G Letter - FALL 2017 - Do The Toughest Thing First Every Day

“It is those who concentrate on but one thing at a time who advance in this world.”

- Og Mandino

 

Why is it that although everyone has the same number of hours in a day, some people seem to consistently accomplish more than the rest of us?   One of the biggest challenges we face in the 21st Century is managing our time with an ever increasing number of potential activities that can use up that limited time.   In order to overcome procrastination and get the most important things done, you have to take a disciplined, systematic approach, which is why it’s best to start your day by working on your toughest task while your energy level is still high and before other issues and people start to distract you.  Procrastination can only be defeated when you attack it head on, so focus on your toughest task first with laser focus.  

Multitasking is a myth.  Despite the fact that you can do more than one thing at a time (i.e. walk and talk), you can really only focus and concentrate on one task at a time.  Every time you switch from one task to another task, you lose momentum which ultimately wastes time and delays completion of both tasks.  We face the greatest psychological resistance from the things we fear most, which are often the tasks that are most challenging.  You aren’t forced to do anything, you choose the actions you take at every moment of every day.  If you choose wisely and take an ax to the toughest task as early in the day as possible, you’ll be rewarded with a sense of accomplishment that will energize you for the rest of the day and give you momentum that will make the rest of your day more productive and satisfying.  

G Letter - August 2017 - Resist Adult Onset Laziness

"Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength."

- Betty Friedan

I often hear people say that they are too old to do one thing or another.  They’ll say, “I’d do it, but I’m too old now.”  I can’t help but speculate that many of these same folks at some point in the past used being too young as an excuse not to not take some action.  Being sick or injured is a legitimate reason not to engage in certain activities, but having been walking around on the planet a little longer than other people is not a legitimate reason to stop living.

Age is a relative measure and has little meaning in an of itself-it’s just a number.  A nine year old is old to a five year old--so what.  The only two states that matter are alive and dead.  If you are alive, you have more time and aren’t too old to do what you decide to do.

Despite what many people mistakenly believe, our brains are elastic and flexible throughout our lives.  As neuroscientist, Michael Merzenich said, “you name the ability and you can drive improvement out of it independent of age.”

Why would we ever tell ourselves that we’re too old to do what we’d like to do?  There are enough barriers in the world already, there’s no need for you to invent more out of thin air.  

The real problem we face isn’t aging, it’s excuse-making.  When we are children, we have less choices--we normally don’t get to decide whether we want to go to school for example.  As adults, we can choose to be lazy and unfortunately many of us do.  In order to thrive and lead fulfilling lives, we have to resist adult onset laziness.

G Letter

November 2016

Nov2016 G Letter.jpg

Tuesday, November 8, is Election Day — not a day too soon for many of you! It’s easy to get jaded and pessimistic about our elections. I often hear people of all political stripes gripe about

how corrupt politicians are, how bad their choices are, and how their vote doesn’t matter. There is some truth to those critiques. Although circumstances could always be better, remember that they also have the potential to be a whole lot worse. Democracy can be slow and frustrating, but if you study history, you’ll find that the alternative to democracy is normally worse.

It is OK to complain though — you can voice your complaint in the voting booth. Politics are much simpler than many people think. Convince enough other people of the merits of your position, and you can make a change. It’s easier said than done, but certainly not complicated. People who look like me used to have to guess the number of jelly beans in a jar or bubbles on a bar of soap to register to vote. Luckily, many very brave people risked their lives to remove those barriers.

Regardless of who or what you support, remember that, as George Jean Nathan said, “Bad officials are elected by good citizens who don’t vote.” If you don’t vote, you lose the right to complain. Voting boils down to simple math. If you don’t vote, you magnify the vote of everyone else who does. Elections are decided by the people who show up, so vote like your right to vote depended on it. You never know; it might.

Onward and Upward!

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G Letter

October 2016

‘Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.’

– Thich Nhat Hanh 

October 7 is World Smile Day, a holiday established by Harvey Ball, an artist who created the smiley face in 1963.

The act of smiling activates neural messaging that benefits both our health and our overall happiness.

Smiling is literally contagious — when you smile at someone, they can’t help but smile back because the part of your brain that is responsible for your facial expression resides in the cingulate cortex, an unconscious automatic response area.

Smiling makes us appear more attractive to others. Researchers at the Face Research Laboratory found that both male and female subjects were more attracted to images of people who smiled than those who did not.

Smiling also lifts our mood, and current research suggests that smiling makes us healthier and may even lengthen our lifetimes. Smiling releases neuropeptides that fight stress. When we smile, dopamine and endorphins — the body’s feel-good neurotransmitters — are released, which in turn relaxes our body and can lower our blood pressure and heart rate. These endorphins relieve pain naturally and the serotonin released when you smile can act as an antidepressant. Take that, big pharma!

So, as the late, great, Zig Ziglar said, “Be helpful. When you see a person without a smile, give them yours.”

Onward and Upward!

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If your application passes, then either I, or someone from my office will call or email you to set up a one-on-one interview and strategy session with me. 

G Letter

September 2016

“The moment you commit and quit holding back, all sorts of unforeseen incidents, meetings, and material assistance will rise up to help you. The simple act of commitment is a powerful magnet for help.”

— Napoleon Hill

“Do not wait; the time will never be “just right.” Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.”

— Napoleon Hill

In the 1980s, Robert Ronstadt conducted a study that found that the most successful entrepreneurs leveraged what is known as the “Corridor Principle.” 

The corridor principle can be described like this: Imagine you’re looking down a long, dark corridor. Without knowing what’s in front of you, you walk forward, and as you move along the corridor, new doors open up on both sides of you — doors that you would not have been able to see had you not started walking down the corridor in the first place.

In a nutshell, the Corridor Principle affirms that the mere act of starting enables you to see and take advantage of opportunities that you wouldn’t be able to see or take advantage of if you stayed put where you are now, waiting for circumstances to be perfect. In order to follow the Corridor Principle to success, you must be willing to launch yourself down the corridor of opportunity without any guarantee of what will happen, because that’s when truly uncommon opportunities manifest themselves.

The truth is that circumstances will never be picture perfect, and let’s be honest — even if they were perfect, we could easily convince ourselves otherwise. So the key to getting your real estate business going or getting anything that you really want started is to launch yourself from wherever you are right now, then look at your results and make adjustments as you go. The Chinese philosopher Laozi, who was a contemporary of Confucius, said that “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Onward and upward! 

I’m looking for an elite group to reveal my most profitable real estate investing techniques to. If you’re coachable, open to instruction, and willing to take what I share and put it into action immediately, complete the application by visiting tinyurl.com/glcoachingapplication.

After you complete the application, here’s what will happen: I will personally review your application to make sure you’re a good
fit for my program. If your application passes, then either I
or someone from my office will call or email you to set up a one-on-one interview and strategy session with me. 

G Letter

August 2016

“There are always people who will be better at something than you are. You have to learn to be a follower before you become a good leader.” – Charlie Munger, Vice Chairman, Berkshire Hathaway

“Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.” – Dalai Lama

I’ve been a rebel for as long as I can remember — at least going back to age 4 when I copied an entire children’s book, page by page, with a stack of paper, a stapler, and box of Crayola crayons and then went door to door trying to sell my “recreated masterpiece.” I’ve never liked to play by other people’s rules, but have learned over the years — sometimes the hard way — that there are rules to every game, and even if you want to break the rules, you should learn and master the rules first.

When I was in high school, my Juilliard-educated classical violin teacher, Norman S. Goldblatt, told me, “Gerald, learn it my way first, then you can play it any way you want.” A few years later, I performed at Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Legend has it that Picasso learned to “draw like Ingres,” the French portraitist, before he learned to draw like Picasso. 

You should, too. Become an expert in real estate or whatever trade you choose and learn how to color within the lines. Know the details about how your business works — this knowledge will allow you to spot weaknesses in the old model so you can create a new one. View the world from 30,000 feet in the air, as well as from ground level. At high altitude, you can plan your big picture strategy; while on the ground, you can actually set your plans into motion.

Onward and Upward!

I’m looking for an elite group to reveal my most profitable real estate investing techniques to. If you’re coachable, open to instruction, and willing to take what I share and put it into action immediately, complete the application by visiting www.tinyurl.com/glcoachingapplication.

After you complete the application, here’s what will happen: I will personally review your application to make sure you’re a good fit for my program. If your application passes, then either I or someone from my office will call or email you to set up a one-on-one interview and strategy session with me. 

G Letter

July 2016

The month of July was named in honor of the Roman general, Julius Caesar. As real estate investors, here are some insights we can derive from the famous military leader’s life.

Be Bold, Take Chances

While sailing to Greece, Julius Caesar was kidnapped by pirates and held for ransom. When informed that the pirates intended to ask for 20 talents as ransom, Caesar insisted that he was worth at least 50. He maintained a friendly, joking relationship with the pirates while the money was being raised but warned them that he would track them down and have them crucified after he was released. After the ransom was paid, Caesar

raised a fleet, pursued and captured the pirates, and had them crucified (as a sign of leniency, he first had their throats cut).

As a real estate investor, you don’t have to be this bold. Making aggressive all-cash offers and following up on them on a consistent basis will suffice!

The Power of Strategic Alliances

Julius Caesar persuaded Pompey and Crassus to work together and form “The First Triumvirate” (aka, “the three-headed monster”). Caesar promised to support the two men’s interests if they helped him get elected to the consulship.

Strategic alliances are critical for long-term success as a real estate investor because they allow us to focus on our core competencies. By hiring an experienced general contractor, I can focus on filling my deal pipeline rather than managing the details of rehab and construction projects.

“Six Inches of Point Beats Two Feet of Blade”

The difference between success and failure in your real estate business may lie as evidenced in this direct Julius Caesar quote in how expertly you use a specific investing tool or technique. Fluency and expertise in wholesaling, rehabbing, and raising capital may be what allows you to turn a dormant opportunity into a profitable real estate deal. Never take training, focus, and discipline for granted — these are all keys to your long-term success in real estate.

Onward and Upward

I’m looking for an elite group to reveal my most profitable real estate investing techniques to ...

If you’re coachable, open to instruction, and will take what I share and put it into action immediately, complete an application by visiting www.tinyurl.com/glcoachingapplication.

After you complete the application, here’s what will happen:

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If your application passes, then either I or someone from my office will call or email you to set up a one-on-one interview and strategy session with me. 

G Letter

June 2016

Happy Father’s Day to my dad, the greatest man I’ve ever known, and all the dads out there. Dad always told me
that if you do your best, you’ll never have to look back and regret — sage advice from a wise man. Over the years, I’ve come to realize that we’re not doing our best when we take on new projects before we finish important projects we’ve already begun. Over time, we end up with half-finished messes instead of certified accomplishments.

This is why it’s best to complete any task worth doing as soon as humanly possible, even if it means taking on fewer projects. As the explorer Alex Mackenzie once said, “The key to successful time management is doing the most important task first and giving it your full concentration,
to the exclusion of everything else.” Although it does require some discipline to avoid distractions, it’s well-worth the effort. As the Dalai Lama put it, “Desire without self- discipline leads to self-destruction.”

The fact is, there just isn’t enough time to do it all. Even if you can do everything, that doesn’t mean you should. You must be willing to say no — no to new projects, no to new hobbies and meet-up groups, no to new TV shows, and sometimes you have to be willing to say no to yourself. Success lies in getting stuff done, not in being busy. The good news is that finishing is winning, and winning creates momentum. So stop starting and start finishing — onward and upward!

I’m looking for an elite group to reveal my most profitable real estate investing techniques to ...

If you’re coachable, open to instruction, and will take what I share and put it into action immediately, complete an application by visiting www.tinyurl.com/glcoachingapplication.

After you complete the application, here’s what will happen:

I will personally review your application to make sure you’re a good fit for my program.

If your application passes, then either I or someone from my office will call or email you to set up a one-on-one interview and strategy session with me. 

G Letter

May 2016

My niece is graduating from high school this month. Wow, how time flies! I think back to her innocent smile as an infant, her dance recitals, her first bike, and I’m reminded I once told her that someday she’d be all grown up. Well, that someday has arrived.

While none of us can control the aging process, many of us let the “someday” belief system run the parts of our lives that we do control.

Someday I’m going to take the trip I’ve been dreaming about.

Someday I’m going to write that book I’m been talking about.

Someday I’m going to build the real estate business I’ve been thinking about.

As Henry Ford pointed out, “You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.” For many of us, someday is an elusive target that we just can’t seem to reach. So what’s stopping us from living the lives we want to live?

One barrier that stands in our way is our current set of habits and routines. At this moment, our lives are precisely designed to achieve the exact results we’re currently getting. So if you’re not achieving the results you want, it means your life design must change.

Most adults make thousands of decisions every day. The harsh reality is that we “choose” to defer our dreams when we procrastinate and put things off. The good news is that you can choose to break this cycle at any moment of any day. As Emerson revealed years ago, “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” So make someday today. It’s never too late to change your life. The choice is yours.

Onward and upward!

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If you’re coachable, open to instruction, and will take what I share and put it into action immediately, complete the application by visiting tinyurl.com/glcoachingapplication.

After you complete the application, here’s what will happen:

I will personally review your application to make sure you’re a good fit for my program.

If your application passes, then either I or someone from my office will call or email you to set up a one-on-one interview and strategy session with me. 

G Letter

April 2016

Back from my annual winter South American sojourn ... rested, relaxed, and raring to go. Man, I love real estate. It’s spring again. Tax time too. Time to make some money, family! As you emerge from your winter cocoon, wanna know how to cast off the cobwebs and kick-start your real estate business? Get moving. Send out a marketing letter, follow up on a dead property lead, make a ca$h offer. When? Right now!

You don’t have to do it yourself, though. Remember, I can help.

The fact is, you don’t get tomorrow over again — you only get one shot. Being successful in real estate is more about what you do than it is about what you know. Be a real estate entrepreneur, not a wantrepreneur. Separate yourself from the tire kickers who talk a lot at real estate networking events but never do any damn real estate deals. The inescapable fact is that you earn your authority as a real estate investor in your market by your actions.

Consider the ladder of achievement:

100% - I did.
90% - I will.
80% - I can.
70% - I think I can. 60% - I might.
50% - I think I might.
40% - What is it?
30% - I wish I could. 
20% - I don’t know how. 
10% - I can’t.
0% - I won’t.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “The future depends on what you do today.” Get off your ass and get going. Onward and upward!

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If you’re coachable, open to instruction, and will take what I share and put it into action immediately, complete the application by visiting tinyurl.com/glcoachingapplication.

After you complete the application, here’s what will happen:

I will personally review your application to make sure you’re a good fit for my program.

If your application passes, then either I or someone from my office will call or email you to set up a one-on-one interview and strategy session with me. 

G Letter

March 2016

We’ve all been there ... you’re trying to eat healthier, but that delicious piece of candy is crying out to you, “Eat me! Eat me!” So what do you do? Chalk it up as a mistake and jump back onto the healthy food wagon? NO! Most people rationalize with something like, “Well, since I’ve already slipped, I may as well enjoy my mistake, right? How bad could it be?” Before you know it, you’re knee-deep in empty ice cream buckets and pizza boxes after a weekend of binge eating.

This trend toward exception unfortunately not only applies to eating, but also to the rest of your life and your real estate business. “I’ll follow up on those leads later,” you think (or tomorrow, or next week/month etc.). Anyway, I think you get where I’m going here. The problem is that willpower doesn’t have an on/off switch. It’s like a muscle. It can be strengthened, but it can also wear out and get fatigued.

The key is to do your best not to take the first step in the wrong direction and, if and when you do (believe me, you will ... I certainly do), to get your ass back up and get going in the right direction as soon as possible! The longer you linger, the harder it will be to right the ship. Don’t let a minor slip turn into an avalanche where you slide backward over the cliff. Everyone experiences some form of habit regression periodically — so what? No big deal. Don’t dilly dally, get back on course as soon as possible, and you’ll be fine!

Onward and upward!

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If you’re coachable, open to instruction, and will take what I share and put it into action immediately, complete the application by visiting tinyurl.com/glcoachingapplication.

After you complete the application, here’s what will happen:

I will personally review your application to make sure you’re a good fit for my program.

If your application passes, then either I or someone from my office will call or email you to set up a one-on-one interview and strategy session with me. 

G Letter

February 2016

Happy Valentine’s Day to you and everyone in my Real
Estate Insider Family. Rather than just fretting about being someone else’s Valentine this month, consider that your most important relationship is with yourself. Do you love yourself unconditionally? Do you even like yourself? If not, you may be looking for love in all the wrong places. It’s impossible to love others if you don’t love yourself first — after all, you can’t give from an empty well.

Loving and respecting yourself creates a healthier, more abundant and fulfilled life. Many of us mistakenly believe that change happens from external things, but it is far more effective to change ourselves first, because positive change and progress ultimately starts from within.

You have to be happy on your own — this is a choice that you must make yourself. When you choose happiness over anger, and self-love over self-loathing, you open yourself to life’s great pleasures. It helps you see the opportunities in front of you, and it helps you discover your true, authentic self. Changing our perspective on life is empowering, liberating, and motivating. It gives us a sense of freedom and achievement that is separate from being a means to successfully reaching our goals. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” Onward and upward!

I’m Looking for an Elite Group to Reveal My Most Profitable Real Estate Investing Techniques to ...

If you’re coachable, open to instruction, and will
take what I share and put it into action immediately, complete the application by visiting http://tinyurl.com/ glcoachingapplication.

After you complete the application, here’s what will happen:

I will personally review your application to make sure you’re a good fit for my program. If your application passes, then either I or someone from my office will call or email you to set up a one-on-one interview and strategy session with me.