Myth Six: “Having a goal, and not fully realizing it is a negative thing

Towork at Disney, employees have to attend Disney University, an intense crash course in their service systems. Employees are taught all the essential facts, memorize park layouts, and are instructed on how to keep their energy high and attitude right. The Disney philosophy is: “The front line is the bottom line.” They understand that the average visitor saves for two and a half years before making the journey, which makes for some lofty expectations. The average homeowner waits as much as four times as long to make a home purchase. What are their expectations? How can you ensure that your staff can meet those expectations the way you do? Standards and systems. The interesting truth is when you systematize services to a defined standard so others can deliver them, your clients actually get better service. And isn’t that what you’re after?

THE SIXTH COMMON MYTHUNDERSTANDING

MYTH: HAVINGA GOALAND NOT FULLY REALIZING IT ISA NEGATIVE THING. TRUTH:HAVINGA GOALAND NOT TRYINGTO ACHIEVE IT ISA NEGATIVE THING.

Fear of failure is so common it even has its own phobia— Kakorrhaphiophobia. (“Kak-or-rhaph-io-pho-bia.” Try saying that three times fast!) The problem, for some of us, is that overcoming our fear of failure, especially public failure, is very difficult to accomplish.

When I was a child, my parents had a framed print across from my bedroom called Portrait of an Achiever. Below that title was this list: ■ 1832 Failed in business—bankruptcy ■ 1832Defeated for legislature ■ 1834Failed in business—bankruptcy

■ 1835Fiancée died ■ 1836Nervous breakdown ■ 1838Defeated in election ■ 1843Defeated for U.S. Congress ■ 1848Defeated for U.S. Congress ■ 1855Defeated for U.S. Senate ■ 1856Defeated for Vice President ■ 1858Defeated for U.S. Senate

Had you stopped there, you would have missed the final point: 1860Elected President of the United States of America

The subject, of course, was Abraham Lincoln. God bless my mom and dad for hanging that in the hallway. What a great message: You cannot fail unless you quit. If Lincoln had quit in 1858, he would have been dismissed as a footnote in American history rather than be remembered as the honored statesman he became. He kept trying, he didn’t quit, and the rest, as they say, is history.

If there is anything that history bears out, it is that failure almost always precedes success. There are so many similar examples. Probably the most famous is Thomas Edison, who claimed to have failed a thousand times before successfully designing the lightbulb. What if he had stopped at 999? Theodore Geisel (a.k.a Dr. Seuss) was rejected twenty-seven times before finding a publisher. Mark Victor Hansen’s Chicken Soup for the Soul was rejected by more than thirty publishers before going on to sell more than 70 million copies worldwide. Henry

“People need to stop wasting focus on what they could have done and focus on what they can change, now.” Millionaire Real Estate Agent Phoenix, AZ Sales volume—$50.6 million Ford failed and went broke five times. Tom Landry, Chuck Noll, Bill Walsh, and Jimmy

Russell Shaw Johnson share the record for having the worst firstseason records in NFL

history—they won only a single game. They also account for eleven of the nineteen Super Bowl victories from 1974 to 1993.

One of the secrets to great success is to change your perspective on failure. You see, everyone experiences failures before they ultimately succeed. Some let their failures stop them. Some keep trying. People like Edison, Ford, and Lincoln chose to view failure as a learning experience to build on and not as a permanent defeat. It may sound like double talk, but failure is progress. At the very least, in attempting to achieve a dream and failing, you’ve learned to eliminate that approach the next time you try. Use your failures as stepping-stones. The next time you try something, bear in mind that history has made it very clear that you will probably have to fail a few times before you get it right. Remember Lincoln.

Too many people live their lives under the mistaken assumption that success is a matter of avoiding failure. The problem with that approach to living is that when you actively avoid failure, you tend to avoid challenges as well. Success is not about avoiding failure. Failure is about avoiding failure. Success is about trying. Groundbreaking scientist Louis Pasteur once shared this: “Let me tell you the secret that has led me to mygoal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity.”

AFFIRMATION

A long time ago, someone taught me to say, “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.” When I first heard it, I thought it was a great action affirmation. However, over the years, I’ve played with it a little bit and tried to center it more on personal faith than simple action. For a while I’d ask, “If it’s to be, why not me?” But as I would say it to myself, I still felt there was still some doubt persistent in the message. Now, I simply say, “If it’s to be, it will be me.” We’d encourage you to adopt that as your

personal affirmation. Faith leads to momentum. It’s quite possible that the most important contributor to your ultimate success will be your ability to keep moving, to make progress, and to learn as you go. So jump out there and enter the real estate sales race with confidence. And remember, you can’t get anywhere if you never start!

POINTSTO REMEMBER:MythUnderstandings

■ You need to examine your beliefs, search for the truths, and abandon your myths. ■ People are succeeding at high levels, and so can you. ■ Just because it has never been done in your market doesn’t mean it is impossible to achieve. Get a big plan that matches your market, and go for it! ■ There is only so much time and effort you can give. A big dream doesn’t necessitate more time and effort; you just have to focus and apply yourself differently. ■ Growing your sales business is not inherently more risky than staying where you are. The risk of inaction is often greater than the risk of action. You must understand your costs, hold them accountable for results, and keep moving forward. ■ If you have defined standards and can teach them to others, you can delegate work and gain the leverage you need to grow.

Remember, customers are actually loyal to the service standards you represent—not just to you. ■ Failure is nothing to be feared. The very best of us have used failures as stepping-stones on the path to ultimate success. The only true failure is in quitting or not trying at all.

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