Comparison can kill your goals
How did you celebrate the New Year? I got together with 28 friends in Calhoun and just let it all out. And you know, you kind of keep track of what everyone is doing when you are at one of those types of get-togethers. I saw some people who thought three was enough. I saw others who had a six-pack. And then there were those few with a high tolerance that had a full case of 24.
And I don’t want to brag or anything, but I myself knocked out 12 before I stopped. Now before you get the wrong impression, I’m not talking about intoxicants. I’m talking about miles. I went to bed at a normal time on New Year’s Eve and then met my friends at the Calhoun Rec on New Year’s Day to run 24 miles for 2024. You could do it individually, or you could partner with people to get the 24 count, and we had a lot of fun doing it.
We took a six-mile loop that started around the black and yellow park, proceeded out of the Rec on Oak Street, north on Hwy 41 until we got to the courthouse, turned left on 53 spur, left on King Street and then right to go back into the Rec.
It was a nice loop with minor elevation, but it was chilly in some parts. We had 13 mph winds that made it feel like it was in the 30’s, especially on the portion from Hwy 41 up to the courthouse. One of the guys there is known for doing ice baths. He was running in shorts and kept talking about how invigorating it was.
I just thought it was cold.
One of the things long runs do is they give you an opportunity to observe and think. And as I was running along, I couldn’t help but notice the different types and levels of athletes who were present. We had runners there who ranged from Ultra Marathoners (those who run distances farther than 26.2 miles, like 50 or more miles) to half marathoners down to 5K runners. There were triathletes there, too, with at least four who I know had completed the Iron Man race and then others like me who had done the Olympic and Sprint distances.
Then there were folks there who do obstacle events such as the Spartan Races, while others were simply people who like to work out regularly to stay in shape.
There was really a lot to notice in this group. First off, no one there was starting a resolution to get into shape. Instead, these individuals had committed themselves to being active and healthy many moons ago and were celebrating that fact with this run.
The next thing I noticed was that the participants in the run were all going at their own
pace and at distances they felt they could accomplish. No one was out there pushing things to extremes because they all knew that doing that would lead to injury.
That doesn’t mean people weren’t pushing themselves. I had two friends named Stephanie and Kathryn who both went 12 miles for the first time ever that day. And let me tell you from experience, that’s a long way to go. And I was so proud to see them accomplish that feat and do
it in a way that was healthy. They didn’t go from the couch to 12 miles in two weeks, or even two months. They did it the right way, which took time — months and even years.
Now the reason why I am bringing this up is because 2024 just started. And you have undoubtedly set some goals. If you are like most, they are both physical and financial. And if you are a real estate investor, your financial goals probably include a number of deals you hope to accomplish, an average profit per deal you would like to hit and a gross profit for the year.
What I want you to do is take a look at those goals and ask yourself where you came up with them. If you are pretty new and are 10Xing what you did last year because you just came from a real estate mastermind or meetup where everyone claims to be doing the same, ask yourself if that is a healthy way to push your goals.
I am sure you have heard the saying that comparison is the thief of all joy. That holds true in these situations. Sometimes when you get around masterminds where people are saying they are doing tons more deals than you, it can make you feel less than and like you aren’t doing enough.
That may or may not be true. I know from personal experience when I compared myself to the people doing tons of deals, I thought I needed to go bigger. And I did. I tried to double our deal flow in one year and it almost killed our business. That’s because comparing myself to where those other people were and trying to push that hard was unhealthy. And just like when you push too hard with your body, if you push too hard with your business you could do more damage than good.
Now I’m not saying not to try to do better than last year. I think you should. But what I am saying is evaluate what your goals are and make sure that you are going at a pace and distance that is healthy for you and not someone else who has trained to be an ultra-marathoner in real estate. You can watch and learn from those other guys, and even get inspired by them. But don’t let comparison lead you down a path that will ultimately get you hurt and kill your goals.