When to Doubt Yourself
Issue #2039
- WEALTHY: A $90,000 profit in a single month? (Justin Ford)
- HEALTHY: A safe, effective way to build a better body (Craig Ballantyne)
- WISE: Paul Tillich on doubt
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- Tough goal in mind? Ask yourself these questions before moving forward (Michael Masterson)
- A whole reference library at your fingertips (Will Newman)
- It’s Good to Know… about dangerous jobs
- Add "prink" to your vocabulary
How To Succeed Where Others Fail
You don’t need natural talent or a fancy education to move ahead in your career or achieve financial freedom.
In fact, you can learn the keys to becoming wealthy and powerful just by mastering two important skills:
- The ability to develop breakthrough, life-changing ideas and
- The ability to implement those ideas
With The Ultimate Power Pack, you’ll discover how to almost instantly become a "highly effective person"…the kind of person who instinctively knows how to burst through roadblocks and obstacles that leave others stumped and stalled.
You’ll also uncover some of the most carefully-guarded secrets in the financial world… Secrets that will give you a distinct edge over people who struggle to attain financial freedom.
- Patrick Coffey
Internet Marketing Director
No Excuses at Steve Cook’s Flipping Homes Bootcamp: Instead, Success Is Contagious
By Justin Ford
Craig S. called Steve Cook to let him know he had been laid off from his job. "Do you want consolation or congratulations?" Steve asked.
Craig was understandably scared. But when he thought about it, he decided congratulations were in order.
In the previous 18 months, he had flipped over 20 homes and built up a network of five cash-flow-positive rental properties - all while doing it part-time. Thanks to Steve’s training, he had reached a skill level, he realized, where the success he could achieve by focusing on real estate full-time could dwarf his old job income many times over.
And Craig’s not alone. I’ve met many successful investors at Steve’s five-day Flipping Homes Bootcamp in Baltimore this week. That includes Mary, a new investor and a stay-at-home mother of four. Mary just flipped a house for a $20,000 profit and has two more in the works for which the profits should exceed $40,000.
Stephanie D. is a brilliant, independent spirit and recently retired bartender in her mid-30s. She’s been taking real estate courses for about three years. Yet, until recently, she had only done one deal. She bought a rental property and "did everything wrong you can imagine," she says. Yet, thanks to a boom market in Florida, she stumbled away with about $60,000 in profits. Today, however, things aren’t so easy for investors in her neck of the woods.
Properties are no longer moving quickly in Tampa - but Stephanie is. And because of the wholesaling techniques she’s learned from Steve, she has done six deals - even in this slow market - in the last six months. That includes a recent one where she made $10,000 for what she figures was about eight hours of work.
But the star student here, beyond a doubt, had to be Bob Morton. Bob is an alumnus of last year’s Steve Cook Bootcamp. He addressed this year’s attendees and showed how he took everything he learned to heart - in a very big way.
Bob happens to live in Detroit - the most depressed real estate market in the country. So he could easily make excuses about why he can’t do deals. Instead, he’s making money.
Bob has been averaging $90,000 in profits per month for the last few months. He buys pre-foreclosures and foreclosures for as little as $15,000… wholesales them (without doing any repairs) to out-of-state investors (mostly Californians) for $30,000. The investors then put about $10,000 into the properties, refinance them to pull out their money and a bit more, and lease the properties out - cash-flow positive.
It’s an extraordinary case of turning lemons into lemonade.
The key in all these examples was to learn the right wholesaling techniques and then consistently take action.
[Ed. Note: To learn more about the art of flipping homes for fast cash in any market, click here.]
"Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is one element of faith."
Paul Tillich
Career Challenges: When to Doubt Yourself
By Michael Masterson
Gurus of success often speak of self-doubt as if it were a damning trait. Inspirational author Wayne Dyer put it this way in his book Your Sacred Self: Making the Decision to Be Free: "Keep in mind always that doubt is produced by your ego. Doubt is not a part of your higher spiritual self. With this awareness you can learn to observe your doubt rather than choose to own it… Then observe how doubt literally forces you to act in predetermined and limited ways."
In fact, questioning your ability to accomplish a desired goal is a healthy and intelligent way to begin any challenging objective, especially so when that objective is your career. Unbridled optimism in the face of near-impossible or impossible odds is another term for foolishness. If you want to lead a life of maximum accomplishment and minimum heartache you should adopt an approach to challenge that is one part confidence, one part caution, and one part enthusiasm.
I met a 50-something-year-old lady at a seminar recently who told me that she was going to create a million-dollar business in five years by writing and illustrating poems. If her financial target wasn’t crazy enough to give her pause, her business goal should have been. And if her business goal wasn’t bonkers enough, a modest assessment of her writing skills (she showed me one of her poems) should have cooled her down.
When I suggested that, before committing to this career change, she study the children’s book market and/or read Seven Years to Seven Figures, she looked at me as if I had slapped her. "Don’t you believe in positive thinking?" she asked.
"I believe, positively, in thinking," I said. And I left it at that.
To give yourself the best chance of achieving the possible, the right mental mix is a clear, focused, and conscious ambition based on knowing a good deal about both yourself and the thing you are trying to do.
And that starts with asking some tough questions:
- Is my goal realistic? Has it ever been done before? If so, how often? How often has it been tried unsuccessfully? What are the statistical odds of succeeding?
- Do I have what it takes? Do I have the intelligence? The capacity to learn? The emotional stamina to succeed?
On this subject, Sheila, an ETR reader who also is a middle-aged lady, writes:
"I had an assignment 35 years ago to write a short story and submit the manuscript to a publisher for a grade in my Children’s Literature class. I didn’t receive favorable results and gave up my dream of writing stories for children.
"I am now retired [and] the urge to write is stronger than ever. What steps should I take to determine if I have any talent or should leave it alone?"
Kudos for Sheila. Her career ambition, thwarted by a single negative review when she was younger, has resurfaced and she has the good sense to ask this sensible question before leaping forward.
The short answer to her question is this: Based on the little sample of writing her note provided, I believe she does have the raw talent to write short stories for children. Writing is a skill that can be learned. Writing stories for children is a special skill, the techniques of which are available in many books and programs.
To learn that skill, Sheila will need to devote between 600 and 1,000 hours to such books and programs. But before she does that, she should make a frank assessment of her chances of making any kind of decent money as an author of children’s books, and whether she is financially prepared to devote several years to this process without any financial recompense.
Finally, she must imagine herself spending four or five hours of every day sitting alone and tapping on a keyboard. If she hasn’t spent any time doing that since college, then she might want to take a week of days right now to see if the actual, quotidian experience of writing is as rewarding as she has been imagining.
Talking to professional children’s book writers is a good preliminary step to take. In a few short hours of casual conversation, Sheila can benefit from the experience of people who have done what she wants to do.
None of what I am saying right now should stop Sheila from becoming a story writer for children. All of the aforementioned advice was meant to answer her question - which was about assessing her chances of getting the skills she needs to make her dream into a career.
If Sheila’s goal is simply to become a writer of children’s stories, she should start writing them immediately. She should study the guides as she goes, but the ultimate learning will take place with the writing. And the writing can begin right now - even before she is sure she wants to make writing a career rather than just a beloved avocation.
Sheila should keep in mind the point I made in ETR #1985: You can’t become something, such as a writer, by studying to be it. You become that thing the moment you start doing it every day. If Sheila starts writing children’s stories today and keeps on writing them for a year, next year at this time she will be not only better at the writing, she will be able to call herself a writer.
[Ed. Note: Interested in writing children’s books? Check out AWAI’s program: How to Successfully Write and Publish Children’s Books.]
Sit At The Top of The Investing Pyramid
He worked as an analyst with high-level security clearance in a sensitive government post and was almost recruited by the CIA.
His unique money-making abilities are known throughout the world. He’s been retained as a confidential advisor to Fortune 500 companies and by multi-millionaire private investors who grew rich following his leads.
Now international business expert Andrew Gordon invites you to join the top 3% of investors as they seize the world’s best hidden opportunities.
Find out now if you qualify for this inner circle.
Reader Feedback: "It’s important to maintain an open, trust-based relationship with your customer…"
"I liked Michael’s article on Customer Service Feedback Questions. I’ve been using that technique in my customer service seminars for several years. Here’s something I would add to his article.
"The ‘Scale of 1-10′ question makes answering much easier for your customer. However, it’s important to maintain an open, trust-based relationship with that customer, even when her/his answer blows you out of the water, as with a 2 or 3.
"It’s important, therefore, that when you get the answer, your immediate response should be an enthusiastic thanks. You may have to take a breath or two to slow your racing heart and fade the blush on your cheeks, but it’s important to thank the customer for the honest feedback.
"What’s likely to be even more useful than the number you get, however, even if it’s an 8 or 9, is the answer to your follow-up question: ‘Wow, thanks very much, that’s very encouraging’ (or) ‘Holy Cow, that’s sure a lot lower than our goal, but I really appreciate your candor. Now I have to ask an even more important question. What are the most important things we need to do to raise your answer to a 10?’
"More often than not, it’s the answer to the follow-up question that you can take to the bank - if you listen carefully, confirm your understanding, and take action to implement the suggestion(s)."
- Lou Briganti
Falls Church, VA
[Ed. Note: How has reading ETR helped you - maybe even changed your life? Send your comments to ReaderFeedback@gmail.com. Include your name and hometown… and we may print your e-mail in a future issue.]
3 Ways to Know If Your Cardio Program Is a Waste of Time
By Craig Ballantyne
Ten years ago long, slow cardiovascular exercise was a panacea for all our ailments. It promised fast weight loss, optimal heart health, and increased longevity. Today, experience and research is showing us that’s not the case.
Long, slow cardio is probably a waste of your time if…
- You are doing a lot of it and you are not getting results. While that goes for almost any form of training, not a week goes by when I don’t hear from a reader who is doing an excessive amount of cardio (in some cases, seven hours per week!) without results.
- You get an overuse injury, which happens frequently when you do too many repetitions of the same movement in a single workout.
- You could be getting better results (or even the same results) in less time. Take two people: Person A runs 60 minutes three times per week. Person B does 25 minutes of strength training followed by 20 minutes of interval training three times per week. Person B will always build a better body.
Your best exercise bet is to stick to three structured workouts per week that incorporate both strength training and time-efficient interval training. Not only will you get better results and improved health, you’ll have more time to enjoy your life when you’re not stuck on a treadmill for hours on end.
[Ed. Note: Craig Ballantyne is an expert consultant for Men’s Health magazine. If you’re looking to burn fat, build muscle, and quickly step into the body you have always wanted with just three workouts each week, check out Craig’s fat-loss system, Turbulence Training for Fat Loss.]
Quick Tip: A Valuable One-Stop Dictionary
By Will Newman
Let’s say you’re doing some research about an alternative-health product and you come across the word "anaphylactic." You need to know the definition, but you also need to know more about it than what you get from the built-in dictionary in MS Word or the one on your bookshelf. In other words, you need a good medical dictionary.
Or let’s say you come across the word "jornalero" in an article about immigration. Does it mean "journal"? (No!) In this case, you need a good Spanish-English dictionary.
In fact, depending on the kind of work and/or reading you do, you may also need a good dictionary of financial terms, of slang, of sports, of business, of computing, of science… and so on. But an extensive library of dictionaries could be an expensive proposition, taking up tons of space and time (as you go from book to book).
For an easy solution to this problem, go to OneLook.com. This free resource has indexed 931 dictionaries. All you do is enter the word you want a definition (or translation) for and click "search." Bingo! If you aren’t sure of the spelling, OneLook also allows you to do a partial-word wildcard search. (Explained on their website.)
[Ed. Note: Will Newman is the editor of AWAI’s The Golden Thread online newsletter - a free weekly alert loaded with writing and marketing secrets, tips, and insights.]
It’s Good to Know: About Dangerous Jobs
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2005, 48 fishermen died in the United States. At the rate of 118.4 per 100,000 workers, that makes it the most dangerous job in the country. This was followed by logging workers at 92.9 fatalities per 100,000, and aircraft pilots and flight engineers at 66.9 deaths per 100,000. Iron workers, garbage collectors, farmers, power-line workers, truck drivers, agricultural workers, and construction workers round out the most-dangerous list.
(Source: Forbes and the Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Life has problems. ETR has solutions.
Discover the answers to life’s most difficult problems….
INCLUDING: Acne… ADHD child… addictions… air travel… animal attacks… anxiety asking for a raise… attacks… auto theft… back pain… bad breath… bad dates… barking dogs… being held hostage… billing errors… bully bosses… business failure… car accidents… cheating spouse… child doing poorly in school… chronic fatigue… custody battles… deadbeats… difficult in-laws… disability… divorce… drug overdoses… drunk drivers… elderly parents… embezzlers… erectile dysfunction… failing memory… family feuds… fire… food poisoning…
If you know anyone, maybe even YOU, that could use some help in these areas – then check out ETR’s Unscrew Yourself program today!
- Patrick Coffey
Word to the Wise: Prink
To "prink" (PRINGK) - possibly from the Dutch for "to adorn oneself" - is to dress or groom oneself with elaborate care or vanity.
Example (as used by Raffaella Barker in the Daily Telegraph): "Tara has supermodel legs and is already getting used to being prinked and coiffed as she prepares for her first beauty contest in the autumn."
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker … build your self-confidence and intellect … increase your attractiveness to others … just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR’s new Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Michael Masterson
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2007