No Limits |
The Freedom Blog™
Take Massive Action
Written
by Steven Griggs | stevengriggs.com
“Do you want to know who you
are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.”
Thomas Jefferson
“There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than
the long range risks of comfortable inaction.”
John F. Kennedy
“Action requires forward movement. If you stand still for too long you will eventually fall over.”
Steven Griggs
In past articles I’ve talked about taking action by using action
plans Are You are Finisher or a Fumbler? and sub goals and using SMART methods to reach goals.
The type of action I am talking about today is a bit different.
Today I am talking about taking massive action. This means a very aggressive,
almost attack like approach to accomplish something.
It could be a full court press on a business opportunity or a
start-up idea. It means focusing 100% of
your mind, energy and resources on a situation. It means having such total commitment
and laser like focus that you are almost acting like a crazy person, that you
are almost disconnected from reality.
I have just been there myself.
Recently I’ve been involved in negotiations regarding a property I
sold several years ago that have required me to take immediate massive action.
According to our contract the buyers were to refinance the
property shortly after we closed the sale. The refinance would pay off a loan
that I had placed on the property and the balance of the sales price that I was
still owed.
After trying for the last three years, for a variety of reasons they
were unable to refinance the property. During this time the original lender,
who had been working with the buyer, began to have financial problems and sold
the mortgage to a vulture investor.
Vulture investors are opportunistic bargain hunters and seek out
distressed situations. They usually start by buying the debt of the property or
company at a steep discount and then use that position to force the property or
business owner to pay them off at face value. They also sometimes take title to
the business or property through a foreclosure or negotiated (forced) sale.
Either way the vulture investors make a fantastic return.
The vulture that bought this note filed a foreclosure. They
contacted me and demanded that I pay off their mortgage.
I have been managing this property for the past three years while
I was waiting to be paid off. Because of my efforts and being on site I was
able to keep tenants in the property and keep the property going.
But things were changing. Old tenants were moving out and new tenants
were not moving in. The property was
starting to look shaky.
After dealing with the buyer for three years and having had several conversations
with the bank I knew this situation was going nowhere fast.
I also realized that I needed to take massive action to send a message
to the buyer and the bank.
I don’t know if it was because I had just had it with the buyer’s
incompetence or having had to listen to the demands of some banker, but I felt
a wave of clarity sweep over me that told me I was done!
I notified both parties that I was done and I was moving out of
the property. They could have the property and deal with the tenants and
problems themselves.
I really meant it. I actually packed up my office and moved out.
This served two purposes. One, the bank and buyer could verify
that I was really gone, that I had actually moved out. Secondly, because I really
was done emotionally, when I spoke with them they could feel it. They knew I
wasn’t playing their game anymore. It was for real.
Now, moving out was a pain and I didn’t really want to but I knew
I had to.
Consequently, the buyer has since approached me about transferring the
property back to me and the bank is considering modifying the mortgage if I
take over the property.
Of course this could all change and if it does, I’m OK. I’m OK because
by going through this process I have detached myself from the outcome and I’m looking
forward to my next step, whatever that may be.
So next time you are faced with a situation, one that seems insurmountable,
think about taking massive action.
You don’t necessarily have to go crazy like I me or do something dangerous
or hurtful, you just have to remember the power inherent in taking massive action.
So take action!
