Are you an O.C.?

Are you an O.C.? No?? Well you should be!

Okay... so I know now your wondering, what the heck is an OC? Don't worry, I promise I'll get to that shortly but first, I want to talk about why it is so extremely important, if not absolutely VITAL, to your overall success.

You see the fact is, successful people do this all the time. Actually they often don't even know they are doing it. Its something they do subconsciously. Yet it becomes a discipline... a way of life. Their success hinges on their ability to be the best possible OC possible!

So what exactly is an O.C.?

I'm talking about being an "Opportunity Creator". Okay, now that I've put the name to it I'm sure now your connecting the dots. It's one of those "of course" moments right? As a matter of fact, I know most of you are saying "this is common sense" and you know what... you're right! The problem is that common sense isn't so common. (one of my favorite quotes) How many people know that this makes sense but still don't do it? My point exactly!

Opportunity Creators (OC's) are successful because they aren't looking for the "deals". They are out there creating them. We've all heard this before. As the great Bruce Lee once said "To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities."

OC's create opportunities in every situation, no matter where they are. They are ALWAYS looking for opportunities whether working with a investment property that no one else sees the potential in... and creating that potential, or just taking a trip to the auto mechanic and walking out with a new buyer. They are driven to find opportunities whenever possible.

But there is one more very important aspect of being a super Opportunity Creator that usually goes unnoticed. It's something that many people miss all-together. It's actually a hidden secret that is directly tied to being an outstanding Opportunity Creator. Frankly it's something that, if applied to just about every aspect of your life, can transform you deeply.

I'm talking about the fact of being "Intentional". Some OC's do this fairly naturally, although some actually have to work hard to be purposeful. It's those people who are "Intentional" who are usually much more successful. They are intentional about constantly networking. They are intentional about doing the most important 3-5 things a day and MAKING sure they do them! (FYI: Great Book "Eat that Frog"... Get it) It's often the difference between just getting by and being apart of that 1-2% of people who soar seemingly effortlessly toward success.

Too often in life we go by and take only the opportunities that present themselves. Yeah sure they come around... some call it luck but whatever you call it, it's not something you should rely on to be successful. Because I promise you, it won't work. Think of it this way, even a broken clock is right TWO times a day... right? Don't wait for the opportunity to lay it's self in your lap. Imagine that broken clock again... wouldn't it be great to be able to tell time (create opportunities) when ever you want? Fix that clock... be Intentional!

Now the question: How do "I" become a Incredible Opportunity Creator? Well... lets focus on how we can do this as it relates to Real Estate Investment. First and foremost...

1) ALWAYS BE READY! Always be ready to share your message... have your pitch ready to go, especially when you least expect it. Last thing you want to do is blow an opportunity because you weren't prepared. (Remember: 5P's - Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance)

2) BE INTENTIONAL! Make sure to purposely seek out opportunities everywhere, especially in places where you NEVER thought possible. Places you might be many times a day/week. Just the fact of being intentional will bring opportunities out of the wood work!

3) VISUAL REMINDERS! Place a few visual reminders in places where your sure to SEE everyday (In your pocket, office desk, in your car etc) "Be an INTENTIONAL Opportunity Creator"

4) SET A DAILY GOAL! For today, I'm going to make 5 attempts to create opportunities... (ie: mentioning my work with REI or birddoging opportunity to earn money in a conversation where I wouldn't usually talk about REI... hint: be subtle) Practice makes perfect! I promise you'll get better and better at creating these opportunities. Practice is important! Planting seeds in a conversation gets easier with time and planning.

5) CONTINUE being a "INTENTIONAL" OPPORTUNITY CREATOR in EVERY aspect of your life!

Without writing a novel, I hope that everything mentioned above provides you with a good primer to get you off and running toward becoming a Incredible OC!

Let me leave you with this quick activity that I once heard which proves the point that being Intentional actually works! Try it!

Step 1: Take 10 seconds... look all around your area/room right now.
Step 2: Now close our eyes... and tell me how many RED items you saw?

Step 3: Now take another 10 seconds... look around the same area, but be sure to look for everything RED in your area.
Step 4: Now that your being INTENTIONAL about looking for RED items... how many MORE items stuck out? A lot right? Of course!

The fact is, if your not focused on what your looking for... you're mind won't see it, even when it's right in front of you. Your mind has to be looking for it... it has to be trained to find what you're looking for! Now go out there and train your mind to find those opportunities and watch how many start jumping out at you. All it takes now is for you to take action on those opportunities!

I hope I left you with something to think about... I also hope it helps in some way as we walk together on this journey to becoming successful!

I wish you all the best..... I was going to say Good Luck... but I don't believe in luck... I believe in being Intentional... and you should too!