Let me be bold and unreasonable for just a second and tell you that I know the one reason that new investors fail. If you are like me before I started succeeding in this business, you probably think that there are dozens, if not hundreds, of reasons. You, like I was, are wrong.
There is only one reason that someone fails in this business.
They are reasonable people. Honestly, that is it. I could just leave it at that but again, if you are like I was, an explanation is in order. People like to play it safe. Some investors like to make reasonable decisions and get reasonable results that are somewhat predictable. That is the biggest reason that we have hordes of W-2 earners out there and very few 1099 employees.
Unreasonable (and I do not mean reckless) people are those who don’t listen to other people’s reasons regarding why they can or cannot do something. Unreasonable people listen to other people’s concerns and then make their decisions based upon their passion and their belief in what is possible.
Tony Robbins said, “Leaders are unreasonable men and women who refuse to be bound by the past, while reserving their most unreasonable standards for themselves.” Robbins helps groom great leaders, both in their personal and professional life. I think that he knows a good bit about what it takes to be a great leader and how to lead a business.
Being unreasonable means that you meet your commitments regardless of all of the “reasons” that you have not to. Think of all of the reasons NOT to do something. Too tired? You can rest when you retire. Too broke? You cannot change your financial status without effort. Too busy? Re-prioritize until the things that are important are what you are doing, letting your leisure activities fall behind the things that will build your future. The biggest commitment is the one that you make to yourself when you decide to create a distinct future for yourself by becoming an Investor.
We all have our reasons, but the successful investor is unreasonable.
You create your future by putting aside the reasons and setting unreasonable standards for yourself. The hardest part of this is realizing what qualifies as a “reason” for not doing things and what is actually standing in your way. As soon as you start putting aside the “reasons” you will see that YOU are a big part of what is standing in your way.
While researching for this post, I came across the Case Foundation’s “To Be Fearless” report. It discusses how conventional models just aren’t working any more in today’s society. We MUST be unreasonable if we are going to succeed. The report is well worth reading, but here are a few highlights.
Make Big Bets and Make History. Set audacious, non-incremental goals.
Experiment Early and Often. Don’t be afraid to go first.
Make Failure Matter. Failure teaches. Learn from it. Take away positives.
Reach Beyond Your Bubble. It’s comfortable to do it alone. But innovation happens at intersections.
Let Urgency Conquer Fear. Don’t over-think and over-analyze. Just do.
Be bold. Be unreasonable. Decide to get rid of all of your “reasons” for failure and be unrelenting in your journey to success. It is only through being truly fearless and headstrong that you WILL succeed in your business and in your life.
2015 is 2 months old already. Let’s start attacking the year with a sense of urgency and purpose. Your future depends upon it!
If anyone has more questions or wants more one-on-one coaching, don’t hesitate to contact me. This is a passion for me and I truly enjoy sharing what I know with others. Thanks for coming by and getting a bit of the education. Until then, remember that you, too, have that inner warrior that it takes to achieve greatness and success. Feel free to drop me a line at Coaching[at]BaileProperties.com.
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