There are certain principals and ideals that can help make people successful in life, business, and pretty much whatever else people want to succeed at. One of my favorite ideals is one that seems so simple and common sensical, but I feel like so few people grasp it and use it.

That secret(not really a secret at all) is Self-evaluation.

Winner's Mentality:

In running a business, in life, and in coaching football(I am a Volunteer Defensive Coordinator for the Mt. Carmel Academy Rebels on Houston, TX) the only person we can truly control is ourselves. So why not start every change in life with ourselves.

Example: As a football coach, if my players are not producing, then it is up to me to find a way to help them to produce. Some coaches will never take any of the blame on themselves and always blame the loss of their team on the heart, dedication, or execution of their players. I believe that, as a coach, before I ever find fault in my players, I must find fault in my methods of coaching these players first. It is my job to make sure that these players have all of the skills and tools necessary to win football games. Sometimes the skills and tools have nothing to do with speed, strength, or shoulder pads. Actually, more often than not, the tool or skill that is lacking is discipline or knowing how to do the little things right.

So, after a loss, the first things I do is self-evaluate. Before I ask myself any other questions, I ask myself, "What am I doing wrong and what can I do better?"

Believe it or not, I lose clients in real estate sometimes. Before I blame all of the reasons why my ex-client is using another REALTOR®, I ask myself, "What did I do wrong and what can I do better to make sure this doesn't happen again?" To take it even further, even when I close a transaction and things go smoothly and my client is ecstatic about the home purchase, I still ask myself, "What can I do better? How can I become more efficient or provide better customer service?" The funny thing about all of this is ths answer is often similar. The answer often has to do with education and communication. "How am I educating my client?", "How am I educating my REALTORS® to help them better service their clients?", "How is my communication?", "How am I coaching each player?", "Are my educationl tools effective?" I believe these are the questions that make the difference between success and failure, the difference between greatness and mediocrity.

Loser's Mentality:

It is very easy to place blame on everyone else and think that everyone is crazy, less intelligent, or just not doing their job right, but will that really solve your problems? To place blame on everyone else and make excuses is the sign of a loser's mentality. Stop making excuses, stop placing blame, and start finding real solutions. Solutions that you can control.

As a leader, it is a challenge to help someone break the habits of a "loser's mentality". One of the wisest sayings I have ever heard is probably one of the most vulgar sayings I have ever heard: "Excuses are like buttholes, we all have them and they all stink." As nasty as it is, there is no truer a statement. The meaning of this saying carries infinite powers if you use it properly. It takes time to adopt this saying and put it into action, but it can and must be done to find success.

Example: You have to say it to yourself in the morning while getting up and getting ready for work so it will motivate you to get out of bed and to work on time. If you wait until you get to work, all you can do is think back and say I should have gotten up earlier or gotten dressed quicker. No excuses, I am late because I did not plan properly. Stop blaiming it on traffic or fake coughing and acting sick.

As a coach, I tell the players that I don't want to hear excuses, I want to see results. 

My very own quote, unless someone else has used it before me and published it:

"Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen."

                                                        -Ozzie Ramirez

About the blogger:

I am about to turn 29 and I just attended my 10 year anniversary. Saw a lot of my old high school friends and we had a great time. Pearland High School class of '99 - Woohoo!!

I love real estate and I love to help people. Both go hand and hand. My office is in Pearland, Texas, but I work pretty much anywhere in the Greater Houston area. If you ever have questions about real estate here is where you can find me: