Freedom Blog

Friday, May 11, 2012

Take Massive Action


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!