This book is counter-intuitive in the best possible ways.
On the road to success we hear familiar sayings that we think help:
- Don’t put your eggs in one basket!
- Always be grinding!
- Find a way to destress and relax so that you can perform!
- Fake it till you make it!
I was surprised to find just how wrong these beliefs were. These things that I had believed for a long time turn out to be the opposite of what leads to achievement.
John Eliot, PhD., is an expert in psychology and utilizes it for business and performance consulting at the highest levels.
What he teaches to top performers in the athletic and business world is important for every single real estate investor looking to improve our business and ultimately, live the dream.
Lesson 1: Passion and Commitment Fuel the Dream
Real estate investing is a difficult field with a lot of obstacles. We can expect our commitment to be tested, pretty much daily. How many professions require the level of problem-solving and people skills that real estate investors must employ? To get us through the day and create a thriving business takes more than a 9-5 commitment.
That is why overachievers need to dream BIG. The dream is individual to each of us.
- It is something that launches us out of bed on cold mornings when we would rather be warm and comfortable.
- It is what leads us to answer the midnight phone call.
- It is what compels us to write articles while we are literally supposed to be on vacation!
Dreams are bigger than our goals, which are merely punch list items. It is something higher than just fame and accomplishment. It is more important than even fortune and wealth which we so rigorously chase.
The dream is a calling that brings us fulfillment of purpose so that we don’t regret the lives that we live.
Working towards that dream lifts us up when we hit a roadblock. It gives us perspective when a deal falls through. Yes, we’ll still feel bad, but that feeling pales in comparison to the feeling we get chasing the dream.
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
For the overachiever, daily efforts are not built on sacrifice and trudging through work. The process of pursuing the dream is reinterpreted to be enjoyable.
The desire is excellence in all that is done and performed. Challenges and challengers are welcome because being tested is half the fun!
Lesson 2: Confidence Breeds Success
Confidence makes you successful.
It has to be in that order (confidence preceding success). Don’t wait for success and some outside metric of it to come your way to determine your level of confidence. If you do, you’ll always chase an emotion, dependent on things you cannot control.
Put all the eggs in one basket and believe in yourself.
Confidence has to be earned.
There is foolish arrogance, then there is confidence (quiet or loud) that is built on a rock-solid foundation of education and experience.
Confidence is the belief in self that when you have the opportunity to succeed you are ready with the ability, knowledge, network, and skillset to execute.
If you are confident you can accomplish great things. If you are hesitant then opportunity eludes you.
Confidence is a consistency of thinking in possibility rather than just probability. Confident people explore the potential of a situation and use their creativity to craft winning scenarios.
Isn’t that what ARV is based on? The After Repair Value is what the property could be worth once we take action to repair, update, and optimize the property. Confident investors know they can take the uncertainty of the future (what a property can sell for when fixed) and bring it to reality with hard work, creativity, and a little artistry.
Earned confidence stops “analysis paralysis”, one of the success killers for all investors. Positive action is better than positive thinking. Knowing numbers is important, but taking action is more important.
“Confidence is that feeling by which the mind embarks in great and honorable courses with a sure hope and trust in itself.” – Cicero
What if you ARE new? Fake it till you make it? No, the better way is to develop confidence through experience, and the best way to get GOOD experience is to partner with a seasoned investor who can guide you along the right path.
Lastly, be ready, willing, and even welcoming to hearing, “No” a LOT. Most people will say no.
- Most people do not want to sell you their house
- Most people do not want you to take over their payments if it means giving up their equity
- Most people don’t even want to talk to you if you knock on their door with a ready-made solution to stop their foreclosure
Most people are not cut out to be real estate investors. Most investors would allow these things to destroy their confidence before even getting their business off the ground.
Confidence cannot come from outside factors. True confidence must come from within.
For our business, it must come from knowing that we want to help people. Knowing that we can help them. Knowing that the deal and a “Yes” is right around the corner.
Our confidence comes from the commitment to chasing our own individual, vivid, incredible dream.
Lesson 3: Be More
The overachiever is not just a special person, they are an exceptional person! To be exceptional is to think exceptionally.
“What turns ordinary people into overachievers is the way they use their mind when they are called upon to perform.” – John Eliot PhD
The overachiever defines their own reality because they are intensely mentally strong.
A target is defined then singular focus is utilized to take positive action to achieve that objective.
The rest of the world falls away, distractions disappear, and time stands still. Self-doubt, negative emotions, and disappointment are all put on pause while working on what is getting us closer to our goal.
You might look at the previous paragraphs and think that passion, commitment, confidence, and mental strength are naturally ingrained into some people and lacking in others.
The author assures us his research and experience prove these things are learnable habits. Habits can be formed by any of us. It will take time and practice but being an overachiever is within the grasp of anyone willing to put in the work to be more.
The thing that drew me to this book is that it is no-fluff, fully researched, actionable advice. These are the same tools provided to CEOs, athletes, and top performers looking to be more than their elite colleagues. I love books that look to change behavior with tested, proven, and science-backed research.
I highly recommend that you pick up a copy and work to form the attitude, thinking, and habits that will lead to achieving the dream!
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