5 Years Investing, What's Up?

5 Years Into Investing: What Changed, What Didn’t

Personal finance isn’t just numbers — it’s identity, fear, and the stories we tell ourselves.

Five years ago, I started taking investing seriously.
Not because I suddenly “got smart” with money — but because life forced me to grow up.

Before that, I thought I was good with money.
I spent less than I earned. I saved. That was the whole strategy.

Investing?
Didn’t even register.

Where I Actually Started With Money

My understanding of money was limited and boxed in.

• Money was hard to come by

• You had to save forever to get ahead

• There was a ceiling on how much I could earn

• Only certain people got wealthy — and I wasn’t one of them

Looking back, that mindset makes me cringe.
Straight peasant thinking.

But it didn’t come from laziness.
It came from fear.

Fear Was Running the Show

I was scared of:

• The unknown

• Looking stupid

• Being the amateur in the room

• Trying something new and failing publicly

And it wasn’t just money.
That fear bled into everything.

When you don’t understand something, it’s easier to avoid it — and pretend you’re “fine.”

The Wake-Up Call (Mortgage = Reality Check)

Then life happened.

I moved countries.
Changed jobs.
Bought my first house.

That mortgage was the moment things snapped into focus.

I’d always had a “why” — my whānau — but responsibility made it real. I realised pretty quickly: drifting through life with no financial direction wasn’t going to cut it.

If I didn’t sort my shit out, no one else was coming to do it for me.

What Changed (The Real Shift)

The biggest change wasn’t the assets.
It was how I think.

For nearly 30 years, I believed there was a cap on what I could earn. That belief was an invisible ceiling — and I lived under it without questioning it.

Once that switched, everything followed.

I went deep into learning about:

• Money and investing

• Risk and leverage

• Time and compounding

• Behaviour and decision-making

It felt like learning a new language — one I’d been using my whole life without understanding.

Today, I’ve:

• Bought three more properties

• Invested in shares

• Experimented with side hustles

• Started intentionally designing my life

I’m not where I want to be yet — but I’m a hell of a lot further than I was.

What Didn’t Change (The Ongoing Battle)

I still get insecure.
Old beliefs still try to creep back in.

I still question my decisions sometimes.
And yeah — that “poor Māori boy” identity bullshit still shows up.

The difference now?
I don’t let it stop me.

Not trying would be the real tragedy.

No Victims, Just Ownership

Some of those beliefs came from environment, upbringing, and what I saw growing up. But I’m not interested in playing the victim card.

That’s on me.

My old relationship with money was simple:

• Work

• Pay rent

• Save

• Maybe buy a house one day

That was the full extent of my understanding.

Now I know better. And once you know better, staying the same is a choice.

Final Thought

Personal finance isn’t about becoming someone else.
It’s about removing the limits you didn’t even realise you were living under.

So, what are some of limiting you have about your Life and Money?

Peace