Some of the biggest critics of passive real estate investment will claim that it’s too slow to really work. Here’s the thing: it’s only slow if you let it be slow. The secret to success as a turnkey real estate investor or in any type of passive investment is about your mindset. It’s about your approach. If you allow your investment to be truly passive in that you aren’t doing anything, of course it’s going to be slow.

Success isn’t something that comes to us overnight. It takes hard work, dedication, and, no matter how passive our income is: commitment. As real estate investors, we have to invest not just our money into this thing, but our time, attention, and willpower. If you want to succeed in real estate investment, it starts with a solid foundation and by forming good habits.

If you have that base level of knowledge and you develop the follow through with what you know? It’s hard to go wrong.

So, in the interest of success, we’re bringing you seven habits that are essential for staying at the top of your game in real estate investment.

Success in real estate investment doesn’t come overnight. Now matter how passive your income is, it never means you will reach your full potential as an investor if you let go of the reigns. It would be great if that was true, but even the most passive investments demand your attention in some way, even if it’s not direct.

To fully reach your potential, it demands input on your part. While you don’t have to put your hands directly into your real estate investments, you can start setting yourself up for greater success right now. No waiting.

Investing in real estate is not always a primrose path. Yes, it’s one of the best avenues to financial freedom. Yes, it’s about as passive as passive income gets. We really believe that there’s no better investment!...but that doesn’t mean it’s not challenging work. There will be times when your investments, your managers, your tenants...well, they just make you mad.

Maybe your tenant damaged the property in an easily avoidable incident. Maybe your manager didn’t listen to instructions, or your maintenance guys did a slipshod job that ended up costing you far more in the long run. From small frustrations to downright disasters, the frustration and anger you may feel in the moment can lead to drastic, emotionally-charged decisions that end up doing more harm than good.

For real estate investors, it’s best to guide your business with logical decisions, not emotional ones. As anger is one of the strongest and most seemingly uncontrollable feelings we can experience, so it’s essential to have strategies in place to deal with those moments that just get your blood boiling.

In real estate investment, there’s a lot of talk about business. This is a business. That is a business. Be professional. All of that is absolutely true, of course — but the idea of “business” comes with some dangers.

There is a certain level of objectivity that business demands, of course. We have to be honest with ourselves and be careful of letting opinions and feelings muck things up. But these days, businesses are changing.

We don’t live in a decade where the rat race is applauded, where ‘look out for number one’ is the mantra, or where we chase profits no matter who we step on along the way. Our business strategies are changing.

There’s really no short cut to real estate investing success. So many people try to find some magic combination that will turn them into overnight millionaires with ultra cash-flow producing portfolios.  Some real estate investors do find spontaneous success, it’s not the standard. It is often a long, patient road for many real estate investors to reach their standard of success and to develop a performing, self-sustaining portfolio . Some never reach it at all.

We all know what they say about good intentions. We also know that most of us intended to keep our New Year’s Resolutions, but just a few months into 2015 and we’ve already wasted a chunk of change on our gym memberships and let too many papers pile up in the office.

The new year offers new opportunity. We tell ourselves that this is our year. To find our dream jobs, to achieve our goals, to make big changes, find love and see our dreams come true. In many cases, these remain wishes rather than realizations. Why?