Consistency

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them” – Walt Disney

I was attending a webinar on real estate success, which, for me, is less about the technical knowledge being presented now, than it is for the motivation I need to tap into the courage I need to pursue my dreams.

I decided that I wanted to undertake some big home improvement projects this year.  My first project was stump removal. I was met with extreme skepticism from people saying that I couldn’t do that.. wouldn’t be able to do it. So, I spent my weekends digging up tiny 50 pound stumps. When I ended this summer stump free, no one who I had talked to previously thought I was going to get there. 

I took on several other projects this year as well, some by myself and some with help.  I replaced the flooring in my house, installed an over the range microwave, tore down my garage to the studs to remodel, replaced an AC unit, and am in process of laying down a paver pathway in the front yard (that is coming soon). I’ve hauled supplies, driven trucks around, moved big furniture pieces… yet, I’ve been met with criticism at every turn. I’ve been told I don’t know what I’m doing, before people have a chance to hear my plans.  And so what, if I don’t know what I’m doing? If I wait till I know what I’m doing, I’ll never do it. The business of real estate investing is a hands on business.  At least, the approach I want to take is. 

Thankfully, through this process, I’ve had a small circle of people in my life that truly believe in me, my stubbornness, my ability to do whatever I put my mind to. They have been the biggest, best cheerleaders I could have ever asked for.

This post may not be about a specific real estate investing strategy, or a finance hack, but perseverance is the one tool that is so diverse, yet so difficult to teach. A mentor of mine said something that has stuck with me, and that was that we have been kind of lied to our whole lives, when we hear that “knowledge is power”. Weird, right? I remember that phrase on a giant banner hanging in grade school. How is knowledge not power? They instead challenged that idea, with “Knowledge is POTENTIAL power, it is by taking ACTION that the power is realized.”

Since then, I’ve had a massive shift in how I view my time being spent on my real estate, and frankly, all of my life goals.

What is the next actionable step?

In terms of being able to see where I am going, and measure if I’m on track, this approach has been so critical.