What do cold showers have to do with real estate investing?

Hey, you.

You have a fear inside you.

Fear of starting, fear of failing, fear of succeeding, fear of growing...

Is it analysis paralysis? Is it worse?

Why do a majority of investors fail?

Sure, poor decisions, risky strategies and mismanagement can all be factors, but I would bet it all boils down to FEAR.

You turn the water on full blast... the dial is all the way on the blue side.

You pause, hesitate, your body tenses, your teeth clench. Your legs are made of lead and cant be moved with any force of will. You start and stop and start and stop to try to get under that icy stream. With short breaths and a pounding heart you stand there thinking that you must be crazy.

All before you get in!

The anticipation is killing you. Whats the worst that can happen? Will you die from this exercise? No. You will not. You don't want to be UNCOMFORTABLE.

She looks chilly...

When you finally jump in, the process of mind over body kicks in. The cold water starts assaulting your body and your body is screaming to your brain "RUN YOU IDIOT!!!". You shriek like a little girl. You wriggle around trying to get comfortable. Your breath involuntarily turns into short bursts of gasping. You wince, you scream, you do your best Braveheart battle cry impression.

60 seconds pass, and it is pure hell.

If you calm yourself a little as your body acclimates, you gain control of your breath. You let go a little. And you find yourself stating "this isnt so bad!". Making sure to get your head, and possibly the most sensitive area, the back of the neck and shoulders.

2 minutes pass and it still sucks, but you are learning second by second how to control your breathing, your shaking and wriggling and your attitude changes a bit. Fight or flight becomes a stony determination to finish the challenge.

4 minutes pass and the determination is still there, pushing you through. The cold water now feels... well... not so bad. Your body is adjusted. Cold is no longer cold. Its almost... enjoyable!

5 minutes in and the timer goes off. You start to dry off and wonder "Why was I so anxious?!" The exercise didnt kill you, and the anticipation was worse than the act itself.

Now do this every day.

For 30 days.

In a row.

And then apply your mindset to your business.

Those tasks you are dreading to start seem less bothersome.

Those calls you need to return are easy.

Cold calls you need to make (couldn't resist...)? Simple.

The anticipation and fear of things you need to do to move your life and or business forward start to melt away.

You will start to look at uncomfortable situations and areas of your life with a new light. The cold shower was damn uncomfortable, and you lived. You did it for 5 minutes this morning, fresh in your mind was the first 60 seconds of hell, then after that your mind took over and controlled the situation.

A cold shower shows you how weak of an emotion fear really is.

- Joel Runyon

“Keep the faculty of effort alive in you by a little gratuitous exercise every day. That is, be systematically heroic in little unnecessary points. Do every day or two something for no other reason than its difficulty, so that, when the hour of dire need draws nigh, it may find you not unnerved and untrained to stand the test.”

-William James, from Talks to Teachers, 1912

Oh, and it has health benefits too.....

After my 30 days are up, I'm sure I'll be looking into my neighborhood polar bear club to get me through the cold Colorado winter. Until then, I'm shattering fear and goals daily, I want you to join me!