“You don't have to be born brilliant” by John McGrath

The author 🖋

John McGrath is the founder of one of the leading real estate franchises in Australia, a high-performance coach and an investor on “Shark Tank Australia”.

He’s probably the most respected and well-known thought-leader in Australian real estate and is often featured on the most prominent Aussie TV and news programs.

Key takeaways 🎓

1. Belief above everything

Believing in yourself is like having superpowers.

When we truly believe we can do something, we don’t quit.

Sometimes this belief comes from within, sometimes it’s supported by someone pushing and helping us, but as long as we can hold onto to it - we’ll keep going where others stop.

2. Keep trying

Think about learning to ride a bike.

At first, all we do is fall, but if we keep getting back up and trying, we eventually learn to ride smoothly (and rarely ever forget, by the way).

Success, according to McGrath, is just a matter of time if we keep on persisting for long enough.

3. Learn from mistakes

If nothing changes, nothing changes.

Belief and persistence are key elements to success, but we can’t keep banging our head into a brick wall.

When we make a mistake, it's like getting clues on how to do better next time - we need to use these learnings and apply them in order to reach our destination.

Closing thoughts 🧠

The book aims to demonstrate that success isn't about being born with special talents, but about believing in yourself, working hard and learning from mistakes.

McGrath argues that anyone - provided we have the right mindset and are willing to put in the effort - can design a magnificent life and achieve great things.