The dawn of a new year brings with it the setting of resolutions and thinking about goals. Most of these goals and resolutions are centered around two things; losing and getting. We want to lose weight, clutter and attitude. We want to get health, wealth and wisdom. Somewhere during the year we usually end up getting more weight, buying more clutter and being a wise-@$*. Last year I met some amazing people that gave me some great advice. One of them was Seth Godin (who is coming to Orange County in March, buy your ticket here today as they sell out fast). Seth talked about why our current efforts for success are often met with disappointment, especially in the wealth category.
Many people will say, ‘I have chosen (Insert your chosen occupation/business here), how can I succeed?
We should instead say, ‘I want to succeed, what should I do?’
At the beginning of 2009 I found myself owning and running a struggling Real Estate and mortgage company. The markets had settled but the crash had left me worn out and frustrated. I kept thinking of new ways to breath life into the business and get things going again. Finally, I realized that I was asking the wrong questions. I sat back and asked myself ‘I want to succeed, what should I do?’ and to my surprise the answer was to leave the career I had built over the past 8 years and close my company.
In 2010 I closed my last real estate transaction and am officially ‘retired’ from the industry. I am not at the pinnacle of my success goals yet, but I finally am making progress up the right trail. On the last of the 31 DoBA I will share with you some of the projects I’ve been working on along my new path.
Every New Years Day my family and I go down to the beach and meet up with friends to enjoy the day and watch the first sunset of the year. This year when we got to the beach the tide was lower than I can ever remember seeing it. My wife I and took the kids out on the rocky tide pools of Laguna Beach and saw countless sea stars, sea urchins, mussels, crabs and all sorts of ocean animal life. I took the picture below and was reminded of another thing Seth Godin said,
“Just because the tide is out doesn’t mean there is any less water in the ocean.”
The opportunities we need to be successful are out there. Are you on the right path?
Read 31 DoBA day 1
Read 31 DoBA day 2
Read 31 DoBA day 3
Read 31 DoBA day 4
Read 31 DoBA day 5
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