5 Tactics to Overcome Fear and Start Investing NOW!
  
I recently met a man at a real estate meetup who said he’d been attending the event for years. I asked what he did in real estate, and his response shocked me. He said NOTHING.
This man had been actively studying the ins and outs of real estate investing for years, yet he was still too scared to take action.
Whether you’re a would-be investor who hasn’t started yet or an active investor who’s nervous to take things to the next level, fear may be the only thing holding you back! Here are five tactics to help you overcome fear and take action now!
1. Ask Yourself, “What’s the Worst That Can Happen?”
One of my favorite ways to stay calm in the face of a big decision—in investing or in life—is to ask myself, “What’s the worst that can happen?”
It seems extreme, but this mental exercise can help clear your mind of the irrational fears that come with brand new territory—like your first real estate investment. Everyone’s situation is different, but I think very few people would lose everything over a single rental property. Redirect your fear to what you’ll miss out on in life.
2. Practice Gratitude
Once you’ve acknowledged that taking action won’t leave you penniless and alone, take the mental exercise a step further. Think through all the reasons that you’re fortunate. Think about the advantages you have in life. Be grateful.
The best part about practicing gratitude is that it’s easy to do! My favorite method is to simply write down three things I’m grateful for when I wake up each morning. I do it as I drink my coffee. It takes a whopping five minutes.
3. Study Stories of Successful People’s Failures
The prospect of failure is scary. We’ve all heard horror stories from investors who tried and gave up. These only add to the fear. Conversely, success stories are great inspiration but often feel unattainable to new investors. They’re like fairy tales. They’re fun, but it can be difficult to imagine that level of success in your own life.
Instead, take some time to study the failures that successful people have endured along the way.
4. Embrace Imperfection
Once you’ve studied some of these failure-to-success stories, you can start to embrace the idea that imperfection is totally fine. In fact, it’s the only place to start!
Everything in life is a journey that requires course corrections along the way. No matter how much education you have, you’ll never know everything until you do! That means accepting a certain level of imperfection, uncertainty, and failure.
When you accept the fact that you will fail along the way, taking action becomes a little less scary. Embrace imperfection. Celebrate mistakes as new lessons learned. Stop waiting for “perfect,” and get started with good enough.
5. Begin to ACT the Part
Ever wonder how Navy SEALs, top-performing athletes, and successful entrepreneurs find the courage to achieve great physical and mental feats? The psychological principle of habituation is key!
If you want to be a real estate investor, stop acting like a student and start acting like an investor—not because you’ve completely abolished the fear but because you’ve decided to proceed in the face of fear.
Take action, learn, and gain experience. Then use that experience to build the life of your dreams!
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