First Closing: Success is Truly 80 Percent Showing Up

As Woody Allen once said, "Success is 80 percent showing up." It truly is. It also shows that people's lack of initiative slows them themselves more than outward forces.

I am not going to give you any Xs and Os of real estate, as I will leave that to those with more stripes than myself, but I will tell you why showing up accounts for such a preponderance of your success. I strongly believe mindset may perhaps constitute the most important attribute toward success, or failure.

I will briefly share my story of closing my first property (my duplex: this morning!).

After returning from a brief backpacking excursion last August, I spent months reading and learning about real estate. In November, I started inquiring about various financial methods (including Bank on Yourself, but that's a whole new post). The first of the year I matter-of-factly asked my bank teller about mortgages. No sooner did I finish that thought he started taking some information.

The conversation with the teller took place on a Monday. By Wednesday morning I received a call from the loan officer. That afternoon, after a brief 45-minute meeting I left with a pre-approval letter. Before the completion of the working week I had a real estate agent. Brief recap: I went from maybe not even asking about a mortgage to having a pre-approval and agent within days. Not bad.

Of course, I had to then find a duplex. I simply looked at listings online and conducted "drive-byes" on my days off. I also took full advantage of Google Streets to view properties before I left my apartment.

My third showing would later become my duplex. I don't want to say I got my hands held while my property was under contract, but let's not pretend I didn't have my realtor and bank telling me what to do next -- definitely easier than knowing what to do myself during a very overwhelming structure for an absolute beginner.

I've had a lot of help all throughout the process. I had to get up and do the work, but at the end of the day, one thing fairly seamlessly went from one thing to another to another. (I had a thread about possibly regretting the individual property, but that should not diminish the point I am making. Without taking any steps I simply would still be standing on square one -- you need to eventually test the water and LEARN!)

As someone who has no business background and who does not really have any contacts I have to make them myself.

I started attending my local young professional organization. Although I am not a regular that many people recognize, I have attending enough events to see familiar faces. I also have met people who actually know people with whom I have conducted business. I guess the world is small! I haven't met any future partners, yet, but have met people with some contacts and knowledge. I have gotten all of this by simply showing up and talking about what I am doing and where I want to go. It's not difficult; you may have to be a little awkward at first going to event not knowing anyone, but after a few events/meetings you get used to that, in addition to seeing people you've met.

I first really gained this inspiration from seeing how some people become successful. Not everyone who reaches "success" has a prodigious intellectual or an ostentatious pedigree. But they "do" things. They're ambitious. They don't sit down and watch the world go bye. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. They want to become successful and achieve it. Only good things can happen if you put yourself out there in a positive light.

I am currently reading the autobiography of the "greatest immigrant story of our time." In his book, Schwarzenegger (I know, I know, but please hear me out) recalls a life that I can only simply sum up as: He showed up, did a good job, and that led to something better. He went from a tank driver in the Austrian army; won amateur body building contests in London; found his way to America, where, although he did not win a contest he caught the eye of a famous gym owner who really gave him a shot; who won many MAJOR contests; founds ways to invest money (he started a small mail order business); then, for fun, started acting in James Cameron productions; later, he became a Republican governor in California. And somewhere in there he married a Kennedy. Although an extreme example, Arnold showed up. Although in possession of good genes, his mindset has taken him where he is in life.

I love to read books about mindset and behavioral psychology. Why? Because we are more powerful than what any of us think. We are our own worst enemies and friends. Henry Ford once said that if you believe you can't, you're right. If you believe you can, you're right. Let your positive mindset and thirst for success take you to your own success finish line.

Want to become a success? Show up and take action! What's the worst thing that could happen? How often does that ever happen?