Every day that passes, I get a day older. As I’m getting older, I find myself reflecting more and more. Maybe it is because the days behind me continue to grow, and the days ahead continue to dwindle. I am not writing this to be dark. I am writing this because it makes me think about my mindset.
I had a discussion with my wife yesterday. She is a mid-level manager at a large company. She is struggling with the politics of the company. Her ideas are right, but her execution is too timid. I told her, “You need to be more aggressive in your approach. The people who are aggressive receive the greatest rewards.”
When I look back at my life, I realize I have been most rewarded for the times that I took action. The times I did something. I’ve very rarely been rewarded for sitting still. There are times when sitting still is the right move, but it happens rarely, and the skill is not worth developing.
There is a quote: “No one remembers the mistakes; they only remember the successes.” Even now while writing this, the ONLY times that I remember someone bringing up my mistakes are old high school coaches and people who want to try and humble me.
Take Action, Even if it’s Small
I say this to whoever wants to accomplish anything in their lives. Take action. Even if it is small. Take any goal that you’ve wanted to accomplish, figure out the next step and take it. I’ve loved music all my life. I remember being a kid and listening to some of the The Doors’ live albums in the dark while thinking.
Related: Why Tiny Actions (NOT Massive Efforts) Make the Difference in Real Estate Success
I’ve picked up musical instruments here and there. I never practiced. I never progressed. I quit. Just recently, I borrowed a guitar from my brother-in-law. I’ve been taking lessons now for about a month and practicing almost every day. And you know what? I can play something that is recognizable as a song. It is awesome. Things that seemed impossible a month ago are no longer difficult. I’m not saying I will be playing “Little Wing” next week, but there is no reason that I couldn’t be in a couple of years with consistent practice.
How Does This Relate to Real Estate?
After all this babbling, what does any of this have to do with real estate? Nothing. And everything. No matter what it is you are working on in your life, everything starts with your mindset. Your mindset has to be aggressive, so you can take action.
Do something. Go do something now!
- Put up a Forum post with the question that is stopping you.
- Reach out to a BP member and ask for help.
- Go look at some properties.
Related: Stop Dreaming & Start Doing: How to Turn Big Real Estate Goals Into Actionable Steps
Go. Go. Go. Look at all the people that you admire on BP. The one thing they all have in common is that they are taking action. They may not know whether it is the right action or not, but everyone learns from mistakes. Anyone who has been successful in anything can tell you all about all of their mistakes. They are unavoidable, so don’t worry about them. Just go.
I’d like to wrap up with a Henry Ford quote, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”
What did YOU take action on this week to become a better investor?
Let me know with a comment!