Consistent action is the biggest key to success and definitely the most uncomfortable. It is vital to keep taking action every single day even when the going gets tough. Excitement for anything is always at its peak in the beginning, but as you progress down the journey and things begin to get tough it becomes more and more appealing to give up. In the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, the idea is introduced that success is just beyond the last and hardest layer of effort that one must break through. As simple as it sounds, consistent action, persistence, and the ability to solve problems at any time are the keys to achieving anything. As simple as it sounds, it sure isn’t easy as most people will fail, give up, or never even try. Taking action takes discipline, planning, and a process. These three things in conjunction with one another allow one to take the action that is necessary for success.
Discipline
Discipline is such an essential trait for anyone who wants to be successful. The idea of discipline means you do what needs to get done no matter what, even if it’s the last thing you want to do. Getting up early and going to bed on time takes discipline. Going to the gym every day takes discipline. Developing any sort of habit and remaining consistent takes discipline. In order to take consistent action on your goals, this trait must be in your arsenal. Work on developing discipline by beginning some basic discipline training such as going to the gym every day and waking up early. Think of discipline as a muscle. The harder you work it out, the stronger it gets. Once you build that muscle strong enough, it is time to put a plan to that discipline and make some magic happen!
Plan
What are the steps to achieving your goals and what does that process look like? What actions need to be taken on a daily basis to move the needle forward? Start with the end in mind and work backwards. For example, if you’re an aspiring real estate investor and you want to buy your first property, start with that end goal in mind. Then, work backwards from that goal to fill in the steps necessary to achieve it. To accomplish this goal you’ll need leads, financing, underwriting, title and/or an attorney, and potentially property management. Now that you have the pieces of the puzzle, organize them in a way that you can develop action steps in logical order. Clarity is key here so be very thorough in this stage. Once the plan makes sense, it’s time to execute!
Process
Once the plan is complete, use discipline to turn the plan into the process. Make sure you are following the action steps that are necessary to complete each level of the plan. Assign yourself tangible parts of the plan to complete every day so you know that you are making the progress you need to be making and can track the process so it can later be refined and fine tuned. For example, for the goal of purchasing your first investment property, the beginning of the plan is lead generation. You can’t buy a property if you don’t have any leads. Lets just say the plan is to leverage agents to find great deals. The process of this step might be to reach out to 5 agents a day and have conversations about the properties they currently have for sale that fit your investment criteria. This is a tangible process that can be repeated every day until a property is found that is satisfactory to move forward with. The process is like a conveyor belt. It keeps the action moving forward at all times.
Adjusting on the fly
In all likelihood, the plan will never acclimate perfectly into the process. There will always be bumps in the road and changes that need to be made on the fly. Don’t sweat this! This is a normal part of the process and should be met with creativity and ingenuity, not fear. For example, if the agent outreach strategy from the buying your first real estate investment plan isn’t working out for an extended period of time, you may need to adjust and add another lead generating tactic to your arsenal. This may be calling expired listings, reaching out to wholesalers, etc. Sometimes, things like this happen and you can’t expect everything to go as planned, especially when attempting something as lofty and serious as real estate investing.
Taking consistent action is never easy and it requires a ton of discipline, patience, and creativity. Understanding that a plan will never go perfect when put into practice is crucial. Having a baseline for daily consistent action will help you keep the ball rolling even if you need to adjust every now and then for something that isn’t working. Have faith in yourself and the process and you will find success at anything you desire!