Why the Key to Success in Anything Is Investing in Yourself

Not long ago, the BiggerPockets Podcast began to expand by bringing on guests from many different walks of life.

In episode 405, Brandon and David interviewed the world-famous host of the School of Greatness podcast, Lewis Howes. Despite not owning any real estate himself, his message applies just as much to real estate investors as it does to those with other life interests.

Rather than summarize the entire podcast (definitely give it a listen), this article aims to elaborate on crucial points that you can use to improve in life by investing in yourself.

Have a Mission Statement

Before making any major commitment, it’s important to ask yourself, “Why?”

Although a seemingly simple question, you’ll find that your response is very telling. It reveals what your internal motivations are, as well as your purpose in life. The problem is, most people are so excited to start something new that they forget to ask this question.

Neglecting to find your “why” might help you start sooner, but what’s going to motivate you when the going gets tough?

To commit to something long-term, you need to be intrinsically motivated. That means being able to wake up and do the hard things on a good day or a bad day. Much of this comes down to your values or your mission in life.

At the start of your real estate investing journey or any other endeavor, you need to examine how it aligns with your mission. Lewis Howes keeps his mission statements short and sweet. He has a one-sentence statement for life and another for business.

Consider doing the same. Ideally, the two are interconnected because what you’re doing in one area of life should move you forward in another.

Go back to the basics, and find your mission in life.

Make Life a Sport

As a former athlete, Howes wanted to find a way to continue competing. To do this, he decided to make life a sport.

Like any game, there are certain strategies that you should employ based on your desired outcomes. Yet in many ways, the game you’re playing will dictate your strategy. First you need to figure out what game you’re playing. From there, you can create a plan that helps you win the sport of life.

Coaches

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan. This list of dynamic duos could go on and on. Name a transcendent athlete and chances are that you’ll find a coach that led them on the path to greatness.

We are all naturally good at something. Sometimes we just need a coach to bring out the best in us. Lewis Howes mentioned his early struggles, but underneath the surface, he was developing a network of mentors, one of whom eventually helped Howes get published as an author among other things.

Most of us want to be successful at whatever we pursue. Lewis Howes had the drive; his mentors helped him focus his energy and build new skills that were dormant, ultimately leading to his continued success.

In order to bring your life to the next level, seek mentorship.

Goals

In any athletic competition, the main objective is to win. That could mean winning the Super Bowl or taking home a gold medal at the Olympics. It starts with envisioning yourself on the podium hoisting a trophy of some sort. In life, this means identifying desired outcomes.

With the end in mind, you can work backward to move towards your goal. To achieve any major goal, there need to be smaller milestones along the way. One helpful analogy for achieving goals is based on the different seasons of life.

Winter is a time to prepare for spring. Although nothing grows in the winter, you can research and create plans that you then execute at later junctures. This means learning the fundamentals and laying the groundwork mentally.

Spring is when farmers plant their crops. In life, this means that you begin to take daily action towards your desired outcome.

Summer is when your crops start to really grow. Just as crops need water and maintenance to grow, we need to gain knowledge based on what we learn and adjust.

Fall is when it’s time to harvest. Assuming that you put in the work during the other seasons, this is where you reap the fruits of your labor.

What season of life are you in?

Break Through in One Category

Starting out in any venture, the most important part is staying focused on your “one thing,” as Gary Keller would put it. It can be tempting to jump from idea to idea, but this takes away from your main objective.

How would you take down a wall?

During his interview with BiggerPockets, Howes used a real estate example to emphasize this point. As he began to elaborate, he mentioned trying to knock down a wall. Some people will attempt to knock it down by hitting multiple spots on the wall. Rather than trying this, he suggested continuing to focus on one spot until the wall came down. In doing so, you will have a breakthrough faster.

Howes exemplified this in his own life by putting his heart and soul into becoming a LinkedIn expert. This then led to online business and book success, which eventually helped him create the traction that led to his current business and School of Greatness podcast.

Are you trying to be a jack of all trades in your life?

It’s hard for most people to send an email while having a phone conversation with another person. If we can’t do that, imagine how hard it would be to achieve your ultimate goal without complete focus?

Take time each day to step back and evaluate your current situation. Break down your daily actions to see if they move you closer to your desired outcome. Within any given day, there’s probably time lost on trivial matters that can wait or be eliminated altogether.

If you find yourself spending time on too many different things, you need to narrow your scope. Find the one project that puts you closer to where you want to be, then go all in.

Having a sole focus enables you to put your full attention on it. In this way, you eliminate any wasted effort that takes away from achieving your main objective in life. There’s only so much time in a day, so it’s essential that you maximize your time rather than get pulled in several directions.

Final Thoughts

Each day brings an opportunity to start fresh. Using the fundamentals recommended by Lewis Howes will build the foundations that lead to your future success.