Category: Real Estate Investing

Running a successful business takes massive effort and the right

mindset. We have found that one key part of the proper mindset for

success is establishing a solid financial foundation. We are often

asked, “How do you achieve a solid financial foundation?” It’s

actually very simple. Tithe. Save. Invest. That’s the formula that

has worked for us. Perhaps you might want to try it.

Tithing–

For us, the principle of tithing is based on our Christian faith.

However it is a universal principle no matter your faith. We

believe that you should give God a share of what He has given you.

Tithing is more than just money. It includes your time, your

talents, your gifts and anything else that you have been blessed

with. In my previous blog, “Sometimes it’s not about the Money,” I

mentioned that tithing includes giving of you to make other peoples’

lives better. Tithing allows you to show just how appreciative you

are for the blessings that have been bestowed upon you.

Saving-

The second part of the formula is saving. Saving allows you to put

aside some of the fruits of your labor for when you need it most. It

allows you to accumulate capital and have instant access to these

resources. Savings can help you achieve some of your financial

goals. Whether it’s a comfortable retirement, a down payment for a

house, or a new car, or stereo, you can get there by setting money

aside. And best of all, you can have what you want without getting

bogged down in debt. The unfortunate part of saving is that it does

not allow for much growth. Saving should lead to investing in some

of the instruments or types of property that I mention below.

Investing-

This third principle is based on the fact that you need to invest in

something that will allow you an adequate return on investment

(ROI). Investing means that you believe in a something so much, that

you expect it to pay dividends in the future. Investing can take

many forms. You can invest in paper instruments such as stocks,

bonds or notes. Or like us, you can invest in real property such

as, houses, apartments, commercial buildings, and land. Or you can

invest in businesses. One of the most important investments you can

make is to invest in yourself through education, coaching and

mentoring. The key to successful investing is to know why you are

investing and to understand every aspect of your investment.

Conclusion

To learn more about these principles and for your free copy of our

recent report on how you can develop the mindset and habits needed

to become a successful real estate investor click here:

www.thebookoninvesting.com.

What’s your motivation? What drives you to get up in the morning

and do what you do? The answer to this question will determine

whether you are focused on your goals or just procrastinating and

putting thing off until the next time.

Many people often ask, how do I find the time to run a business,

invest in real estate, take care of family, write books and blogs,

stay active in my church and civic responsibilities and do all the

other things that I do. I simply tell them that I stay focused on

the task at hand and minimize my distractions.

Have you heard the old cliché, an idle mind is the playground of the

devil? Well, I think that the idle mind keeps us from doing the

things we need to do to live the kind of life we want to live. In

our society, there are so many things that distract us from being

the best that we can be.

You see most successful people value productivity. They like to get

things done. They choose the things that they do well, which make

that thing more pleasurable. They never expect work to be as fun as

say a vacation, but they feel it’s a worthwhile tradeoff. So they

work, not as little as they can, but as much as possible without

hurting their health, relationships or the quality of their work.

They put their heads on their pillows each night feeling good about

themselves that they got something accomplished which will be them

closer to their goals.

Below are five steps to help you turn procrastination into

productivity.

1. Understand why you procrastinate

Procrastination often is a way for you to put off change or the

unknown for a little while longer or to hold back from doing

something that can be scary. I’ve also found that people

procrastinate because they’re not ready to do something. Until

they’re ready, they’ll put off their next steps, whatever those may

be. Understanding the reason behind your procrastination can be the

first step to realizing how to move forward.

2. Know what things are distractions

A recent study found that procrastination is on the rise and it is

making people poorer, fatter and unhappier. Even with the best

intentions, being productive can be challenging. With technology all

around, distractions are often effortless and unnoticeable.

Particularly for those of us who have iPhones, iPads, Droids,

computers, and TV. These distractions can derail all productivity.

Try to avoid distractions by turning off these devices. Also resist

the urge to check Facebook, Tweeter or other social media during

your most productive time.

3. Master Productive Procrastination.

Sometime even with no distractions it’s sometimes difficult to

suddenly stop procrastinating. That’s why you should begin by

listing the tasks you have to do, in order of importance from the

most urgent to the least important. With your tendency to

procrastinate, you’ll avoid items on your list by completing others,

and actually become productive in the process.

4. Manage the Details

When you have managed to complete the smaller, less important tasks

on your “to do” list, facing the bigger, more important projects can

be challenging.

In the Savvy Investor Program™ I often develop a list of five things

clients can do to break past the procrastination. Then we help them

decide on one action for the week from this list of five that they

commit to taking that week.

I believe that by taking larger goals and breaking them down into

smaller steps makes the process more manageable. For example, if you

have a report that’s due, you can break down the project into

smaller pieces: brainstorm topic, create outline, write

introduction, etc. Once you have completed these smaller tasks, you

can commit to one action item to focus on until they’re all complete.

5. Get Coaching

No matter how you plan out the details, sometimes the one thing you

need to be productive is coaching. Coaching helps you to be

accountable. All successful people have coaching as part of their

formula for success. Coaching allows you to create accountability in

a number of ways. It keeps you focused and helps you strategize the

goals that you have set for yourself.

With these five strategies to use, you’ve got all the tools you need

to be productive. So what are you waiting for? Get to work! Join us

at The Book On Investing (www.thebookoninvesting.com) to learn more on what you

need to help you create the life of your dreams.

The HUD score card for December 2012, released in January 2013

shows that mortgage rates continue to be at record lows while

homes remain highly affordable. This information from Freddie Mac

and the National Association of Realtors is good news for

investors.

Now is the time to invest. The more stabilized and encouraging

situation being predicted by both the US Government and the private

sector shows that there will be potential for healthy competition

among real estate investors but, clearly, savvy investors will be

the ones to get a significant part of the pie. They will know how

to analyze each opportunity appropriately and make the best deals

on both ends of the process.

The wave of foreclosures may have ebbed, but there is still a huge

opportunity to buy at rock bottom prices. (We haven’t seen this

sort of chaos in the housing market since the Great Depression.)

Naive investors are running scared. They see lower home values or

slow sales, and they choose to sit on the sidelines and mumble

things like, “I’m playing it safe. I’ll jump in once things have

settled down.” Savvy investors laugh at this “poor man’s mindset.”

Savvy investors realize that they’re not investing in an entire

market, just in one great deal at a time. They know that the best

time to invest is when there is the most opportunity. And clearly,

that time is now. Warren Buffet explained it perfectly, “I will

tell you how to become rich. Close the doors. Be fearful when

others are greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful.”

In today’s market, others are fearful. What will you choose to be?

We recommend you choose to be rich.

Project:

Based on your goals, decide if there is a particular geographical

area you in which you would like to invest first. We found it best

to begin in our own backyard, so to speak. You probably will too,

but do your own research. Learn as much as you can about all types

of real estate investment opportunities and start thinking about

which might hold the most interest for you.

Conclusion

Remember that with real estate investing as one part of your

financial plan, you can create the life of your dreams by following

a few time-proven strategies and techniques. Download a free

article on real estate investing at: www.thebookoninvesting.com

Earlier this week I asked if you were ready to take The 10X

Challenge™. According to Grant Cardone, a New York Times

best-selling author and internationally recognized sales training

expert, successful people know and follow the 10X Rule. In his

latest book, The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and

Failure, Cardone sets forth the principle that if you adjust your

actions and thinking to 10X levels you will guarantee success.

I hope that you are ready to learn some of the tips that can lead

to your extraordinary success. But before you can reach an

extraordinary level of success, you first need to understand

success.

What is Success?

In his highly helpful and very motivating book Cardone effectively

demonstrates that when you adjust your thinking and your actions,

you can achieve extraordinary levels of success. The 10X Rule helps

you pick the right goals and the right level of effort. Most

people are satisfied with average goals and achieve only average

outcomes. But according to Cardone, average is not good enough.

You need to adjust your thinking to dare to dream bigger than ever

you have ever imagined. Then you need to adjust your actions to

achieve those gigantic dreams.

Cardone convincingly argues that success is created—not acquired.

You may have to adjust your thinking to understand that somehow

success is not in short supply. Many people think, “if I am

successful, then you can’t be successful”. However, we each can

create our own success. Success is entirely possible for

everyone. Success is not a scarce resource or commodity that can

only be had by the highest bidder.

Are You Ready for Success?

Now that you have a better understanding of success, are you ready

for it? Can you wrap your mind around the idea that you too can be

extraordinarily successful? Are you ready to invest in that first

or tenth piece of real estate? Let us show you how!

Conclusion

Join The Savvy Investor Program™ today! Send us

an email at dexter@thebookoninvesting.com

Remember that with real estate investing as one part of your

financial plan, you can create the life of your dreams by following

a few time-proven strategies and techniques.