Most people live in emotional debt.
They either overestimate how great they are… or beat themselves down because they’ll never be good enough.
Both are toxic. Both are delusions. And both come with a price.
If you’ve been watching the last few episodes of the Heartland Multifamily Show, you’ll know that I’ve been going over my manifesto for successful multifamily investing. On this week’s episode, I sat down with my son, Isaiah Garman, to unpack Festo #21: You are never as good as you think you are. You are never as bad as you think you are.
This mindset isn’t just about humility. It’s about mental clarity.
Because when you’re in real estate—or any high-pressure business—your ego can cost you. That’s why I call it the “ego tax.”
There are two sides to this, though. Believing your own hype is a great way to stop improving and start slipping. At the same time, if you’re constantly beating yourself up over mistakes…
You’ll hesitate, play small, and pass up the deals that could change everything.
In both cases, your emotions are running the show, and a successful investor invests proactively, not reactively.
One of the most important takeaways from our conversation was this:
Nobody is perfect.
Even after a major “win,” your insecurities follow you.
Even after a major “loss,” you’re still valuable.
You can fix this by staying grounded. Stay paranoid. And never stop learning. Everyone has issues. You’re not alone. And not perfect either. Stop pretending you have to be either. This mindset shift is subtle but powerful. It’ll help you stay calm when things are good… and keep moving when they’re not.
Whether you’re managing multifamily properties or just trying to lead a better life, you are never as good or bad as you think. And neither is anyone else. Watch the episode to hear this informative conversation. It’s good advice for real estate, and great advice for life.
