Why Struggling is a Great Predictor of Success

by | Mar 20, 2026

According to columnist Ephrat Livni, not all high-performers are equal.

This is especially true when someone attempts to make a transition into the rough and tumble world of real estate.

Getting pushed around by life forces you to become resilient.

Those who aren’t stars in youth and who don’t land the plum jobs early on, must cast about for direction and meaning.

When they find their way, they’re already trained in the mental habits of managing difficulty and re-framing expectations.

The early achievers, by contrast, find later in life that not everything can go right.

They take this hard because they have little practice in managing struggle.

If you must choose between two seemingly high-performing individuals, select the one who had to struggle more to realize their achievements.

During screening calls and interviews, ask questions that would help you discover if a person has had setbacks, overcame difficulties, and demonstrated resilience.

For someone moving into a new career field or changing brokerages, resilience is one of the most important predictors of a successful transition.

 

 

The Simple Psychology of Real Estate Recruiting [2nd Edition]

Unlock the secrets of effective real estate recruiting. Revised to include actionable frameworks for sharper execution and to help you turn psychological theory into a repeatable recruiting system.

Creating Pacts to Avoid Distraction

Creating Pacts to Avoid Distraction

Notice the two parts to Nir’s formula: a pre-commitment and an external force to keep you accountable to that commitment. For recruiting setting goals and time-blocks in your schedule is not enough. Most people need some kind of external accountability, as well.

Look for Individuals Who Want to be Measured

Look for Individuals Who Want to be Measured

It’s not that people with a growth mindset don’t experience failure—they just see failure as an opportunity to learn new things, to be challenged, and to experience curiosity. This is an important topic to cover during interviews and follow-up conversations with your prospects. If you find someone who likes being measured, you’ve likely found someone who will push through the inherent failures of growing a real estate business and experience long-term success.