Are You considered INSANE? Take the Insanity Test… The results are alarming.

Have you ever heard of the popular definition of insanity? It's doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result.

In that case, an alarmingly large number of people might be considered "insane".

I say this lightheartedly, of course, but with a touch of seriousness. What I mean is: There are many people who are living their lives in debt, hoping to retire someday (but they aren't saving enough in their 401(k)), and dreaming of a better life for themselves and their children.

But what are they doing about it???

They're going to work.

They're working hard.

They're coming home.

They're watching TV.

... And they're doing it all again tomorrow (and the next day and the day after that and the day after that).

They keep doing the same thing over and over but they are expecting a different result. They are expecting to become financially comfortable or financially wealthy or financially free. But they aren't actually doing anything different.

Insanity test (and honesty time)... Are you doing the same thing?

Do you want to change? If so keep reading (if not, well...)

A dramatic change; a radical game plan

In sports, when the game isn't going the way the coach wants, they scrap their initial plan. They don't keep playing the same plays that fail again and again.

That's what needs to happen here. For people who are living routine lives but hoping for something different to change their financial situation, I'm about to give that game-changer. If you count yourself among the people I've described above, listen up. I'm a straight-talking guy so I'm going to tell you something and I'm not going to hold back...

The first thing you need to do is decide how badly you want to make a change in your life. Many people SAY they want to make changes for the better – for example, they want to be financially free or they want to quit their job and live their life on their own terms – but they aren't willing to do the steps necessary to make those changes. If you read this blog post and then find yourself a month or a year down the road still doing the same things then you're getting caught up in this step.

Your level of success in life is completely dependent on how badly you want something. If you are desperate to make a change, you'll change. If you simply think it's a nice idea but you aren't willing to step out of your comfort zone to do it, it (frankly) probably won't happen. Before you do anything, decide how badly you want it.

The second thing you need to do is embrace your fear. By changing, we are venturing into unknown territory and it is human nature to fear the unknown. Our fear might not manifest itself in the same way all the time. If you are fearful of heights, you might get sweaty palms and shortness of breath. But if you are fearful of other risks that you face when you make a change toward breaking out of your routine to become financially free, you might not feel the same physical response of sweaty palms... but your fear leads you to avoid taking action. Your action is derailed by your fear.

If you want to overcome your fear, I suggest you make a challenge for yourself to try and face all of your fears. If you have a fear of falling, go take skydiving lessons. If you have a fear of water, learn to swim. If you have a fear of public speaking, go to Toastmasters and become the most active participant. Facing these fears might not the fears that are keeping you from making changes and breaking out of your routine but you will learn that your fears are all internal and you will learn to overcome them.

The third thing to do is set 2 goals for yourself. I advise to set just 2 goals for yourself right now. You can always make more later but stick with two right now.

1. The first goal you should set is a big goal. Something like: "I want to be financially free in one year from now." It should be something you need to put in some effort. It should inspire you. It should be somewhat achievable in the near future – perhaps 1 to 3 years at the most. (Don't forget: It should be measurable so you can look back in the allotted time and decide whether or not you achieved your goal). If you need some inspiration, why not check out this blog post: How to retire in 12 months or less.
2. The second goal you should set is a small goal. Something very near term. It should be big enough to challenge you and it should contribute to the achievement of your first (larger) goal. A good one that I advise people is: "Get your first deal under contract" or "Post an advertisement on Craigslist to build your buyer's list". There should be some kind of action involved in this smaller goal that moves you toward your larger goal.

The fourth thing to do is simple. TAKE ACTION. Act. Take MASSIVE action. Work toward achieving that smaller, near-term goal (which you just created above). Work relentlessly at that goal. Once you've achieved it, set another goal and achieve that. Then a third. Then a fourth. Every goal should move you toward your larger goal. Need more ideas? Check out this blog post: 8 easy to-do's to move your real estate investing business forward.

If you want to make it even easier on yourself, here are some tips I'd advise:

• Tell a fellow aspiring real estate investor what your goals are. Get them to tell you their goals. Keep each other accountable by periodically calling them up and asking them how it's going and how you can help.
• Get a mentor. Find someone who is knowledgeable in the areas you want to grow and ask them to help you get there.
• Just act. Don't over-analyze; don't listen to the naysayers; don't make it more complicated. Just do it. You might get achieve perfect results but you'll get much farther along by acting than by thinking about action.

That's it! That's the radical game plan for your life. Pretty simple, isn't it? I think so.

So now you have a choice. It all comes down to YOU and what you want. Are you ready to take the next step toward changing your life?

Your life-changing mentor and friend,
Mark Evans DM,DN

PS, If you know someone who wants to make a change in their lives but can't seem to break out the routine, use the sharing buttons below to spread the work and encourage them to make changes!