Never Consider Failure as a Possible Outcome

“As far as Heatley recalls, during the construction phase he and Sheffield never had a ‘what-are-we-going-to-do-if-the-money-runs-out-before-we-finish’ conversation. Just as with the Foxton subdivision, Heatley never considered failure to be a possible outcome. ‘It sounds nuts, I know, but we just blindly went on,’ he says.”

“Within two years, all but one or two of the 11 sections were sold and his $200 investment had become $17,000 profit. Looking back, he can scarcely believe that as a schoolboy he even considered creating a subdivision, let alone that he achieved it. But at the time he did not think he was doing anything unusual because the people he was dealing with treated him seriously and were professionals. ‘But how could I have thought that was normal, or even that I could succeed? It’s crazy! Perhaps I was arrogant. I just don’t know. But it worked.’ It seems that Heatley never considered that he might fail. ‘I don’t have a creative bone in my body and I don’t think I’ve ever had much ability, but I’ve never put limitations on what I do have,’ he muses. ‘I’ve also never been afraid to call up the right person if I think they have information or something I need. That’s not to say I’m always successful. Often I am not but unless you try, you’ll never know.’”