It’s Easy to Make a Plan. The Hard Part Is Playing the Wealth Game.

At Teach Me About Property, we see it all the time.

Students come in with a strategy. They’ve done the work. They’ve mapped the plan. They’re waiting for the day they finally press go — the moment everything’s meant to click.

But then it happens.
Launch day arrives… and fear takes over.

Not because the plan was wrong. But because they’ve been playing the poverty game.

The Poverty Game is Run by Fear

If you’ve lived your whole life governed by fear, it shows in how you make decisions.

The poverty game has you asking:

  • “What if this goes wrong?”
  • “What if I lose everything?”
  • “What if it doesn’t work?”

Your mind fills with worst-case scenarios. Even when the numbers make sense, your reflex is to stall.

That’s the pattern.
Fear creates hesitation. And hesitation kills opportunity.

But the Wealth Game Works Differently

Wealth game players ask “what if” too — but they use it before making the move.

They list their concerns early. They want clarity, certainty, and a plan to handle every scenario. Then, when it’s time to execute, they move fast and confidently.

Because all the fears have already been handled.

That’s how you build momentum.
You don’t ignore your doubts — you address them before they cost you the deal.

A Real Example: SMSF Done Right

Let’s break it down with a common scenario: a student wants to use their Self-Managed Super Fund to:

  • Buy an investment property, and
  • Invest in a TeamUp development project.

They’ve been prepping for months. But now it’s decision time.

If you’re playing the wealth game, here’s what you check:

Step 1: Affordability

Ask the simplest question first — can I afford this?

Say the property purchase costs $165,000 and the development project requires $100,000. That’s a total of $265,000.

If the SMSF has way more than that available, then that’s a clear yes.
✅ Affordability ticked.

Step 2: Liquidity

Next comes confidence.

Do you still have cash left in the fund after the investment?

Lenders want to see it. But more importantly, you want to feel safe knowing there’s a buffer. The wealth game is about confidence, not chaos.

✅ Liquidity ticked.

Step 3: Return on Investment (ROI)

Finally — and this is where the poverty game mindset slips — wealth players ask:

“What’s my money doing for me?”

If your leftover cash is sitting in the fund earning 2% or 3%, but you could be earning 10%+ from a TMAP project or rental income, what makes sense?

Don’t hoard cash.
Deploy it with purpose. Let your money work harder than you do.

✅ ROI ticked.

Wealth Game Players Move with Confidence

When it’s go time, they’re ready.
They’ve already walked through the data. The fears have been handled. The “what ifs” don’t slow them down.

So they push the red button.
Boom. Deal done.

Poverty Game Players Stall Out at the Start Line

They wait.
They worry.
They shrink.

Fear leads to inaction. And inaction means they miss the moment.

You don’t need a perfect strategy to win the game — but you do need the confidence to execute when it counts.

Final Word: Execute with Confidence, Not Fear

At the end of the day, it’s simple:

Fear decelerates. Confidence accelerates.

So decide which game you’re playing.

If it’s the wealth game, prepare properly, handle your doubts upfront, and press go with certainty.

Because when the opportunity comes, hesitation is the most expensive choice you’ll ever make.