What's the one thing I need to do as a newbie?

[Ben Peyton]

Hi all -

I'm interested in hearing from some people who have been in the game for awhile about the one piece of advice they would suggest to someone who is just starting out in real estate. What's the one thing that generated the most success in your time so far in real estate. 

If you are familiar with the 80/20 rule then you know what I'm talking about. What's that task, habit, or knowledge that generated the most value for you over time?

A little background: I live in Ohio, I'm 32, very good credit, and some cash. In the last couple of months I have been doing a lot of reading about investing in real estate and I want to transition into a career investing in real estate. I want to build wealth and work with other like minded people and I think real estate, most likely multi-family rentals, makes a lot of sense. 

I'm just a little stuck on next steps. I feel like I've read and learned a lot from books and Bigger Pockets but I don't know what next steps exist for someone like me. That is why I'm asking this question so that I can get an idea on where to focus my attention.