Napoleon Hill made his mark in the early 1900’s with his landmark book, Think and Grow Rich.
In fact, it’s no surprise that many, if not most, of America’s noted self-development gurus admit that Hill’s book opened doors (& minds) and served as the catalyst for massive and on-going success. Interestingly, numerous real estate coaches and top brokers will note the same claim to fame. What was it about Hill’s book that hit home for so many? He acknowledged the power of the mind: we get what we think about.
Not to insinuate that Hill’s ideas suggested we think nice thoughts and then sit around on our laurels waiting for prospects to drop from the sky. Indeed, action is the impetus of measurable results, but before anything—comes the power of thought.
When Hill wrote his book, some of his ideas seemed a little bit beyond the ozone layer. However, something gave rise to his credibility. Since steel magnet Andrew Carnegie commissioned Hill to set about the 20-year task of interviewing the richest men in America—men who had last names like Firestone, Woolworth and Wrigley, not to mention Thomas Edison himself—credibility was difficult to challenge.
Fast forward 100 years or so and let’s consider how we can use that ageless wisdom and technique to sell houses, find prospects and close transactions. While Hill’s verbiage included less explanation than what today’s quantum physics can define a bit better, the fact is that we get what we focus on. If you focus on a deal falling through, catching a cold or getting a flat tire, please don’t be surprised when the dreaded event occurs. In fact, with enough consistency, you can almost bank on it.
The trick is to use this technique to create a healthy business. To constantly keep your mind as focused as possible on the results you do want as opposed to worrying about those you do not want. Unfortunately, we live in a time when negative focus is the order of the day. Just think about it. People are always talking about how the market is bad and things could get worse; that kind of focus is creating more of the same even if we don’t mean for it to transpire. Look in the MLS and see if any houses sold last week, see if any listings were taken. Chances are, someone sold something and that’s because some—not most, but some—salespeople are aware that success in sales starts with the mental aspect. Even top producers who have never read about or understood the power of their thoughts are using those positive thoughts to create more sales.
Why not take a chance and try embracing the practice of positive thought and expectation? See the preferred end-result in everything you do, every action you plan on taking. Then take that action, keeping your mind constantly and powerfully focused on the excellent outcome you want to occur. Watchdog worrisome, negative thoughts and fears and replace them with determined, desired results. It might be worth the effort…what do you think?
