Beliefs can come and go in life—this is natural as you learn and grow as a person. What you believed at age 6 is different than at 19, and still different at age 42. Sometimes as you look back in your life you see what you used to believe and see how silly it was. Here are a few of mine:
1. I no longer believe buying a house is a good investment. I used to think to buy a house was great, but not anymore. I believe multi-family is the only real estate you should involve yourself in. Years ago I bought a single-family home in Houston, Texas. Big mistake. The problem is that with only one door, your vacancy rate can go to 0% when someone moves out. It’s just not worth it.
2. I no longer believe a psychiatrist will help you. In the late 1990s, I got caught up in that major movement in America where it became popular to dig into your past and figure out the cause of your problems. A massive multi-hundred-billion-dollar industry had grown around the idea that Mommy and Daddy gave you either too little attention or too much. I went to group meetings, attended twelve-step workshops, and sought out counselors who could help me find the cause of my “problems.” I now know that you don’t fix problems with problems— you fix them with success.
3. I no longer believe that it’s better to have a small number of clients to “serve” them better. I launched my first company under the naive impression that I would work with a handful of clients and really concentrate my attention on them (thereby eliciting great customer satisfaction). I assumed that this would give me an advantage in the market and allow me to deliver quality service and really make a difference. And although it was a nice idea, it just didn’t work out that way. First of all, this plan didn’t put me on a scale necessary to build a business with a wide reach to get me attention, and I fell way short of dominance, not to mention the cash flow necessary to continue to support clients.
What do you not believe anymore? Write in comments below.
One thing I’ve believed since I was 25 years old—and still believe more strongly than ever—is that learning sales will improve your life. Take advantage of my Sales Boot Camp and become a professional in whatever field you are in because we are all in sales whether you realize it or not.
Be great,
GC