I’m live-blogging #AREC16 from the Gold Coast. Here are my top learnings from Robin Banks: Success is a Choice.

A reminder you can sign up for the Real Estate Grow #AREC Pack by clicking here.

Since this is the first session (of many excellent speakers), I’ll also add a note on my excitement for being here at my first AREC. Always energising watching the hundreds of delegates stream in – if you’re one of them, come give me a g’day over the next two days in person or over on Twitter.

Welcome Robin Banks – first of 35 speakers! Most of them have a tight 20 minute slot, so it’s TED Talk-esque, but the keynotes have 45 mins. Here’s my Top 5 key learnings from the first keynote:

1. I’ll be disappointed if this guy hasn’t got a secret stash of business cards that say “Robin Banks: Because that’s where the money is“
2. Knowledge isn’t Power until it’s applied. Good lesson to start a conference – no point walking away with a whole lot of knowledge … you never apply.
3. You created the life that you are living. So if you DON’T like the life you’re living, the great news is that YOU can change it. And it starts with choosing the change and then ensuring your mind is focused on thinking the positive thoughts that will move you in that direction.
   Robin’s touching here on some really fundamental concepts, ones that transcend Sales or even the Real Estate Industry. Taking full responsibility for your world is challenging – in general, we’re happy to own the good stuff but point elsewhere for the bad stuff (“God has decided to pick on you today,” he says). But in my experience it’s incredibly calming and rewarding.
4. Affirmations! Robin is a great example of the power of affirmations – he’s been saying the same affirmation every morning for ten years. I can’t vouch for where he was ten years ago, but being a bright and energetic ball of light, peak performer and people transformer, certainly sums him up today. And if that’s the way he starts every day, it sure beats the morning news. So what thoughts do you start every day with?
   I’ll confess, I’m not into affirmations … but I think I’m getting close. It was a key recommendation I received from the fabulous Millie at I Am Lovable, and of course it’s the secret to ‘Think and Grow Rich’. I finally succumbed to a Vision Board earlier this year … maybe Affirmation are next?
   Let me change that to a direct and positive thought! I will start my Affirmations today.
   (Any suggestions for what my Affirmation/s ought to be? Let me know in the comments below!)
5. Repetition, Motivation, and the Hot Tub Theory of speakers. You know how it goes – it feels nice and warm while you’re in the hot tub, but it gets cold fairly quickly when you hop out. And it’s true of many conferences and speakers – here’s the key: you don’t blame the hot tub for the cold, so you can’t blame the speaker for failing to convert the key lessons into real actions. You need to take responsibility for that yourself.
   And if you can do that with repetition, you can create habits. Every morning for 10 years? That’s a habit not a hot tub, wouldn’t you agree?

Big thanks to Robin Banks for a cracking first session – switching on 4,000 minds so they’re ready for the rest of the conference. (Or at least the rest of today – tonight’s cocktail reception might re-set things!)

By the way, here’s details on Robin’s gift – an Affirmation CD called “Wowzers! I sell so many Houses!”. 13 minutes a day, for the next 90 days: you can download it here www.arecmindpower.com (there are 3 tracks – Introduction, Contemplation, Affirmation).

DON’T FORGET TO BE AWESOME!

Our next speaker is Ivan Bresic – live blogged here.

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Fancy a coffee?

Jacob Aldridge is a co-founder and business coach at Real Estate Grow.

If you’re a real estate Principal looking for fresh ways to help you work on your business, let’s chat. Contact me on either 0427 151 181 or jacob@realestategrow.com.au.

Not ready for that level of commitment? Follow me on Twitter @jacobaldridge