“Impossible” is a Human Invention

Robert Schuller came up with a great quote in 1973: What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?

As 2015 begins, after finding yourself a quiet place to write down your goals, place Mr. Schuller’s quote in front of you. Next, with each goal you put to paper ask yourself: If failure is impossible, is this still a worthy goal for me to pursue?

At the beginning of each January, many of us make goals – they’re called New Year’s resolutions. This flood of goal setting is evident by the huge increase in the number of folks in the gym, and also by the number of people reading self-help books.

Sadly, by February, we’re back to seeing just the regulars working out – with the exception of two or three new people who’ve gutted out the pain and continue coming to the gym. As for the self-help books, most lay half read on shelves gathering dust…never to be opened again.

What happens to us as goal setters between January 1 – when we’re all pumped up with enthusiasm, and February 1 – when we’re back to sitting on the couch watching way too much TV? In a word: Obstacles. Henry Ford said it best: Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.

It’s not enough to write down your goals. For goal setting to work, you have to read them – out loud – several times a day – everyday! Next, you need to close your eyes and picture yourself having already achieved each goal. In my case, this is how I start and end my day – it keeps my goals foremost in my thoughts. Doing this answers the question: Why am I at my desk at 4:30 in the morning working?

Above, when talking about the two or three new folks who are still pumping iron come February, I said they had gutted out the pain. Make no mistake, achieving worthy goals is hard; it’s painful. Much sacrifice is required. To quote Mr. Schuller again: Triumph is made up of two words: TRY and UMPH!

When it comes to real estate investing, my goals are simple and straightforward. The first goal I write down is the number of sellers I will meet with face-to-face during the year. I break this down to the number of sellers I need to see each month, and then each week. Remember: the alpha and omega of real estate investing is getting face-to-face with sellers and asking Pete Fortunato’s famous question: Why are you selling such a nice house like this? Setting – and then tracking – this number is critical if you want to succeed at real estate investing!

Final thought: It’s easy to think up something that you really want, or want to do. Maybe it’s spending more time with your family, or traveling more, or achieving financial freedom, or helping others. Before you say your goal is unobtainable, remember this: “Impossible” is a human invention!