by Mark Johnson | Mar 23, 2020 | Growth, JPAR, Mindset For Success, Perseverance, Real Estate
These are unprecedented times.
As I sat down to write this week’s blog, one word came to mind: GRIT. One definition of grit is the passion and perseverance for long-term and meaningful goals. All of you that I work with have significant short term and long-term goals; thus, my intention today is to provide some perspective on grit, how you can apply it, and practical next steps to stay in positive motion.
Some of the best work on grit is by Angela Duckworth if you haven’t seen her TED talk, I highly recommend it. Click here.
Grit is also a term psychologist use to describe abiding perseverance. Not just the energy it takes to push through a difficult task, but the power needed to push through weeks or months of challenging tasks. A characteristic many of us will need in the weeks and months ahead.
One of the best four-word descriptions of grit comes from Scottish philosopher Thomas Carlyle, and he said it three hundred years ago. It was right then, and it’s still valid now: “No pressure; No diamonds.”
No pressure; No diamonds.
Diamonds form because carbon is set under extreme pressure in the earth. Without pressure, it would just be carbon, or maybe it would turn into graphite. This phrase is saying that the “gems of humanity” our greatest feats, works, endeavors, only happen when we are placed under enormous pressure. Another common expression is “there is no gain without pain.” Yet another is “the finest steel is forged in the hottest fires.”
My point being. This is our time. It truly is in our moments of decision that our destiny is made. We can choose to live in fear or faith. We can choose to live in doubt, lack, and limitation or choose joy, satisfaction, gratitude, and appreciation. It’s a choice.
I suppose it was in basic training that I started to learn the basics of grit, the need to control my thoughts on a nearly moment-by-moment basis. The type of grit needed when fear, doubt, and disappointment are regular companions.
It seems the real secret of managing my mindset is to exploit that little gap between the moment a thought arises and the moment our brain attaches emotion to that thought. When you get into that gap, you can replace a thought that does not serve you with a better one, thus neutralizing the stress response in the short term and reprogramming the brain over the long term. By observing and dealing with your thoughts as they arise, you start to notice this gap and can close it.
So, what can we do? Three steps to consider right now:
It’s never been more important to stay in a consistent routine and foster a growth mindset
If you have a growth mindset, you believe everyone can grow and change through the application, exercise, and a lot of hard work. Adhering to a routine – like connecting with ten people a day – allows us to foster habits that match our goals and aspirations. While our routine helps us develop good habits that are in line with exploiting our full potential, it also helps to eradicate habits that do not serve us well.
Be a Voice of Value
Right now, your tribe needs you more than ever, so be there for them. With social distancing, you might not be able to see people physically, but you can still video call, text, email, and write personal notes. Use data from www.jparinsights.com to be the voice of reason, offer a helping hand. Be resourceful and ask yourself how you can serve your customers, your neighbors and your community in this time of difficulty while still practicing social distancing, robust handwashing, and sanitary measures.
Learn more to earn more
Now is the perfect time to commit to some extra sales training. Your skills pay the bills, so take this opportunity to invest in yourself and keep them sharp. Lead generation and relationship-building are two pillars we can never learn enough. At JPAR have over 100 on-line pieces of training and access to some of the best continuing education on the planet at www.jparce.com plus the world-class BANK vault at www.jparvault.com proven to increase your sales by 300%.
Stay safe, my friends, and be the best when it matters most.
#WinTheDay
by Mark Johnson | Feb 16, 2020 | Action, Advice, Dream Killer, Dreams, Failure, Freedom, Goal Setting, Goals, Growth, JPAR, No Regrets, Outcome Goals, Perseverance, Real Estate, Self Check, Success, Sucess Goals, Taking Action, Tips
“If you can’t get a miracle, become one.” ~ Nick
Imagine getting through your busy day without hands or legs. Picture your life without the ability to walk, care for your basic needs, or even embrace those you love. Meet Nicholas Vujicic.
In 1982 Nick was born without arms and legs and given no medical explanation for his condition. Faced with countless challenges and obstacles, God has given Nick the strength to surmount what others might call impossible.
It was my honor to introduce Nick to our team recently, and here is a snapshot of five of the seven highlights from his message:
Everything starts with an attitude of gratitude
What was that Abraham Lincoln quote? “Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.” So true, today, I am grateful for those of you that share with me how these blogs or video articles made a difference in your business.
Accept ourselves for who we are
For Nick, the early days were difficult. Throughout his childhood, Nick not only dealt with the typical challenges of school and adolescence, but he also struggled with depression and loneliness. Nick always wondered why he was different than all the other kids. He questioned the purpose of life, or if he even had a purpose.
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- Accept the reality
- Accept others for who they are
- Find your purpose
- Take action
Think like a winner… think big ACT bigger
Nick’s dad used to say: “you weren’t given arms and legs, but you were given a brain. Hire employees so that they can be your arms and legs.” Despite his disability and being bullied at school, Vujicic threw himself into being an entrepreneur at a young age. His first job, in which he earned A$1 an hour was to vacuum the floor, a skill he managed using his shoulder and chin.
“Don’t give up. And know that there is always someone out there who believes in you and who loves you just the way that you are.” ~Nick Vujicic
Motivation is temporary, inspiration and discipline has staying power
Motivation alone is unreliable. It is momentary, unpredictable, and can depart as quickly as it enters. Think about it:
When you listen to a motivational speech, there is an emotional response that is created by an understanding. However, the emotional response wears off, and we fail to revisit the agreement, which incited the emotional response and all the good things that came with it. Thus, we become “unmotivated” until we are reminded again. Sound familiar?
Do you know how to get out of it? Just do the work. It doesn’t matter how you feel at the time; just do it. Don’t wait until you feel motivated. You will build momentum, and eventually, you will get inspired. Ignore inspiration — if it’s there, great. Use it. If it’s not, act anyway.
Don’t feel like going to the gym? Just go.
If you have writer’s block, then write.
Just don’t wait.
Don’t wait for the right moment.
Don’t depend on luck.
Fear is just a challenge to overcome
There is healthy fear… don’t touch that hot stove! And there is limiting fear… in the case I’m writing about today – limiting fear is just “False Evidence Appearing Real!”
In the type of limiting fear, I’m talking about:
- Fear sees only the downside
- Fear doesn’t let you stop to think it through
- Fear tells us to avoid anything new or unknown
- Fear constricts rather than expands who we are
- Fear obscures your intuition
- Fear often keeps us from making any decision at all
I’m so grateful for Nick and his message; I’ll leave you with this exercise Nick had our team complete on the spot. Do it now, don’t wait!
A quick exercise:
- What is your goal? Financially, spiritually, physically, relationally?
- Define it specifically. X by Y date by doing these Z daily activities.
– Win the day, win the week, win the month
– Define a plan to overcome your obstacles
– Take action NOW
by Mark Johnson | Nov 3, 2019 | Action, Appointment Setting, Growth, JPAR, Outcome Goals, Performance, Perseverance, Process Goals, Real Estate, Taking Action, Top Producer, Weekly Newsletter
These statistics will shock and surprise you. So, get ready. We recently did a blind study on incoming leads. 85% of the new leads received a follow-up, 15% got crickets.
So what is the psychology of the 15% of sales professionals that never follow up on a new lead? Even more shocking is we found that of the 85% that did make the initial follow up, only 25% made a second attempt! And of that 25%, only 12% made a third attempt. So what’s going on here?
It’s the voice inside your head. It’s a growth vs. fixed mindset.
- 2% of sales are made on the first contact
- 5% of sales are made on the third contact
- 10% of sales are made on the fourth contact
- 80% of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth contact
Persistence is the key to your success. In a study specifically related to real estate sales, sales professionals that made three attempts vs. those that made five or more attempts had more than a $100K difference in annual income.
Today we are bombarded with information. We are in information overwhelm. But that does not mean someone doesn’t want to buy, sell or invest. It might be, like me, right now, it isn’t a high priority.
Staying connected is the key. Using content from tools like Keeping Current Matters can help, yet so can a casual check-in call, text, or video chat. It’s you vs. your baby, and nothing is in your way except for your growth vs. fixed mindset.
by Mark Johnson | Oct 20, 2019 | JPAR, Newsletter, Perseverance, Process Goals, Real Estate, Results, Success, Sucess Goals, Tips, Weekly Newsletter, Work
Behind every success story is a back story. Perseverance.
Thomas Edison – his teachers, said he was “too stupid to learn anything.” He was fired from his first two jobs. He made 1,000 attempts before inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked, “How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?” Edison replied, “I did not fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was invented with 1,000 steps!”
Henry Ford went broke five times before he succeeded.
Albert Einstein did not speak until he was 4, did not read until he was 7. One of his teachers said he was slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in foolish dreams.
Coaches Tom Landry, Chuck Noll, Bill Walsh, and Jimmy Johnson accounted for 11 of 19 Super Bowl victories from 1974 to 1993. They also share the worst record of first season coaches in NFL history. Their collective record as first-year coaches is one win and 45 losses.
Speaking of football – remember Vince Lombardi? An expert at the time said, “He possesses minimal knowledge and lacks motivation.” Lombardi would later write, “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get back up.”
Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times, yet he made 714 home runs. He said, “every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”
Michael Jordan was “cut” from his high school basketball team.
Cyclist Lance Armstrong was cut from his high school football and swim teams. He turned to cycling and finished last in his first race as a professional.
Van Gogh – sold only one painting during his life to his sisters’ friend for $50.00.
Abraham Lincoln went to war as a Captain and returned as a Private. He failed at business. As a lawyer, he was too impractical and temperamental to be a success. In politics, he was defeated in running for congress, in his application to be commissioner of the general land office, for the senate on two occasions and, for the Vice Presidency. He wrote a letter to a friend, “I am now the most miserable man living. If what I feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would be not one cheerful face on earth.” Two years later, he was elected as President of the United States, where he successfully led the country through its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserving the Union, ending slavery, and rededicating the nation to nationalism, equal rights, liberty, and democracy.
