Off to the Races: How Your Story Will Dictate Your Success

Eden Sunshine

Vice President

Realty Executive

Years ago, my dad was into horseracing. It was his hobby that was more about entertainment than making money. Although, I think he made a few bucks most of the time. He had a system.

He was especially good at reading the racing forms. His system enabled him to uncover the often-overlooked details that revealed information about a horse that might suggest it was underrated.

I suppose it is easy to pick a favorite. He especially loved to identify a horse that had strong potential to win a race that most others would underestimate. Nothing like picking a 5-1 or 7-1 and watch it blow by the favorites in the stretch.

One day my dad and I were discussing his horse selection strategies and he revealed a little secret to me.

He explained that horses have classes. Not like school…but more like social classes. He further explained that all things being equal, if two horses were racing and one came from better breeding, the lesser horse would rarely beat the better-bred pony.

Compare it to an alpha dog or pack leader. Animals simply know who is in charge.

Horses instinctually limit themselves. Unfortunately, people unconsciously limit themselves and, as a result, fail to achieve their full potential.

People tend to operate at a level where they feel most comfortable or capable. Despite having all the tools necessary to be effective in their work, they stop short of fulling their full potential. Subconsciously they do not believe they deserve success, lack talent, smarts or have some other limiting belief.

Humans, unlike animals, have the capacity to consciously achieve beyond the confines of their limiting beliefs. We can look at our current circumstances and consider how the stories we are telling ourselves, behind the conscious scenes, are affecting our results.

Having worked with and supported thousands of realtors and business owners in the last 20 years, I have discovered one very simple fact: Success is less about what you know and more about what you do. And what you do, or don’t do, is dictated by what you believe. If you find yourself failing to achieve the results you seek then, it is highly possible, you are running an unproductive story or belief behind it. How do you fix it?

Step 1 – Accept that mental management is a steady and arduous process that reprograms or redefines your underlying beliefs. You might have a belief that has existed your entire life that it is driving your current behaviors.

Imagine when you were three years old your parents told you to never talk to strangers. Good advice for a three-year-old but not an adult engaged in sales or the real estate industry. And yet, that belief, engrained and intended to keep a child safe, could still be unconsciously influencing current behavior. Do you see how that works?

Be aware that we all have stories we are telling ourselves that impact behavior. By the way, the behavior could be positive one so not all stories are bad or negative. Simply be aware.

Step 2 – Know the actions that lead to success in whatever you do. Having clarity on what activities are necessary to achieve the results you desire is critical. Without having action items, it makes it more difficult to know when you are avoiding something. Avoiding is often evidence that you might have an underlying story impacting your success.

I am in the process of finalizing a book I have written to be published. Occasionally, I catch myself dragging my feet on the process. I have about five hours of work left to complete the process but continue to avoid taking the time to finish. My avoidance is evidence that something else is going on between my ears. Yes, I am busy, but not having time is NEVER a valid excuse. It is just a cover up.

Step 3 – Reframe your thinking. You are the author of your own stories. Just because your parents told you not to talk to strangers, you can rewrite that story to support the results you want to accomplish. In this case, simply add to the story that you are safe and do a great job of connecting with new people.

Here is the takeaway. When you are NOT achieving your goals, consider that your underlying beliefs are the cause. Reconsider your beliefs or your story, and you will rewrite your results.

Eden Sunshine is an entrepreneur, the creator of The Level 7 System, a speaker, author and Vice President of Operations for Realty Executive in Phoenix Arizona. Eden has coached and consulted with over 300 of the top Real Estate agents and teams throughout the USA and Canada since 2003. Eden specializes in helping businesses become scalable, positioned for exponential growth and productivity while establishing a meaningful, high performing business culture.

Eden developed the Level 7 System, which is a one of a kind, simple and systematic business development approach that guides businesses to become scalable, systems driven with great cultures. He also has developed other ancillary programs like the Systemize Your Business in 90 Days Program. He is in the process of publishing two books: The Book on Building Great Businesses and Woo Hoo: Successfully Transforming Your Business and Your World.