I have somebody in my life that often says …I told you so. And it wouldn’t shock me if you do too. After all, don’t we all have somebody in our lives that says that, that person may even be ourselves. This article is about ‘that person’ and how you deal with them.
For me this is a person I value, somebody I hold in high regard.
I first noticed it when I closed a franchise to focus on property investment. This person said she thought I should have done that all along and had said so but I hadn’t listened.
Interesting I thought.
I then heard it on a few other occasions, and I am somebody who values feedback and I often strive to improve so I really started listening out for it.
In fact, I then even started asking specifically on how this person felt about something before I did it so I could take note. When I became a bit more thorough I realised something, something that made all the difference …..
It’s not you, it’s me
I realised that this person often said ‘I told you so’ even when she hadn’t.
I realised the ‘I told you so’ wasn’t about me, it was about her.
And there I was, wondering how she could so consistently predict my mis steps and wondering how I had been so arrogant and dismissive. And then I realised something else, something even more profound; it doesn’t actually matter.
It’s your journey
The truth is nobody can predict the future and even if somebody did say I told you so, what seat were they sitting in? This quote from Brene Brown sums it up perfectly …
“If you are not in the arena getting your ass kicked on occasion, I am not interested in or open to your feedback. There are a million cheap seats in the world today filled with people who will never be brave with their own lives, but will spend every ounce of energy they have hurling advice and judgement at those of us trying to dare greatly. Their only contributions are criticism, cynicism, and fear-mongering. If you’re criticizing from a place where you’re not also putting yourself on the line, I’m not interested in your feedback.”
Brené Brown
Just to be clear, I think you can and should learn a lot from others. Success leaves clues and failures leave scars. I am constantly looking to learn from others and I would encourage you do the same. In fact, I have written a blog about the common mistakes people make when investing in property and how you can avoid them. I also offer a property checklist as a complimentary resource on my website to help map out all the things to be looking for when you are buying a property and renting it out.
The reason for this article though is a reminder that you do the best you can with the information you have. Yes try to give yourself the best chance when you make decisions and do the research. But when you are brave enough to take a step towards your goals don’t worry if you fall, you will get back up.
As I parent three young children, I must remind myself to hold back from saying ‘I told you so’ even if I think it and I have to remind myself to practice what I preach!
Kelly Lemon
