Probate Monday: Persistence

As a software developer for the past 9 years I’ve learned some valuable lessons about myself and what it takes to accomplish what I’ve set out to do.  Many times over the years I’ve had to figure out complicated programming tools, languages and specifications in order to achieve the final product.  For me a program that I had to struggling to make, curse at because it just wouldn’t work and want to just delete out of pure frustration is the most satisfying of programs to write.

Persistence is not only necessary in programming, but it’s essential in Real Estate Investing.  You must keep plugging away until you make it work.  If you think about it, you only need to make it work once before.  You ever hear the saying “It’s always in the last place you look”?  That’s because once you find it (or figure it out) you don’t have to look any more.   During the development of SI Lead Manager I’ve run into some road blocks creating the scheduling module.  I wanted to use this third party tool (a calender/scheduler control that someone else developed) that I can plug into my program.  The only problem was that I needed to customize the input screens in order to allow for useful Mailing schedules to be created. I would have written my own calendar control but why re-invent the wheel.

In the beginning I seriously had no idea how to do this, or even where to start.  I got that all to familiar overwhelmed feeling in the pit of my stomach, I’m sure you all know that feeling right?  When I get that way, the first thing I do is Break it Down into it’s simplest components and then pick and entry point and attack!!

This is where persistence comes into play.  What I like to do

1. Pick a path and go with it
2. Pay attention to the feedback (error messages) when it doesn’t work.
3. Slightly change the code and try again
4. Pay attention to the feedback (error messages) when it doesn’t work.
5. Slightly change the code and try again
6. Pay attention to the feedback (error messages) when it doesn’t work.
7. Slightly change the code and try again
8. Run into a dead end and realize this way won’t work
9. Start over and pick another path
10. Pay attention to the feedback (error messages) when it doesn’t work.
11. Slightly change the code and try again

I may have to start over again dozen’s of times before I discover the magic formula.  The great part is, I always do and that has built a confidence deep inside of me that I can accomplish anything if I keep plugging away at it.

Same goes for real estate investing when I start getting overwhelmed, I just Break it Down to it’s simplest parts and rebuild until I understand how it needs to be done.  When you do that over and over again your level of confidence will rise slowly but surely.

The definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. That’s why tweaking is so important, it keeps us sane!

Latest Mailers

After a week of phone silence after sending out the new letter to my March list (remember I’m mailing 8 weeks after probate files are opened), I got a phone call today during JOB hours that is interested in hear what I have to say.  So tomorrow at lunch I will be calling her back.   If someone is interested in helping me out, tomorrow at 12:00pm EST send me a text message @ 973-910-1001 and get on me to call the lady back.  There have been many times where I get caught up in my work routine and forgot to make a phone call.

My Goal Review from Last week

I completed all my goals from last week and spent the holiday weekend sweating my ass off because it was 95+ all weekend long so I stayed inside and hung out with the wifey and friends as my reword.

This Weeks Goals

1. Call lady back
2. Go to Real Estate Meetings on Wednesday and Thursday and Network
3. Find one deal someone else is selling and ask if they would want help finding a buyer

Related posts:

1. Probate Monday: Goals and other thoughts
2. Probate Monday: Decent response rate but frustrated
3. Probate Monday #9: Follow Up Post Card
4. Probate Monday: New Month, New List
5. Probate Monday: Passive Income Goals and General Update