Find a routine
We got back from a weeklong stay at the beach at 10 p.m. last night. That’s kind of late for us. But we got everything in the house and were in bed by 11 p.m. so I could get up and be at the gym this morning by 5:30 a.m.
Now, I’m here to tell you, it felt really, really good to be in my bed last night. I slept better in those 5 1/2 hours before my alarm went off than I had the entire week we were at the beach. As such, I had to think long and hard about abandoning my comfy covers in order to get a workout in.
But as I lay there contemplating all the reasons I could stay in bed, I thought about something I’d learned on our trip. It came from my niece, Autumn, and it happened during a car ride back from a restaurant.
You see, Autumn came to spend the night with us after having dinner with the family. She was excited about hanging out at the pool, going to the ocean and going on a snorkeling trip we were planning.
As Ashley and I sat in the front seats of our van listening to Autumn and my oldest son, Seph, bantering back and forth on things ranging from favorite foods to video games, we heard them start talking about school.
You see, we homeschool our kids, and Seph was wanting to know what Autumn thought about starting at her new school. As she talked about her previous experiences with school changes and what she was expecting at her new school, Seph asked her if she had ever considered homeschooling. She said that, as a matter of fact, she had considered it.
Then came the words of wisdom —
She said she knew if she were homeschooled, she wouldn’t do a good job. There wouldn’t be enough structure to keep her motivated since her single mom would be too busy to hold her accountable and keep her on track. So, she had chosen to go to school to give her a routine to keep her successful.
I thought it was awesome that my 13-year-old niece had consciously made a decision that would force her to be held accountable to help her succeed.
That knowledge convicted me. You see, I hadn’t worked out the whole time we had been at the beach. And I came up with lots of good reasons why it was OK. You know, like we were on vacation. And I should be resting and doing nothing … right? Well, one thing I know is that the older I get, the more sore I get once I go a week without working out. So, I knew that skipping my usual routine was not a good idea.
I had other reason, too. Like I aggravated a foot injury the first night we were on vacation by running on the beach barefoot. I’m literally still hobbling from that experience today. There was no Planet Fitness in the town we were staying, and the gym that was there was going to charge me more than I would normally pay because I was not local.
I could go on, but at the end of the day I was just making excuses not to do the thing I needed to do in order to succeed. So, being inspired by Autumn, I got three workouts in during our last days there.
And if you are wondering, I got out of my wonderful bed and went this morning, too. I was glad I did because it changed the trajectory of my day for the better.
In real estate investing, it’s easy to find reasons not to do the thing that will make you the most successful — talking to sellers. I know I do it. I find paperwork that needs to be done, team meetings that need to happen, rehabs that need to be managed, rentals that need to be checked on. And if I’m not careful, I can go months without going on a single seller appointment because of all the reasons I found not to.
But meeting with sellers is the most important thing for a real estate investor to do. It is where deals are created and the money is made. Without meeting with sellers consistently, you will fail. So, find a routine that forces you to get out there and meet with people.
Thursday afternoon is my door knocking day, and Friday is my seller appointment day. Find what works for you, but get into a routine, stick to it, and you will be successful.
Joe and Ashley English buy houses and mobile homes in Northwest Georgia. For more information or to ask a question, go to www.cashflowwithjoe.com or call Joe at 678-986-6813.