Episode 540: The Mindset Work Most Investors Avoid and Why It Matters More Than Deals

In this special coaching sit-down, I hit pause on tactics and deals and go deep into the mental game of real estate investing—the part that actually determines whether you ever hit your income goals, leave your W-2, or build the life you keep saying you want. 

I walk our community through practical mindset work: scripting your perfect day and perfect year, shifting from reaction to creation, removing distractions, and getting brutally honest about where you are vs. where you say you want to be. We talk about vision, exposure, coaching, accountability, and belief, and I share personal stories from rebuilding after 2008 to helping my son Nick rewire his thinking after his accident to show you exactly how this work looks in real life. 

You'll hear live questions from our group about negative self-talk, self-sabotage, overwhelm, and balance while juggling a W-2, and we break those down into clear, simple action steps you can implement this week.

If you're serious about scaling your real estate business, leaving your job, or just getting unstuck, this episode will help you build the mindset, habits, and environment that make the deals, the 3 Paydays®, and the lifestyle inevitable.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction

02:17 The importance of reviewing your vision daily

03:12 Do you have your perfect day/week/year scripted?

04:00 The "drunk monkey" and the biggest stumbling block

05:02 The real test of mindset: not when things are easy, but when things get tough

06:31 What is your biggest risk of 2026?

07:26 The "reaction" vs "creation" exercise

09:57 Should mindset be in your schedule?

11:40 Exposure & who you get around in 2026

13:17 Leveraging the power of community to make the connections you need

14:36 Visualizing your future: what does life look like a year from now?

15:39 Mindset coach & reframing limiting beliefs

16:45 Be brutally honest about where you are (and be okay with it)

17:55 The importance of learning to own your journey and future

19:18 Don't take advice from the average; look at their results

21:30 Should you follow the right coach 100%?

22:18 The "game of tennis" with your coach

24:24 Overcoming your recurring negative thoughts

25:24 Solution: script, record & loop your perfect future

26:48 Descriptive but not restrictive: get deep and don't hesitate

29:55 How the start of your day will impact your success

32:25 The philosophy behind "the action creates the belief"

35:20 The $321K check and visual anchors

37:05 Jim Carrey's $10M check story

38:32 Navigating challenges between balancing business and a W-2

40:13 CEO exercise: if you can only do 3 things

44:30 Mindset work takes longer than scripts

Quotables

"Your biggest risk in my opinion of not achieving your goals in '26 is not getting rid of distractions."

"It's easier to act your way into a new belief than it is to believe your way into a new action."

"If someone is where you want to be, and they give you advice, should you do it 100%… even when you don't feel like it?"

Links

QLS 4.0 - Use coupon code for 50% off

https://smartrealestatecoach.com/qls

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Apprentice Program

https://3paydaysapprentice.com

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Masterclass

https://smartrealestatecoach.com/masterspodcast

3 Paydays Books

https://3paydaysbooks.com/podcast

Strategy Session

https://smartrealestatecoach.com/actionpodcast

Partners

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