.au/finance/money/is-the-us-at-risk-of-a-hyperinflation-collapse/story-e6frfmci-1227144167041

US futurist Harry Dent is also very concerned about this period, writing about it in his recent book “The Demographic Cliff: How to Survive and Prosper During the Great Deflation of 2014–2019.”
http://www.theaureport.com/pub/na/harry-dent-how-to-prosper-in-the-coming-downturn

Thom Hartmann promotes his new book ‘The Crash of 2016’ with the suggestion that another great depression looms over the United States in 2016, because of all the economic fraud and corruption by the 1%, the mega corporation, and politicians all buying laws to enrich themselves, and bankrupting the rest of the economy. (sounds like what I see in the fitness industry – self enrichment at the cost of the masses…)
tube.com/watch?v=2FyK8xqfRhc

We’ve been saying for years that we believe the period of 2016-2018 is the start of an overwhelming financial crisis, possibly much worse than the 2000/2001 stock market collapse, and the 2008/2009 credit crisis. 2016 appears to be the peak of the financial markets and economic escalation, with the giant reverse beginning as early as 2016 and as late as 2018, but more likely as late as 2017.

This is just a sample of those who express concern for the economy during this period. And of course there are as many who say don’t worry, there will be no crash.

Now let’s say the doom predictions are all wrong. That nothing happens. Or better still the economy booms in that time. I am very happy. I don’t need to be right. I don’t expect my teachers to be right. I just want to act and see them act in the best interests of those we seek to serve, to be honest, and to help others be prepared for the possibilities.

However there is one thing I feel very confident of guaranteeing you – the rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer. Your income’s buying power will shrink. The cost of living will rise faster than your wage rises. In summary if you don’t start doing things differently, you will slide down the standard of living scales. So you can tell me now that all you want to do is think, learn and talk about sets and reps and bodyfat and getting stronger – and I will ask you how you are going in 10, 20, 30, 40 years etc from now what you are doing, what you are interested in, and how life is going for you. I am confident those who take action will respond positively, and those who shut down and put their heads in the sand will have a ‘different’ outlook than the one than have now, one where regret will most likely figure prominently….

As individuals and as a company we do three things – we train athletes, we teach coaches, and we change lives holistically.

We currently giving you a phenomenal opportunity to change and create a stronger position from which to deal with any possible future economic downturns, as well as change your life now matter what happens. Through the KSI Leveraged Income Challenge. Click here to learn more:
http://bit.ly/LeverageIncomeChallengeInterest

There are ways to take control of your financial destiny, and they are exciting opportunities. Darren Hardy, Founder of Success Magazine and student of success, is passionate that now is the time to begin your entrepreneurial journey. http://bit.ly/TheresNeverBeenABettterTime

Success and Failure

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When people list their goals it’s common to see ‘to be successful’ as a goal. Which raises question of what is the definition of success. Most people measure their success by conditioned responses e.g. the social importance of their careers, or their income.

I don’t agree with this. I am influenced by other definitions of success. There is the personal industry definition of ‘progressive realization of a worthwhile goal’. Then there is the spiritualist leaning towards the achievement of happiness in life as success. For me fulfilling one’s potential in the gifts they have is important. Creating a legacy of our time on the planet is another. Being a great parent and partner is another. Providing financially for those who depend on us another. Living life with choice another.

Note none of my definitions of success rank high or even exist on the physical preparation industry stereotypes of success.

I believe most of you are living your life in pursuit of the values imposed on you by conditioning of industry and upbringing. I am not suggesting this is wrong – but I am saying you are capable of more.

Fifteen years into my career, I had achieved things few if any had in my country and industry. Yet I realized that whilst I had ticked all the professional boxes and achieved the envy of my peers, I had very little to show for it financially speaking.

And I see this in the communication from many – the impact on their cash flow if they take a day or more away from their work. So I became a student of financial, business, and many other holistic disciplines. No, not what my peers do or did. But as a result – I now do what they can’t or will not. I work by choice – who I want to work with, where I want to work and when.

Will most of you achieve this? I doubt it. Why? Is it because you are not capable? Not at all. The first reason I know most of you won’t achieve this (in other words fail at this) is this – most of you won’t start. Simple as that. Your failure to make a start is a guarantee of your failure to achieve. Why won’t you start? There are going to be many reasons, including but not limited to:

  • That’s not what most of your peers are focusing on or doing.
  • What would they think?
  • You were raised to believe you didn’t deserve or could not achieve these things.
  • What would they think?
  • I need more information or other procrastinating concepts.
  • I will do x when y happens.

Then some of you who do make a start will quit. You will lack the determination to learn new mindsets and develop new skills. You will default to your old ways, your comfort zone. You will fall to the pressure of your peers, friends and family who don’t like that you are doing something they are not.

That’s why I say most of you will not achieve in the area of having choice in life. You see there are strong commercial forces that seek to keep you on the merry-go-round of the economic cycle. In their eyes you are on this earth to work, pay taxes, and pass on. You are not on this earth to learn how to get ahead, break away from the slavery and need to work every day or else you go backward, to learn how to rise above the masses, and to learn advanced ideas such as tax minimization.

So you need to decide – are you going to live your life on your terms or on someone else’s terms. Are you going to be a person of choice or a person of conformity to your industry’s values? Are you going to live life wondering what might have been or working towards what you can be? Are you going to fulfil someone’s definition of success for your life or your own?

Are you striving to be a ‘success’ in the eyes of conventional industry values? Which I believe is a failure to fulfil your potential. Or are you writing your own definition of success?

Only you can decide that. People who put their hand up and say ‘Ian teach me how I can live life with choice’ are not your average people. But I respect how most of you are compelled to be average.

It will take you five years

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I didn’t know what the word ‘entrepreneur’ was until I was in my mid 30’s. At this stage I took stock and realized with great shock that life hadn’t panned out as I had expected. Yes, I was one of if not the most successful and highly paid service providers in a rare space of physically preparing elite athletes. I had trained more athletes than anyone else in the world possibly. No-one I had met or know worked harder. I know this sounds arrogant but this is not a marketing piece for physical preparation – you don’t see me talk like this in that arena.

What was shocking though was my realization that for all my effort, for all my industry-recognized success, I had very little to show for it. I was time poor, and asset poor. I had great cash flow, but if I took a day off work – I was a day further behind on paying the bills. I have zero leverage.

I spent the next seven years as a student in the area of entrepreneurship, seeking to develop leveraged and passive income. When I say I was a student, I didn’t limit this to collecting information – I also took action, learnt by doing, and investing tens of thousands of dollars in my education. Yes, most of what I attempted in the next seven years caused me more pain, because it failed.

By 2001 I had mastered leverage and was on my way to creating residual income. In the ensuing decade plus I have guided thousands on this same path, and leant many lessons. I will share one of them with you.

It will take at least five years to develop the entrepreneurial mindset as measured by tangible success. You might be quicker, you might be slower. There are no guarantees on this. What I can guarantee you is this

  1. If you don’t start you will never get there.
  2. If you start and quit you will never get there.

And that is perhaps the most valuable lesson I can share with you from my pursuit of entrepreneurial success, both as a student, practitioner, and as a teacher, during the last eighteen years.

Your success will happen some years after you start. The longer you procrastinate, the further off that date will become.

I could sugar-coat it. I could tell you what many sharp marketers do, of the instant success you will experience. But I don’t – they won’t serve you.

I will share however my intrigue at how many will spend this time frame in a university course, so that they can graduate with an average of $100,000 in debt, and the right to pursue the forty year plan – work at a job for forty years, get paid a salary, and then retire broke forty years later.

Yet are not prepared to spend this same time in a real-world entrepreneurial ‘course’. It’s not one or the other. You can do both. It’s just that most feel ‘comfortable’ doing the forty year plan only. Isn’t that interesting….