“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” — Michael Jordan, gold medalist in basketball in 1992 and 1984
Those are some strange words coming from arguably one of the best athletes the world has ever known. But get this, Jordan also adds: “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed.”
Congratulations — you’re just the second paragraph in and you’re about to learn one of the most important lessons of your career: Success is a product of failure. It’s a wonderful message to ponder in the wake of the 2016 Olympic Games. Oh to be sure, we all witnessed stunning, physical feats and unmatched marvels.
But what we didn’t see holds the secret to transforming your life in real estate: we didn’t see all the toil, the sweat, the tears, the misses, the mistakes, the utter and complete failures all the athletes have endured over the years – and in some cases – decades.
And if you ask them, top producers in real estate will tell you they’ve left behind a long and wide path of failures, too. So that’s lesson number one from the Olympic Games: Success is born from failure. Never be afraid to fail.
Another gold medalist, the late and great Muhammad Ali, once said, “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” Take risks. If you fail, it only means you’ve moved closer to success.
So what else you can you learn from Olympians? Here are what I believe to be their best lessons:
Commit to thinking big from this day forward. It doesn’t have to be dramatic. Remember, every single Olympian began as a regular person. But with small steps forward every day, they became the best in their individual sports. And when you apply lessons from Olympians, you can become the top Realtor in your market or even the country!
Bubba Mills is the CEO of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc. (www.corcorancoaching.com/programs, 800-957-8353), an international Real Estate, Mortgage and Small Business coaching company committed to helping clients balance success in business, while building value in life.