I know I have mentioned this before, but FEAR is the number one biggest obstacle a new investor faces so it is worth repeating. We all know FEAR stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. However, there certainly are some less risky ways of investing and some ways that are safer then others. If you are going out paying list price, putting 20 percent down and qualifying for a new loan, you won't last long in this business unless you are already a millionaire. In a rapidly appreciating market (15 percent or more annually) this may work for a short time, but it cannot be sustained during the down cycles. As an investor, you want to learn to leverage yourself with other people's money, and mitigate the risk whenever possible. Again the biggest mistake many investors make is that they never get started. Statistically speaking, eight out of ten people that buy a book or tape won’t do anything with it. In fact over half won’t even finish reading it. That is depressing. But for the %10-%20 percent that do take action the results can be life-changing. Fear keeps new investors form getting to first base. Nothing in this business happens until you make an offer. They may talk about it a lot. They can even have a lay-down lead, like a divorced person with a job transfer that just wants out, and they still don’t make an offer. At some point you have to jump in. In this business, it is good to learn a few techniques in order to buy right. But, to really learn the process, you need to get your feet wet. You won't really learn the ins and outs of buying and selling until you have been through it a few times. Just remember, you don't have to make the journey alone.

When a person has FEAR, it is just your senses saying to you be on the alert and PROCEED with caution. It does not mean stop dead in your tracks and retreat. One of the ways I know I am getting close to a breakthrough in my life, and in my business, is when opposition increases. It is a true principle that you will face increased opposition whenever you set out on a new course of action that will move you beyond where you are now. Your ego mind screams whenever it is out of it’s comfort zone. Listen to your heart. If it feels good inside then move forward. You may not see all the ways to make things happen, but with persistence you will eventually break through and reach a whole new level of success in your life—personally as well as financially.

Look for the lesson in setbacks and failures You can't let failure or setbacks turn you off. Remember, this is a subjective business and things from time to time don’t work out as planned. Sometimes a tenant trashes a rental and you didn’t collect a deposit. Maybe you paid a contractor for a job and a lien gets slapped on your property because you forgot to get a lien release. Perhaps your tenant that was so nice when you met them doesn’t pay on time, but you didn’t run their credit or verify employment when you leased to them. Mistakes happen. Learn from them and don’t repeat them if at all possible. Make the effort to look back at your life from time to time, and see the growth.

Have a Coach or Mentor. One of the best ways I have seen people work through this beginning period is to work with a coach or mentor. A good coach can help you over the rough spots and alleviate much of your fear while you learn. Why reinvent the wheel? Why not work with people that have done it before? Having someone to return and report to is great for someone that needs a little push. Ask yourself, do you want to be an investor or not? If you do and you are serious, then get a coach. Maybe it’s a friend or a professional. They are well worth any cost associated with them. One deal in this business can easily make you $10,000-20,000 or more in profits. If it takes a coach to get you off the mark, then get one!

It is important to remember Donald Trumps first deal was not Trump Tower. When I have been discouraged in the past I remember even Walt Disney was bankrupt or on the verge of bankruptcy seven times. One of the great things about real estate deals is that if you really do your homework you can lessen the potential for any loss. It is easy to wholesale out of a deal to another investor if you bought it right. When you look back over your life, learn to be grateful for the good and the bad. Don’t lament what could have been “if only.” Everything that happens in our lives, even the so-called bad stuff and really hard stuff can be for our growth and benefit. It is all in how you choose to look at it. Getting your mind right for success is critical for making it in this business. You will never achieve what you don’t truly believe. Do you see yourself making $100,000 a year? Do you see yourself making offers with confidence? If you can't see it, you'll never do it. Realize that the key to abundance in life is gratitude. It is easy to be grateful when you just cashed a $20,000 escrow check. But, can you be grateful for the lessons you learn, even when you are taken advantage of by an unscrupulous service provider? That is the key.

What We Focus on in Life Expands I made up my mind early in the business that I wasn’t going to get upset or angry when a tenant doesn’t pay or moves out early. It doesn’t even phase me. It's simply part of doing business and dealing with rentals. However, I have seen new investors who are still trying to collect past rent from a former deadbeat tenant 6 months after the fact. They can't let go. These investors become jaded and turned off from the business because they chose to focus on what isn’t working, rather than what is. They can't let go of a bad deal or accept it as a learning experience. I say this because what we focus on in life expands. So, if we focus on our lacks—our debts, our bills,  the things we don't have—they tend to expand and get larger. This is key to your success in business and in life. It is simplistic but still true.

If I tell you right now,
DO NOT think of a pink elephant.
Whatever you do,
DO NOT think of a pink elephant with purple polka-dots riding a bicycle.
Under No condition, even if your very life depends on it, should you think of a pink elephant with purple polka-dots riding a bicycle.

What were you picturing in your mind? Exactly. It is impossible to get what you want in life by focusing on what you don’t want. What we focus on in life Expands. Conversely, if we focus on the positive things in life the good news this will also enlarge and expand. Think about finding a great deal. Finding the perfect seller or buyer for your property. Think about the possibilities of what will happen when you persevere and get that first $10,000 check. This is an easy concept to intellectualize, but a bit more complicated at times to apply, particularly during set backs. Entire books are written on this topic. I urge you to take a look right now Be honest with yourself, and ask: What do you spend your time thinking about? Your problems,  or Your Goals and Successes? Do I think of my companion as an awesome person to be in partnership with or am I constantly blaming him or her for what I can’t or won’t do or have. Think about success and you will be successful. The biggest mistake most investors make is that they never get started. Clear your mind and let go of your limiting beliefs. RIGHT NOW! Allow yourself to take five minutes and dream. Take a pen and paper and write what it is you want out of life. Do it now!