Hey Moguls, Craig Fuhr here…
I’m 47, and when I think of the greatest, most unbelievably clutch athlete of all time, there is only one that comes to mind: His Airness – Michael Jeffrey Jordan.
Seriously, who would rather have on you team, with 2 seconds to go and 1 point down? Who would rather inbound to than number 23?
I believe that some people are born to win.
I truly do. I believe that some are born with the cards dealt clearly in their favor. Some are born into wealth, others into families with thriving businesses. Some are born with extraordinary athletic abilities, while others are born with extraordinary intellect.
Those are the super-humans. What about the rest of us? What about the rest of us normal humans? How do we win at the game of life?
Did you know that Michael Jordan was actually cut from his high school basketball team? The coach thought he lacked the skills needed to be a basketball player. Imagine how that one rejection….that one failure could have changed Jordan’s career?
How do you handle failure?
Heck, for that matter how do you handle the prospect of failure? I speak with students every day who give up before they even get started. Imagine being paralyzed by the fear of failure before even giving yourself a shot at success.
Maybe you’re there right now, I don’t know.
Imagine if the great Michael Jordan stood on the sideline with 20 seconds to go and whispered to himself, “You’re gonna miss this. This shot is too hard. There’s not enough time….”
Does this sound like you? Be honest!
You’re possessed…
For most of us mere mortals negative-speak comes a heck of a lot easier than positive-speak. Most of us struggle with “the Demons of Self Doubt,” as I like to call them. Some of us even allow the demons to win.
Listen to me carefully: If you can’t master your demons, they’ll surely master you, and you will surely fail, or even worse – you’ll never even allow yourself to start.
I once had a partner who could talk me out of every smoking hot deal I brought to the table. Seriously – in a matter of minutes he could convince himself and me that even the hottest of deals were complete duds! He struggled with horrible self-doubt and it impacted me more than I like to admit.
Last year was a horrible year for me.
I’m just being honest with you. It seemed at almost every turn my business was crumbling because of poor choices that I’d made. It was as if after 10 years of winning, I was no destined to lose.
Man….the demons were screaming at me, and I’ll admit I almost gave in.
But I didn’t. I got refocused, got perspective from friends and mentors who know and love me, and stayed the course. And I’m sooooooo grateful I did.
Want some good news?
You can conquer your demons of self-doubt! You can put them in the tiniest little box in your subconscious, and you can throw away the key so that they’ll never come out again.
Are you ready to conquer doubt? Here goes!
Step 1: Understand that God did not make you to be fearful.
That’s right. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God gave us a spirit NOT of fear but of power and love and self-control.” I realize there are people of many faiths here, but the good news is I believe this truth applies to you regardless.
And for my Christian brothers and sisters…lean into that. Fear is a spiritual attack from the enemy. Lean into and trust in God when you feel fear.
Step 2: Learn to question your fears.
It’s easy to think, “Well, I’m afraid of this result, or fearful of that outcome…” But how often do you really test those fears and doubts? How often do you ask yourself… “Is this really a valid fear? Can I do something to mitigate that doubt?”
Step 3: Seek support and mentorship from trusted sources.
Especially in the field of real estate investing! You cannot live on an island in this business. You can’t go it alone. Find trusted sources who can help you through your fears. Every successful investor has earned his stripes through a series of failures – it’s part of the game! Be sure to surround yourself with people who believe in you. Winners attract winners.
Step 4: Learn to speak positively.
You must wake up every day and tell yourself that you are a winner. Speak it out loud. You may feel corny doing it at first, but it doesn’t matter. Do it anyway.
Look in the mirror and say, “I am a successful real estate investor.” Say it 100 times. Say it proudly and boldly! Before you go to bed at night, journal about your wins even if they seem tiny.
Step 5: Be very specific about what you want to achieve.
How will you measure success? What are your specific goals? You must be able to answer these questions. And…when thinking of your goals, be sure to break them into bit-sized, measurable pieces.
For example, if you make a goal to earn $100,000 flipping houses, be sure to set the smaller goals as well. Like, how many offers will you have to make? How much profit will you project for each deal? Etc…
Step 6: Don’t walk away from your fears…
…Instead you should run to them.
“Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
Immerse yourself in your fears. Attack them head on.
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If you fear rehabbing….attack that fear head-on by doing all you can do to be a successful rehabber.
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If you fear that you won’t find money for your deals…speak to 10 people who have raised money.
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If you fear that you’ll lose money….speak to 20 people who have lost money and vow never to do what they did!
RUN toward your fears, not away from them!
Am I crazy?
If so tell me. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.
Think about how you handle failure – Do you let it knock you down or do you fight back and press on ahead knowing you’re better for learning the mistake that may cause your self-doubt.
Question your fears – once you think through them and get to the root of your fear, you’ll be able to conquer it easier.
Leave self-doubt behind – think positive and be positive, and good things should be headed your way.
Get support from a mentor – they’ll help you get through the tough times when self-doubt may be winning the battle.
Give yourself measurable goals – work toward them with a good attitude and smart decisions.
Face your fears – once you’ve gotten to the root of your fears and self-doubt, look it right in the face and stomp all over it to reach success.
Don’t let fear hold you back. Period.