Many people set resolutions. But few people actually follow through. And as you learned in my last post, those broken resolutions can be extremely costly.
In this blog post, I'm going to show you how to break the chain of failed resolutions and create resolutions that actually work!
The DM shows you how to break the chain of failed resolutions
In the last blog post I told you that most people start off the year strong by pursuing a resolution that inspires them. But usually by the second or third week of January, they are struggling to keep at it. And by the end of January, most resolutions have failed.
It doesn't have to be that way. Keep reading this blog post because I'll show you exactly what to do to make your resolutions succeed (plus I'll give you a free resource to help you).
How to rewire your brain to stick to resolutions and succeed at your goals
Resolutions don't have to turn into failures. You can set and achieve your resolutions. (And I'm not just talking about the goals you set at the beginning of the year!)
Here's how:
First, create a resolution that inspires you. Let's say you want to make 2013 the year that you FINALLY do a real estate deal. So your resolution might be: "I will do a real estate deal in 2013". That's a good start.
Now most people will maybe call up their friendly neighborhood wholesaler and say "hey, I'm looking to do a deal. Hook me up with something." That's a good start and it's similar to hitting the gym on January 1.
But what happens after that? Life gets in the way. Other commitments crop up. The realities of the deal appear and they realize that there is a cost – of time, energy, and money – to put the deal together. Soon, the costs and the apparent complexity tends to overwhelm. Suddenly, something that was inspiring on January 1st feels scary and unachievable within just a few days or weeks.
Here's what you need to do to help make your resolution come true:
After creating a resolution that inspires you, identify WHY you want to make that change. People don't go to the gym because they like lifting weights and sweating. They go to the gym because they want to fit into that new bathing suit in the summer. In the real estate deal example, you might list all of the reasons you want to do a real estate deal in 2013, such as "I want to start generating passive income", "I want to get one deal under my belt so that future deals will be easier", "I want to be able to quit my job in a few years", "I want to have the freedom to travel [or do some hobby]", etc. Make a BIG list of the reasons why you chose this resolution.
Focus on the goal, not the process!
Then revisit your resolution and the reasons behind it every single day. You were inspired at the beginning of the year but you need to "reinspire" yourself every day. (In some cases this is easy. It's one of the reasons I'm such an early riser – it's because I'm excited every day to do deals and I jump out of bed eager to do them. You'll be successful in your resolutions if you can get as excited and inspired about your resolution as I am about doing deals).
Also, you should share your resolution with others. And I don't just mean that you should tell them what you are going to do. Rather, you should find some people to hold you accountable and to ask you how it's going and to help you when you get stuck, plus you should consider getting a mentor who has already achieved your goal and have them guide you. Just telling people about your resolutions won't make a difference to your accomplishment of them but telling people who can help you will make a huge difference.
Then here's one more piece of the puzzle: Create an action plan. Most people create a resolution, which is a nice idea but rarely do they figure out how to put it in place. Create an action plan that hits on the following points:
- At the top of blank sheet of paper, list your resolution and the reasons why
- Then list a couple of people who can help you (i.e. a mentor and maybe someone who can hold you accountable).
- Then list the steps you want to take. Put them in order. You might not be able to list everything (maybe you don't know all the steps yet) but then just list the first steps that you know need to be done.
- It's also helpful to list potential problem areas that scare you or that you are not sure how to deal with them. I'm not saying this so you dwell on negativity. Rather, I think it's helpful to be prepared and to proactively eliminate some of these items with help from your mentor. List the problem areas and some ideas about how to deal with them.
So doing a real estate deal in 2013 might look something like this:
RESOLUTION: I will do a deal in 2013
WHY:
- I want to start generating passive income
- I want to get one deal under my belt so that future deals will be easier
- I want to be able to quit my job in a few years
- I want to have the freedom to travel [or do some hobby]
WHO CAN HELP
- My friend Bob will call me every Friday to hear about my goals for next week and to see if I've done my goals for last week.
- I'll get mentored by Mark Evans DM,DN by reading his blog and his book Virtual Real Estate Investing Made Easy
ACTION STEPS
- Sign up for Mark's newsletter
- Switch my IRA to a self-directed IRA so that I have available funds when I find a deal
- Watch for deals that interest me
- Let The DM know when there's a deal that I want to do
CHALLENGES I MIGHT FACE
- I'm not sure how to switch my IRA to a self-directed IRA. But I think Mark knows so I'll leave a comment in his blog to learn more.
- I'm not sure how to evaluate whether a deal is good or not. But I'll read Mark's blog regularly to learn some tips.
- I might not have the courage to "pull the trigger" and move forward on a deal when I see something that interests me. But when I see a deal that interests me, I'll remind myself why I'm doing this in the first place.
In just one page you can create a resolution that has some actual value. You'll be more likely to get it done because it will inspire and guide you and it clearly lays out how you will work through the resolution.
(By the way, be sure to check the next blog for the one essential element that I haven't mentioned yet.)
Now It's Your Turn
Now that I've shown you how you can create inspiring and actionable resolutions, it's time to take control of your opportunities in 2013 and create some resolutions for yourself. If you have a bunch of resolutions, pick a couple and start with them. If you're not sure where to start, heck, copy and paste the "doing deals" resolution I created for you and modify it slightly for your situation.
It's that time of year when we create resolutions. But most of them fail. Don't become one of "the Januarys" and let your resolutions fall apart within the next couple of weeks. Create REAL resolutions that you can actually achieve.
Your friend and mentor,
Mark Evans DM,DN
PS, Comment below with your New Year's Resolutions. Share them with the world so you'll be more likely to finish them.
PS, FREE GIFT: I've turned the resolution plan into a free downloadable Microsoft Word template that you can modify yourself. Click here to download it (Microsoft Word document).