When it comes to business and finances, most folks are so… ordinary. And maybe that’s fine for them.
But not for you. Not if you’re reading this blog.
Because you are after a level of success ‒ financial freedom, work-life balance, and the ability to make an impact ‒ that few people will ever attain. You are… extraordinary.
Here’s a definition of extraordinary: “Very unusual or remarkable; unusually great.” It comes from two words: extra ‒ “out of”, and ordinary ‒ “normal, having no special or distinctive features.”
So, what does an extraordinary life look like?
For our purposes, we’ll focus on just a few aspects of living an extraordinary life. And today, we’ll begin with the obvious…
To be an extraordinary person, avoid doing what everyone else is doing!
The reason most folks are ordinary (“having no special or distinctive features”) is because they do ordinary things. So you’ll have to swim against the stream in certain respects if you want to avoid that trap. With that in mind, here’s how you can do it…
Think Differently
Albert Einstein once said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
This is a great reminder that most of our habits are deeply rooted within us. So if we want to make real changes in how we live, we need to go deep ‒ into our thinking, our perceptions, our assumptions about the way the world works. That’s why extraordinary people…
Think differently about their money ‒ what it is, where it comes from, how to manage it;
Think differently about their time ‒ what it’s value is, how to invest it, what it means to them;
Think differently about what they want out of life ‒ they don’t just know what they’re after… they design their business and relationships to make sure they get it.
Structure Time Differently
We just mentioned time in the previous section, but it deserves a few more words. And I’ll let Warren Buffett speak for this one: “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”
That says so much about the value of time. I’ve written about this topic before, so I’ll just add a few words here.
Extraordinary people…
Put things in motion in their lives now, today… knowing these tiny seeds will grow into massive, beautiful, and valuable trees in due time. They do this with their money, their habits, and their relationships.
Don’t waste time on regrets about what happened in the past, or “the way things might have been.” They find ways to let go of those things, and trust that the past will work itself out. They focus on taking responsibility for the present… and building for the future.
Live deeply in the present moment. They know this is the best way not only to enjoy and get the most out of life now, but also to make sure they’re investing themselves wisely for the future.
Execute Differently
Author Jack Canfield wrote that successful people focus on “the next action steps they need to take to get them closer to the fulfillment of their goals rather than all the other distractions that life presents to them.” He’s absolutely right…
Ordinary people, however, don’t do that. They’re the ones who let all the other distractions keep them from doing what it takes to achieve their goals. But it’s hard to blame them ‒ life serves up so many distractions! That’s why extraordinary people…
“Begin with the end in mind,” as Stephen R. Covey so famously put it. Whatever they do, they remind themselves why they’re doing it, what the point is, what the desired outcome is. Whether it’s purchasing an investment property, taking a vacation, or setting their alarm at night… extraordinary people develop the habit of being very intentional about every aspect of their lives.
Embrace life’s tradeoffs. They accept that for everything they say Yes to, there will be 20 things they have to say No to. This doesn’t bother them or cause them stress ‒ they see it as part of the Game of Life, and a good reason to stay sharp about what they’re doing and why…
Develop the ability to focus. They understand that 30 or 45 minutes of sustained, concentrated work on something will yield far more results… than 4 hours of multi-tasking, text-message distracted, half-hearted “work” ever could. When it’s time to engage in a task, they’re all-in. The other stuff can wait. That’s a big part of how they’re able to accomplish more in a typical week than most folks do in three months.
Conclusion ‒ For Now, At Least
I may have more to say in a follow-up post, but we’ve gotten off to a good start.
To be an extraordinary person, who lives an extraordinary life, you must avoid doing what everyone else is doing in large areas of your life. It’s about thinking differently, structuring your time differently, and executing differently… every day. Over time, it makes a massive difference.
Give us a call at (801) 990-5109 or schedule your free appointment here to build a personalized Wealth Plan. We’ll help you invest in real estate the right way ‒ a truly extraordinary way.
