Directions for Success in Real Estate Investing
The one thing I want you to think about as we are starting the
New Year is the single most important factor in all of business.
Take and throw everything you know out the window because
without this one possession, you'll end up more lost than
driving down an old country, dirt road in Alabama.
It's called direction...
Direction for you and your business...
Since it's the beginning of a new year, you should initiate the
year off on the right foot. Take the next few days to work on
your real estate business instead of in it. What do I mean here?
Shut off all the phones and conduct some serious soul searching
to figure out what it is you're really looking for from your
real estate business. See, it's time for you to stop tiptoeing
along and get to work. This can be your year to stop being a
"lookie-lou" and become a real investor. More on that in a sec
but let me ask you -
"What direction are you heading in right now?" Are you where you
want to be in life?
And no I'm not trying to sound like the latest Geico commercial
with Tony Little yelling, "Yeah Baby, you can do it."
I'm being totally serious here. See, a few years ago, when I
worked at the J-O-B, I had a Franklin Covey planner that I
tracked all of my goals, my appointments, heck my entire life in
that one little book. Anyway, after moving a little over three
years ago, my wife found this little book tucked away in a pile
of stuff. She opened this book and proceeded to read what I had
written for my goals and the direction for our businesses and
our lives. She was shocked to see that nearly all of the items I
had listed had come to pass. And the ones that hadn't were not
our really our goals anymore, as we were striving for bigger
things.
So, the moral to the story is this: if you don't know the
direction you're heading in, then how in the heck do you intend
to ever get there? Do you think one day, you'll suddenly wake up
and say, "Oh, this is exactly what I want"?
I think not.
You've got to have a plan: A plan of Massive Action to get your
butt moving in the right direction.
Now, some of you may ask, what do I do if my plan fails?
This type of thinking simply comes from the fear of failing.
This stops most investors dead in their tracks from ever buying
their first property. They read articles, books, and even buy
courses, yet they remain inactive in buying any real estate,
never realizing their dreams of escaping the rat race. They talk
a big game about what they're going to do, but they always seem
to be just talking and not doing.
My response to the above question is that we can play "the what
if" game all day long and still be at the same point you're at
now except a little more frustrated. But let me ask you this:
What if your plan works? What if you knew beyond a shadow of a
doubt that you wouldn't fail? Would you then still
procrastinate? Would you put off running that ad to buy houses?
Would you still drive by that house in preforeclosure, yet
convince yourself they're not at home so that you won't knock on
the door?
It's time you get serious about your financial future because
the one thing that keeps passing us by regardless if we take
action or not is our time.
So, I 'm going to show you how to get off your butt and take
action. It's something I've used for years and believe that
you'll benefit as well. Here it goes.
First, I want you to identify where you want to be. This is the
most important piece to the puzzle. Get some direction about
your business and your life. Identify what's makes you tick...
Write this down. This could be something like you want to buy
six houses per year with a net of $10K or whatever your
situation is.
Next, what actions do you need to take to get to this point?
Write down, what you'll have to become as a person to fulfill
your goal. Now, this person that you have to become, what do
they do? What actions would they take?
Now, I want you to ask yourself, "What is it you can do over the
next ninety days to get closer to your goal?"
Then, write down the actions and tasks that you'll commit to
completing in the next ninety days to realize your goal. When I
say commit, I mean you have to be committed more than the
average "Hollywood marriage" and stick with your plan adjusting
it as you go along the way.
Along the way, as you complete some of the tasks, you want to
reward yourself. Maybe, you've finally sold that house that
seemed like it would never sell or maybe you've talked with 20
sellers or whatever your tasks was, then reward yourself
accordingly. Now, I'm not saying break the bank, just take a
percentage of your profits from your next deal as a reward for
your work. Maybe it's a weekend getaway or it could be as simple
as having a nice dinner with your family.
Now, you must remember to focus like a "laser guided missile".
It's easy to get caught up with everything going on around you,
however it's crucial you remain focused with your eyes clearly
set on your goals. I admit that I struggle with this every day.
With the internet and running several businesses, it's easy to
get involved with all the day-to-day crap or surfing the net for
hours on end. Ask yourself daily; what is the most productive,
profitable use of my time? Finally, at the end of the ninety
days, it's time to look at what you've accomplished and repeat
adjusting your plan from what you've already completed. I want
you to do this process starting with the end in mind of where
you want, and then backing your way to do the things necessary
to achieve the end result.
If you fail to take time to do these simple yet powerful steps,
then I grant that you don't have what it takes to be a
successful real estate investor. You must remain as the
visionary for where you want to lead your business and the steps
to getting there. If you fail to have this vision, then you'll
always be working for someone that does. However, if you follow
theses simple steps, then you'll be amazed at the amount of
ground you can cover over the next ninety days. Commit to making
this your best year ever. Screw the resolutions and focus on
getting things done!