An education of some sort is a prerequisite these days if you want to start a secure career in whatever field you choose. However, have you thought about where this will get you exactly? Will it help you achieve all your dreams in life, both financial, physical, emotional etc?

This article is focusing on the financial and lifestyle dreams that you may have.

Don't get me wrong though, being a teacher, I strongly believe that a good education is vitally important. I don't believe, however, that an education at University, TAFE or any other tertiary institution is enough to enable most people to achieve their goals and dreams in life.

Let's see what normally happens when you gain that valued education.

You get a job in whatever area you are trained for. Then you buy a new car and perhaps a new house. This is 'The great Australian Dream' and possibly the dream of many other countries too.

These are all great goals to have, but if you want to achieve more than being in the 'rat race' for the rest of your life, then I believe you need a different sort of education. More on that in a minute.

So you've got a job, a car (with a loan), a house (also with a loan). This is where the majority of people are happy to stop and believe they have achieved it all. They go to work every day, being dictated to what time they start, what time they have lunch and knock off. The bosses tell you exactly how much you will be paid and exactly when. They tell you how many holidays you are allowed to have AND when you can take them. To me, that's not living!

What's more is that most of the population HAVE to work to pay the mortgage and the car loan. As soon as they've nearly paid off the house loan, they're encouraged to trade up to a bigger and better car or house.

Does this sound familiar?

YOU CAN BE DIFFERENT. You may only be starting out, so start out on the right foot. Set your goals higher than to just be someone else's lacky. Don't get into that lifelong debt cycle.

Here's where I have some tips and secrets to help you ACHIEVE MORE than the average person.

As I said previously, your tertiary education is NOT going to make you rich. A stable job is important, but it's your HOMEWORK ? the extra financial education that will make you different in the long run. So get financially educated, start reading, watching videos, listening to audios, playing financial games, talking to people who are doing it.

The topic I suggest you learn about, based on my own experience, is INVESTING IN REAL ESTATE. It's sensible really. You buy a property, get a tenant to live in it, and they end up paying off the mortgage for you. Why don't more people do it if it's so easy?

Quite frankly, I don't know. Many people just aren't financially educated. You need to learn HOW to do this in a profitable way to ensure it's secure. But this is certainly possible and I'm speaking form experience.

By using positively cash flowed real estate you can create your own wealth and live the lifestyle that others only dream about. You are never too old or young to learn how to start doing it.

If you only learn one thing from this article, please let it be that it is VITALLY IMPORTANT TO GET FINANCIALLY EDUCATED. After all, your future depends on it.

Mandy Nield is a recognised authority on the subject of investing. Whether you are a fully experienced master craftsman or a raw apprentice, you will learn exciting and achievable ways to improve your saving and invest profitably in real estate, to secure a financial future. Visit http://www.anyonecaninvest.com for a FREE mini course about investing in real estate.