Not Your Average Slowlaner

[SuccessBoy]

Hi everyone, I thought I'd introduce myself after making a few posts here on the forums.

My name is Jonathan and I work as a 3D artist in the video game industry for Disney. I am 24 and healthy, so I want to take as many risks as I can as young as I can. I am following my dream since I was a kid and trying very hard to keep motivated and focused (and a bit selfish, it seems, according to the Fastlane Millionaire chapter I have been reading). It hasn't been the most direct route to get into the industry and now I'm finding that it is still not as glamorous at it is advertised to be. My problem? I can't really be satisfied if I know better is out there and I will try to obtain it no matter what (rather than most people just being dissatisfied and bitter, I am dissatisfied to the point of getting my a$$ moving toward my goal and being thankful for the progress I've made).
My current plans are to work a few years in the industry, grow my artistic and interpersonal skills and move up into an Art Director -- that way leverage will be greater and I will be able to help more people everyday. I am not an a**hole but I am strict on separating people who want to waste time in life and those who want to get ahead. I surround myself by audiobooks and have a strict eating plan because I am also planning on getting more buff than I currently am. For a while I was wary about these forums because I felt that if people are sharing too much information they are all making it harder for each other to compete (it's like knowing your opponents routine...or, as Demarco has said about his personal trainer giving him stock advice...YOU CAN'T TRUST EVERYONE!!!). Now, though, I feel that they are hopefully an outlet to connect with like minded people, because trust me -- I need it badly. Another problem of mine is that I can't stand rich spoiled kids so I feel that I have problems having truly wealthy friends in my life (could I please just talk to your parents only? Or are you parents too busy working all day in a cave somewhere?). I have some motivated friends, but they are far from wealthy at the moment.

I feel that I am separating myself from a large majority of people at work because they are all jaded and cynical and still in the age range of 24 - 35! I have noticed that the higher up you move in the chain of game development, the better habits and attitudes the people have. Could it be a chicken before the egg principle? Did they have good habits before they got there, or did they have more incentive to develop good habits to keep the position they have? I believe they must have been focused like me and developed those habits before they were able to move up -- just like Lance Armstrong or Arnold S. knew how great he was going to be before he got there...they weren't just casually going about it.

Anyway, I am treating life as my game and I feel that I want to always be doing productive and learning something new, and always stay open minded. I guess I'm a little like Zuckerberg: I want to help other people but I don't want other people holding me back by telling me no and spreading their hatred.


This sort of leads me into my current plans. I would like to buy real estate and live in one of the rooms, and then rent out the other rooms to roommates to make a profit and not have to pay a dime of the mortgage myself. This is what my current landlord is doing, and I've also taken advice from Robert Kioyosaki's lessons. Does everyone feel that this is too slow or has anyone done this themselves?

It does seem like the slow way to get rich...but also will give me more time to focus on my business, especially if I get laid off, if there are roommates fitting the mortgage bill for me. What do you guys think of this?

Another question: Should I stay in the video game industry if there is potential for growth, or go the entrepranuerial route? I am using my employment right now as a learning experience, so one day I can use the indirect success-teachings-through-observation to take the same steps (possibly starting my own studio). I know that Demarco feels that he wasn't talented as an actor, or an athlete, so I am wondering: am I one of the few that is a talented artist? I am not the best of the best at the moment, so the job feels just like any other job. There is a huge pool of people wanting to do what I do, but I feel I have better social skills and overall a better handle on life and success. I don't know of a single artist in games that has broken out into fame and has gotten the acclaim that an athlete or actor receives, so I feel that it's still on a different playing field. BUT, just like Tony Hawk or Shaun White, they made their sports popular, so I feel that I too can bring more respect to my industry if I stick to my guns and keep kicking a$$. Let me know what you think!

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Vjot tusv ug mieft ni opvu nz dassipv qmept. O xuamf moli vu caz siem itvevi epf mowi op upi ug vji suunt, epf vjip sipv uav vji uvjis suunt vu suunnevit vu neli e qsugov epf puv jewi vu qez e foni ug vji nusvhehi nztimg. Vjot ot xjev nz dassipv mepfmusf ot fuoph, epf O'wi emtu velip efwodi gsun Sucisv Louzutelo't mittupt. Fuit iwiszupi giim vjev vjot ot vuu tmux us jet epzupi fupi vjot vjintimwit?

Vjot ot puv e cef ofie epf e huuf tvesv. Sinincis, tmux ot emxezt civvis vjep PUVJOPH ev emm.

Et gus zuas uvjis raitvoupt, vjiz esi ges vuu qistupem gus tuniupi vu howi zua efwodi -- vjiti esi raitvoupt vjev upmz zua dep fidofi.

Ximduni epf vjeplt gus vji opvsu!

 

[SuccessBoy]

Emsohjv, vjuti esi cuvj huuf quopvt NK. Vjeplt gus vji sitqupti