Have you thought about who is successful and why? Social Psychologist Angela Duckworth researched by studying kids and adults in challenging settings and found that IQ is not the best predictor of someone getting good grades or even becoming successful in life.
There was one key factor that made the difference. It was not social intelligence or having good looks. It wasn’t physical health or even someone’s IQ. It was grit. Grit is passion and perseverance for long term goals. It’s having stamina, sticking with your future day in and day out, week after week, month after month. Grit is living life like a marathon and not a sprint. It’s the person who believes that he or she can improve. People with growth mindsets who believes that failure is not a permanent condition.
Ask yourself, “Do you have grit?” Being a coach, I see my coaching students go through up and down phases in their real estate development, which we all experience. It’s quite normal. I see the ones that want a deal NOW and how anxious they get.
The only problem is that those are usually the ones with fixed mindsets. They are focusing on what they don’t have “now” and they tend to quit, give up before giving 100% or trying harder. Those are the individuals who are not used to dealing with challenges.
They could be very smart people, but have fixed mindsets, feeling that their intelligence is being judged if they fail or don’t have a deal fast. They don’t know how to deal with temporary defeat or challenges, so they look for excuses, they run and quit. Many times, they look for other people that have failed or who are in a worse situation than they are so they can feel better.
So I ask myself, “What can I do to help?” I focus on helping them understand that they are on a learning curve and that this experience will give them a path into the future. I tell them that experience is the only thing they cannot “buy” even if they had millions of dollars. I want them NOT to be so attached to the outcome of getting the deal.
I don’t want them to judge themselves as a success or a failure over an appointment. I want them to have fun!
A few days ago, I prepped my student Darla, a surgical nurse for over 30 years, on going on her first appointment in search of a motivated seller. She was a little scared and nervous and wanted to go over her presentation with me.
I told her, “Fear is not an option. You do all you can do from what you know to prepare for the appointment and focus on having fun. Make friends with the seller, build rapport and stay relaxed. Know that only by going on appointments can you gain the experience you need in getting deals and changing your life.”
There is power in believing that you can improve.
Let’s all build some grit. Only with this growth mindset will you be able to change your life and the lives of your loved ones. See yourself as a student and someone who is always learning.
To your success,
