New and learning in Springfield, MO

[Adam A.]

Hi all, Newbie investor and first time poster here, ready to make my introduction to the investing world!

My name is Adam Artherton, and I'm located in Springfield, MO with plans on venturing to the west coast eventually. For now, my sights are focused on learning as much as humanly possible and starting to network, which is something that would have been outside my comfort zone a decade ago.  I have no investments currently, but I hope to change that within the next 12 months.

I got turned on to real estate investing through a random youtube video, which led to discovering Bigger Pockets and a slew of other podcasts and video series, which in turn led me to a load of books on the subjects that I've been practically drowning in for the past couple months.  I was attracted to it because I've always felt strangled by the typical corporate job mindset.  I've had health problems since I was a child, and I fell victim to the idea of having to go to college, start a career, and lock in my healthcare, with the idea that I'd be rewarded for my efforts.  Well, a Media Production degree, a certificate in Drafting & Design, and 4 years into my career at a local but major media producer, and I don't feel any closer to those goals.  About the only thing I have is a good healthcare plan, but I'm learning that it makes it difficult to even pursue other jobs because none of them can compete with that one aspect enough to make it worth it.  I'm struggling to keep my head above water, and in fact, I feel more disillusioned with the career path I started down, and am not finding the type of freedom or security I hoped to when I started off on this path. 

The idea of your success and return being directly tied to how much effort you put in, just appeals to me so much.  Imagining giving myself a permanent raise after successfully renting and refinancing a property I invested in, and having that cash flow added to my portfolio, just gave me an instant motivational boost to start taking actions, however small, toward that goal.  What is my goal?  Complete and total financial independence, where I answer only to myself and the standards I set for myself.  Real estate is the means to that end that I feel I can wrap my head around and be good at some day.  The more short term goal is to gain some side income and have some breathing room.  The mid-term goal is to be able to quit working for anyone but myself while continuing to scale.  The long-term, light at the end of the tunnel goal, is to be able to slow down finally and sit back and reap the rewards of my efforts.

Right now, I'm starting to focus attention on re-organizing a lot of the information I'm learning right now, and presenting it to myself in a way that lets me know what steps I should be taking next.  I'm very overwhelmed, as I'm sure a lot of you were when you started, but after I get over that initial anxiety, I've had some great moments of clarity where things start to click and make sense, and keep propelling me forward.  My one tangible goal for today was to make this post, and take the first step into more serious networking.  Let me know how I did!  Introduce yourselves, and let's talk shop!  I don't have nearly enough people in my life who would find any of this interesting, so I'm desperate to meet some like-minded people.  I would love to hear any recommendations you all might have, and anything you'd like to know about me, just ask!  I hope we all get to know each other well in the coming days, months, years, etc..!