​Read this on matthewdoan.com​

Read time: 4 minutes

I’ve been heads down for a few weeks, building some exciting “experience” upgrades for our clients. But glad to be back in action with you today!

Before we begin, bookmark my guest appearance on The Dad Edge podcast (#1 show for fatherhood — Matthew McConaughey and Ryan Holiday are previous guests). I shared some raw thoughts I’ve never shared publicly. EPISODE: Spotify | Apple​

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The Secret

The internet is littered with talk of “passive income.”

Like it’s some holy grail that’ll completely free you from any and all suffering.

We LOVE “passive!”

Here’s why:

• Autopilot money
• Earning while sleeping
• Invest once, earn infinitely
• And, of course, “FREEDOM!”

Let me smack you in the face right now.

Not only is this mentality delusional, but it’s deadly.
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The delusion of passive income

I speak with an average of 12 new people a week — those wanting to escape some form of 9-5 hell and create entrepreneurial freedom.

50% of them believe real estate is the way.

And another fraction is hellbent on selling digital courses and harvesting stock dividends.

Here’s their commonality: they want to create passive income to escape their suffering.

And while I empathize with their pain and goals, here’s what they’re missing:

First, creating passive income is NOT a passive activity.

It takes an incredible amount of work — always.

For example, even if you have a property manager for your rental properties, you’re constantly managing them.

If you sell digital products (e.g., courses), you’re continually marketing and upgrading them to compete with endless competition.

Second, the opportunities are highly volatile or dead.

It’s perilous to bet your future freedom on external dependencies dangerously outside your control.

You have zero say over market conditions, which means real estate and stock returns will always fluctuate.

And if you think launching a low-ticket digital course will bring in $10K a month, wake up. It’s 2023. Everyone and their mother tried this. Courses are dead — they don’t work for critical transformations.

(Exactly why we focus on community, energy, and accountability in my Uncaged Life Design program.)

Third, even if it “works,” you’ll still be waiting for decades.

There’s no quick payoff here. A few hundred bucks a month from your Airbnb won’t change your life one iota.

So, if you’re still enduring day job hell while waiting for these “passive” streams to cash flow over 10-20 years, is all this effort actually making a material difference?

Truth: unhealthy obsession with passive income only makes YOU passive.

It’s time for a critical shift in thinking.

You must become incredibly active

Maybe you’re making a solid $200K in a corporate job you secretly can’t stand.

And you’re lickin’ your chops to put 20% down on that next rental property. (Because “cash money and freedom, baby!”)

UGH. Please don’t.

That move just puts an extra lock on your jail cell.

In fact, put all thoughts of “passive income” on the back burner for now.

Instead, you must obsess on becoming wildly ACTIVE.

Become “active” in many ways, maximizing active income as quickly as possible.

Remember, as a seasoned corporate veteran, you’re already sitting on an untapped goldmine (and your paycheck will never create freedom alone).

You just haven’t been taught to harness and unleash your potential yet. (See here for more.)​

Just imagine what’s possible when you align your Zone of Genius and deepest interests to unmet, high-value market needs.

What could your career (and daily life) look like then?

So instead of putting 20% down on that next Airbnb…

…invest that 20% into yourself:

• Skills: Future-proofing and differentiating yourself with talents that command market premiums
• Experiences: Opportunities that serve as forcing functions for personal and financial growth
• Environments: Relationships and situations (e.g., masterminds) that radically boost your aims, thinking, and behaviors

Do this to create entrepreneurial YOU.

Entrepreneurship is the key to real freedom…because you call the shots, and there are no limits.

Rather than enduring decades of waiting and pain through pure W2 life or building passive income streams, you’re aggressively unlocking an exponential, uncapped income model…now.

And yes, once you’ve got your active income machine churning, then consider where to park those funds.

Reinvest some into your business. And yes, invest some into passive income streams (disclaimer: I’m a fan of passive income, but only when sequenced thoughtfully).

Realize: I’m just talking about the financial benefits so far.

Talk to any “successful” entrepreneur, and they’ll tell you the REAL gains all have to do with increased time, autonomy, finances, and family life.

While a valuable tool, great money is just a byproduct of choosing the entrepreneurial adventure.
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Conclusion

Don’t fall victim to sexy YouTube ads or LinkedIn bios that fixate you on “financial freedom through real estate.”

While the concepts can prove sound, they focus you on the wrong things in the near term.

Your single greatest opportunity right now is investing in YOU.

You are your greatest asset (not some apartment complex).

Maximize your active income ASAP by investing in skills, experiences, and environments that force your evolution — and help you graduate from a life chapter you’re clearly “done” with.

Get ACTIVE now — in every possible way.
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​Are you with me? Start that journey here.​

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Mind-Bender

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Podcast

I'm not promoting Uncage Yourself today.

Instead, don't miss my guest appearance on The Dad Edge podcast. Larry Hagner and I explored how ambitious, family-focused fathers can create real freedom and impact in their lives (and for their families). EPISODE: Spotify | Apple​

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That’s it for today, my friend! I appreciate you.

—Matt

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