Sunday, August 24, 2008

Real Estate Investing - Mindset

Attraction

The Law of attraction basically says you will get whatever you really want out of life. You might disagree with that - but it's true. It is this law that the huge best seller "The Secret" was based on. It was at the core of Napoleon Hill's famous "Think and Grow Rich" and is a central theme for motivational speakers. Another way to say it is "If you think you can...you can. If you think you can't...you're right."

Can it be this simple? You will attract to yourself the things you focus on internally with most intensity & consistency. Why is it true? I don't know! But it is. If you keep telling yourself that all you need is enough money to get by...that tends to be all the money you ever have...just enough to get by. However if you say I'm going to own 10 houses in 5 years if you keep focusing on that it most likely will. Its partially related to goals and also focus. If you absolutely and positively make something your focus you will get what you want.

In my experience if that little voice inside my head were a person, (and I think you know who I mean) after listening to all the negative comments it can come up with, I wouldn't speak to it again. You wouldn't let your best friends talk to you that way so why do you put up with it from your little voice.

Practice thinking about what you want most!

Mindset

Mindset is critical to real estate investing. However many people fail because their focus is more on avoiding failure than being successful. An easy way to find out where your head is at, is to write down the thoughts that pop into your head during the day. It may surprise you.

Contrary to some people's belief avoiding failure is not positive or even neutral. It may look like the flip side of success but in reality avoiding failure is absolutely negative and to focus on it will virtually guarantee failure. Let's be clear it's a good thing to avoid failure but the problem is that our brain doesn't process negative statements well. Let me show you why.

What does the term failure mean when related to real estate...losing your money, losing your home, getting sued, going bankrupt or not making any money. How do you feel when you think about that? Does it help you to move forward with a spring in your step? Does it make you want to bounce out of bed and race to your office? Do you say to yourself "Oh I can't wait until that happens?"

I doubt it....if anything these thoughts push you to do NOTHING. There is nothing attractive about the images created so it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. You avoid failure by not even trying in the first place. As a result focusing on avoiding failure will attract the very thing you were trying to avoid.

This is why professional athletes talk about winning to themselves and others and why they look so focused before events. They are visualizing winning and rehearsing the race in their mind. It sets them up to perform at their peak. Do what athletes do...focus on winning.

So here's the opposite side of that same coin. Think about having massive success as a Real Estate Investor. What would that look like? Is it owning 15 houses and making $15000 a month in cash flow? Is it putting your kids through college? Is it not having a job any more? Is it going on 4 vacations a year with no expense spared?

I'll bet this is infinitely more positive and motivating. You want to think about it. You want to put it in place.

When you focus on success, your mind will be able to attract it. BUT a focus on avoiding failure means your definition of success is the avoidance of disaster and that is not going to make you wealthy.

To practically implement this: For 30 days every morning and night say your positive goal ALOUD three times and MEAN it.

No comments: