There are few, if any, shortcuts to achieving lasting success. In fact, if there was a process that could create instantaneous wins, we would never truly understand the value of winning. The journey it requires to achieve is often more meaningful than the reward itself. For investors, creating habits the that result in wealth and passive income is part of what will keep winners winning. How do the ultra-successful investors reach goals and live in the 1 percent? "What does it take to become a successful real estate investor?"
The reason that so many self-help, motivational, and real estate books fail to truly deliver new secrets to achievement is that the real-keys to success in real estate are small, often daily actions and habits. There aren’t too many hacks that one can replicate again and again to (legally) make a significant amount of money. On the flip-side, it is not outrageously difficult either to build wealth either.
An interesting aspect of achievement is that humans often want work to be more glamorous than the reality. “Shed pounds instantly,” sounds far more exciting than telling someone that it will require 10,000 hours to achieve mastery in the field of health and nutrition. The reality of getting and staying in shape is that it demands one to perform consistent and positive daily actions. Consistent positive daily actions are what makes world class athletes, musicians, and top-level real estate investors. Begin to create the habits that will guide you into success. To assist you along your path to success, apply these six daily habits into your routine and step-up your investing and your life.
Take in information
Successful and prominent figures in history have a tenacious appetite— for books. Reading is a powerful habit that cannot be underestimated as you grow in your field and achieve success for yourself. Many of the most influential CEOs in America read on average of 60 books per year. One famous business coach once said that the only thing that will make the difference between where you are now and where you will be in five years is the books that you read and the people that you meet; which leads us to the following important habit you must cultivate as an elite real estate investor; meeting people.
Meet people
If you want to be at the top, it’s critical that you show your social side and network. By connecting with ten new people each week, you’ll gather more-than-enough leads to fulfill your real estate goals. It doesn’t take a giant leap to climb a mountain; just a lot of little steps. Meeting 10 people a week—added together— results in 520 new contacts in a year. At some point, more than one of those leads are going to need to buy, sell, rent, or invest in real estate. If you continue the focus to meet new people, you may never need to do any other marketing at all, but remember to give. This leads to the next habit you must create daily to reach the elite level.
Impart value to those around you
Gratitude is an important mindset as you grow and push yourself into success, but an equally important trait to remember is that of generosity. One of the most important habits you can impart daily with those around you is a spirit of giving. This means more than giving your money, but giving in areas where you excel. Whether that be your smile, knowledge you have, or kindness to share, giving will improve another person’s quality of life while simultaneously creating more joy in your own.
Reflect and contemplate
Constantly, we are bombarded with things that demand our attention. The importance of taken a step-back to evaluate tasks and determine which are most important is lost in the fray. Stress levels reach an all-time high and productivity decreases. Elite investors have instilled in their daily lives the habit of reflection and contemplation. Whether that be through yoga, meditation, prayer, or even a conversation with a coach, getting out of “busy” and jumping into productive often begins with moments that allow one to mindfully refocus. In real estate, what sets the elite apart from average are often the littlest of habits and these habits lead to big advances, better thinking, and questioning.
Make your goals visible
Goals written down are part of the habit that will lead to greater success, but looking at your goals daily is a step to reaching the top that many ignore. Keep your goals in front of you. Wake up in the mornings and while you are taking time to reflect and contemplate, write your goals down again. Carry the goals with you in your wallet and purse. Make dates with your goals by choosing the same time every day to look at and acknowledge these goals. Congratulate yourself when you achieve in areas of your life and be honest with yourself when you need to adjust your strategy. You will be able to do this much more quickly and easily if you are intimately familiar with your dreams and plans. Some work best when goals are visually outlined as a dream board or written in bullet points. I suggest you use a pen and paper style as there is a visceral connection to physically writing something down and it’s ultimate manifestation.
Rest
All of the hard work that you are including into your routine also requires that you take time to rest. "Work hard, play hard" is a colloquial phrase for a reason. Science backs the importance of sleep; a commodity that is often scarce in our busy and demanding lives. Without a sufficient amount of sleep, the brain switches from creativity and positivity to a strict “survival mode.” When you do not take time to rest, you are a more negative, complacent, and unmotivated version of yourself. This pessimistic state of being is not conducive to reaching the top, and that mountain, wants to be conquered by you.
Mountains are not climbed in a jump, but by small, incremental steps that occur one-by-one. A steady pace to achievement is better than no pace at all.
Be intentional in your daily routine, and success will become a habit in your life.