This article is a continuation of the last two articles, where we talked about different ways to get motivated and on how to “Get Off Your Butt” when you’re in a slump.
One thing we have to realize is that motivation is not a constant thing. It comes and goes. You may feel unmotivated sometimes, but the good news is, it wouldn’t stay that way forever. It does come back.
Ask yourself, “How many years have you been trying to succeed as a real estate investor?” For most, the answer will be longer than what they would like to admit. So here I will share with you a few more basic steps, that if followed, will help you “Get Off Your Butt” and will keep you motivated.
Stick with it. Whatever you do, don’t give up on your goal. Even if you are not feeling any motivation or excitement today or even this week, don’t give up. Think of your goal as a journey and you not feeling motivated is just a little bump in the road. You can’t give up with every bump.
Start small. If you are having a hard time getting started, it may be because you are thinking way too big. You want to start exercising, but you can’t see yourself spending at an hour or more at the gym every day, you just can’t get yourself to do it.
So, what if you start working out for at least 2 minutes every day for a week? You can do some jumping jacks, a couple of push-ups or sit-ups or any beginner’s exercises you can do at home. Once you have done 2 minutes every day for a week, increase it to 5 minutes and stick with that. In a month you will be doing 15-20 minutes. Isn’t that better than no exercise at all?
Let’s use the same theory with our real estate business. Marko always says that this is a marketing business. So, if you want to find motivated sellers and you don’t have a marketing budget, start calling one FSBO (for sale by owner) from Craigslist or any FSBO website once a day. You will feel such a sense of accomplishment, which leads us to what they call building on small successes.
See, if you start small for a week, you are going to be successful. Who can’t exercise for 2 minutes in one day? (Now, if someone is physically not capable to exercise, I apologize). Who can’t call one FSBO? Unless you don’t speak English or don’t have access to a phone, I am sure you can find 5-10 minutes in your day to see if a property you found online is still available.
These are just a few examples, proving that when you take small steps and stick with them, you will not fail. Guaranteed. When you look back a couple of months or a year from now, you will feel a sense of accomplishment that you did not give up on your goal.
Read about it daily. When I lose motivation, I read a book about my goal or an individual who I look up to like a role model. It inspires me and gives me energy. Reading will motivate you and will help you focus on whatever goal you are eyeing to achieve. That is why this “Real Estate Money” magazine is so powerful. It’s all about inspiring and helping you reach your goals.
Remember to call for help when your motivation is depleted. It doesn’t matter if it’s a personal issue or a professional one. Talk to someone, a parent, sibling, friend or a coach. When it comes to real estate, I tell my coaching students to join a local REIA (real estate investment association) or meetup group in their area. It’s a great place to network and meet like-minded people. This makes it easier to stay motivated, focused and take action.
Always think about the benefits, not the difficulties. We tend to think about how hard something will be, that is why most people just give up. It’s true for some of us that just thinking about exercise seems hard, so we don’t do it.
In real estate, thinking about finding a motivated seller, going to their house, analyzing a deal and then figuring out how to sell it sounds tough. But why not think about the benefits? Focus on how good you will feel when you get in shape if you exercise. Focus on how great you will feel when you get that $30,000 check for doing a real estate deal and the things you can do with the money.
Thinking of the benefits will keep you going. Crush negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. Recognize negative self-talk, which is the reason that causes your slump. Spend a couple of days becoming consciously aware of every negative thought.
Then, make a decision to crush them like a bug and then replace them with a positive thought. “This is too hard!” and replace it with, “If Nayia can do this real estate business coming from another country where they didn’t speak a word of English, I can do it too! Heck, I was born here.” It may sound funny, but it works. Make the decision to change your future by changing your mindset.
To your success,
