First Rental Property

The automatic doors jolted open and a frigid wind blew into the train and right onto my face.  Gasping for air I stepped off the train and lost balance on the ice.  I almost went down like a sac of potatoes, ready to be trampled on by aggressive commuters coming at me from all directions.

This happened to me this morning.

It has been almost 5 years since I have made the commute downtown.  I simply had forgotten how intense it was.

In fact the commute seemed increasingly intense.  A lot more intense than I had remembered it 5 years ago.

Or, maybe it’s no more intense that it used to be.  Maybe I am that one that has changed, and now see things differently

Yeah…

I like this theory better.  I am the one that has changed.  Not the intense commute.  The commute has remained the same.  Intense.

After my narrowly averted tragic demise this morning, I found myself navigating my way through downtown Toronto’s Underground Walkway.  More affectionately known to Torontonians as The PATH. Check out the Muddy York Blog for a great explanation of the Toronto PATH.

My journey became more complicated in The PATH.

It seemed that somebody, somewhere opened up the flood gates, and in came all of the marching commuters, flowing in from all of the doorways and hallways in sight.

Left-Right-Left-Right-Left-Right-Left-Right-Left-Right-Left-Right-Left-Right-Left-Right-Left-Right.

You better keep pace and not slow down, otherwise you will be trampled from behind.  Don’t even dare cutting diagonally through the crowd, otherwise you may get pushed to the ground and stomped on for getting in someones way.  You don’t believe me?  Have you ever tried cutting diagonally?  Try it, and then tell me what your experience was…

I make it seem that I had a terrible time this morning.  However, in reality, I actually learn a great deal from experiences such as these.  Which brings me to my explanation of:

How I Became a Successful Real Estate Investor

I have always been a very self aware individual.  Some people are self aware and some people are not.  In order to find out how you can become more self aware, read the article 11 ways to be more self aware today at Mary Jaksch‘s blog Goodlife Zen.

Due to this high level of self awareness I have always known that people want to fit in and be accepted.  As a result, people will do things or say things to be accepted.  People will also be less likely to act up or say something that draws attention to them, at the risk of being labeled as someone that does not fit in.

This phenomenon can in someway be referred to as  Groupthink.

Irving Janis was a Research Psychologist at Yale University who defined “Groupthink” as:

“A mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members’ striving for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action.“

Here lies the secret as to how I became a successful real estate investor.

1. I have always been efficient at fighting off the effects of Groupthink.

2. Further, I never care what anyone else thinks about me.  I make my decisions independently of any body’s influence.

My secret sounds overly simple and to the point.  It is!

People become successful as real estate investors when they start to go against the norm and not follow everyone else.  Real estate investors don’t think like the majority of the population.

If you are a newbie just starting out as an investor, you have to understand this and embrace it.

Using the example of my eventful commute this morning,  I present you with the following analogy.

Wok with me here…

All of the commuters walking in the same direction in Toronto’s PATH represent the thought process of the majority of the population.

A real estate investor would be someone trying to cut diagonally through this group, or event better, walking in the opposite direction and into this sea of oncoming commuters.

The point that I am trying to make is that the thought process of the real estate investor differs.  It is not the same as everyone else.  You can’t fall victim to Groupthink.  Fight it.  Be unique.  Always.  That is how you will become successful.

Best Regards,

Neil Uttamsingh

ps: Don’t follow the crowd.  Be unique and become successful by subscribing to my blog!

pps: Here is an oldie but a goodie video that was recorded early in 2010.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrxe-cR-LoI[/youtube]