Blog | Personal Finance

Be, Do, Have

These three simple words have the power to change your future

I have a friend named Tyler who is a personal trainer and wanted nothing more than to tape a fitness segment on the Dr. Oz Show. So I asked him, “If you want to appear on the Dr. Oz Show, then who do you have to be?”

“I have to be a top-notch trainer,”

I followed up with this question: “And what do you have to do?”

“Well, I have to find out what kind of fitness segments the Dr. Oz Show typically runs. I have to do some research on the hottest trends so I can capitalize on that industry momentum. I need to finish my certification course and pass the final exam. I have to publish some articles and gain a larger social media audience so I can increase my name recognition. I have to find out how to get on the Dr. Oz Show and follow that submission process. If I get rejected, I may have to hire a PR person with the right connections to help. I need to reach out to local TV programs to see if I can get a segment with them to enhance my on-air portfolio. There are probably other steps, but I won’t know until I get started.”

Be—Do—Have

The concept my friend Tyler illustrated with his answer is a key to achieving any dream: Be—Do—Have.

Be is your beingness: who you are.

Do is the doingness: what you do.

Have is your havingness: what you have.

Doesn’t it stand to reason that who you are and what you do determines what you have? By concentrating on what you want to have, you will be able to figure out what you have to do.

It sounds simple, but everything you have today is because of who you are and what you have done up until this moment. If you want to change what you have, you have to change who you are and what you do.

How to change

Tyler is an excellent example of knowing when to course correct. He knew that if he wanted to appear on the Dr. Oz Show, he would have to make some changes. He was not yet a top-notch trainer, and would need to become one. He knew he would need to finish his certification program, learn the ins and outs of applying for an appearance, network with TV executives to form relationships with them, grow his social media following, and possibly start smaller to build his confidence and demonstrate his expertise in the field.

By doing all of that, Tyler will undoubtedly change who he is. He will go from being an average trainer to being a great one.

Unfortunately, this is not how most people operate. Most people first look at all they have to do, which seems like way too much work. So, they never start. Or they begin and quickly quit when they realize it’s no walk in the park. In the process, they never change, and they never get what they want to have.

It’s like that age-old saying about the definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If you haven’t made a change, a change will never be made. And then you have nobody to blame but yourself.

Are you participating in your life?

Today is the day. What do you want to have? Who do you have to be to get that? What do you have to do to be that person? By answering these questions, you can achieve your financial dreams — but only if you take action.

We all grew up learning from books and lectures. However, our greatest learning takes place when we actively do something, when we participate.

Are you waiting for all the lights to be green, for circumstances to be perfect? If so, you'll probably be waiting forever.

Pay attention to your words, because thoughts become things. Are you saying, "I'm thinking about investing," or "I'm interested in investing"? Or are you saying, "I'm going to invest." Have you made a commitment, at least to yourself, to do what you know you need to do? Or are you still talking about “what ifs?”

If you're intimidated by your goals, learn how to create SMART goals to help make them more manageable? Where can you connect with other people who've done what you're trying to do so you can learn from them?

Seek out mentors and coaches, people who will keep you accountable. But realize that others won't want to commit to helping you if you're not fully committed yourself.

Don't let life — and the opportunities to create the life you want for yourself — pass you by. You don't have to jump into the deep end of the pool, but at least wade into the shallow end. And that means you must start to participate.

Setting yourself up to win

Back in January, I encouraged you to dream big in 2021. I’ve also told you that it’s OK to fail. I’ve even given you permission to make yourself a priority. And if you’ve lost your way, as so many of us have at one point in our lives, I’ve urged you to reexamine your why. You literally have nothing to lose — because if you don’t make the changes you need to succeed, your goal will never be within reach.

Isn’t today a good time to start? Take one step forward. Why just one step?

We all love success. We love to win. And when it comes to building a business or investing in real estate, you should be in it to win it.

If you’re just starting out in entrepreneurship or investing and want to build long-term success, it’s especially important to experience a little success at the beginning, because:

1. A little success builds confidence

   When you lose, especially on your first investment, then doubts can begin to creep in. Thoughts pop into your head such as, “Maybe I’m not cut out for this,” or “I don’t want to lose any more money,” or “Who am I kidding, I can’t do this!” It’s a lot easier and much more fun to move on to your second investment when you’ve had a win on your first.

   Self-confidence is a magnificent byproduct of investing success. It is also a crucial ingredient to achieving your financial independence. The more your confidence builds from those early wins, the more willing you’ll be to trust your judgment when investing. And the more you trust yourself, the less fear will be a factor in your decision-making process. Those first investment wins set you up for a lifetime of success.

2. A little success shuts down critics

   There are probably people around you who insist that investing is risky. They are the ones who can’t wait to cut out the articles about the couple who lost their life savings in the stock market or the looming real estate collapse — and they send those articles right to you!

   These are the type of people who love to be right, who are literally waiting for you to fail. Then they sweep in to comfort you with, “There, there’s” or to scold you with “I told you so’s.” I can tell you from experience, there’s nothing sweeter than proving them wrong with a little success. After all, success is the best revenge.

3. A little success is a lot of fun!

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   You want to make money, right? That’s the name of this game. I guarantee that as soon as you see that first bit of profit from your investment or business efforts, everything changes. The whole thing becomes a lot of fun. And having fun is how we should all be living our lives.

   Now that you see the value of having a little success right off the bat, increase your chances of getting there by taking one of Rich Dad’s free classes: Choose to Be Rich, Start Building Your Financial Fortune, and How to Create Real Estate Cash Flow are great places to start.