When Michael Gervais, a sports psychologist interviewed Alex Honnold, a free solo climbing expert, there were some extremely valuable lessons to be learned. What he found was that the three things that Alex touched on to attribute his success was;
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His mind
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His hands and feet (his tools)
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His connection to the mountain (in other words, his connection to his environment)
As always, we can tie these three items into real estate lessons. We all need a clear mind, we need systems & tools, and we need a conducive environment where we can plug into.
Alex recently climbed El Capitan in Yosemite. The way Alex described this mountain, is something that’s a little bit harder, a little bit bigger, and a little bit tougher than he had done before. Most importantly, he described it as attainable. When you were pushing the boundaries of your previous performance to high performance, it’s incremental steps in the direction of growth for you. Remember when comparing to other people, you haven’t been there to see other people’s small climbs, the small steps, the incremental growth that they’ve had along the way.
In the interview, Alex says “I have spent 20 years visualizing what it would be to fall to my death while climbing. At this point when I see that happen it doesn’t shake me.” Why is this valuable to visualize this? This puts some serious accountability on the mission. We tend to visualize accomplishing our tasks, but not failing. Since he has visualized falling, when looking at the risks he takes every day, he comes from this place that he makes clear and intentional decisions. In real estate, we need to visualize every task; the calls, the door knocking, the listing appointments, the buyer consultations, the offer, the negotiation, the closing, etc.
Some may question why he does it. Why climb a mountain like El Capitan without any ropes or safety measures, when death is possible or probable? Do you love those around you? Yes, he answers. “I make intentional decisions about what I do every day. And those that love me appreciate that I am intentional about that every day.” What’s the alternative for him? He lives by something his mom told him when he was younger, “Good enough, isnt.”