Monday Morning Wake Up Call

                         

 

Going the Extra Mile
Good morning! I hope you had a fantastic weekend and that it will be an even better week. Today I’m going to talk about going the extra mile.
 
In the 1870s, a young salesman in a hardware store observed that the store had a lot of odds and ends that were going out of date and not selling. Having time on his hands, he rigged a special table in the middle of the store and loaded it with unsaleable merchandise at the bargain price of 10¢ per item. To his surprise – and the surprise of the store owner – the gadgets sold like hotcakes.
 
Out of that experience grew the great F.W. Woolworth Company, an original pioneer of the five-and-dime store. The young man who stumbled upon the idea by going the extra mile was Frank W. Woolworth. That idea yielded him a fortune estimated at more than $550 million. No one told young Woolworth to go the extra mile – and no one paid him for doing so – yet his action led to ever-increasing returns for his efforts.
 
Something to Think About
Do you go the extra mile and deliver more than clients expect? Is it possible that going the extra mile might catch the attention of a new client? What might that be worth?
 
Weekly Challenge
Do something this week that qualifies as “going the extra mile” in your personal life, your professional life or both. The results might surprise you.
 
Words of Wisdom
“Do more than is required. What is the distance between someone who achieves their goals consistently and those who spend their lives and careers merely following? The extra mile.” – Gary Ryan Blair

“You can start right where you stand and apply the habit of going the extra mile by rendering more service and better service than you are now being paid for.” – Napoleon Hill

“If you want to succeed at any job, make yourself invaluable. Go the extra mile; make them never be able to imagine what life without you there would be like.” ­– Ross Mathews

“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.” – Steve Jobs
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“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” – Paul J. Meyer 

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

Finding Life’s Diamonds Good morning! What a marvelous Monday it is! Today’s story is about a farmer who lived in Africa at a time when diamonds were being discovered throughout the continent. When he heard how much money he could make (literally millions), he sold his farm and headed out to the diamond line. He wandered all over, constantly searching for diamonds and wealth, which he never found. He eventually went completely broke and threw himself into a river and drowned.   Meanwhile, the new farm owner picked up an unusual-looking rock about the size of a country egg and put it on his mantle. A visitor stopped by and, in viewing the rock, practically fainted; the funny-looking rock was about the biggest diamond that had ever been found. The new farm owner said, “Heck, the whole farm is covered with them!” And sure enough, it was.   The farm turned out to be the Kimberly Diamond Mine – the richest the world has ever known. The original farmer was literally standing on “acres of diamonds” until he sold his farm.   Each of us is right in the middle of our own “acre of diamonds,” if only we would realize it and develop the ground we’re standing on before charging off in search of greener pastures. Something to think about: Opportunity doesn’t just come along; it’s there all the time… we just have to see it.   Weekly Challenge Summer is over, and it’s time to kick into high gear for the fall market. Are you standing on diamonds in your real estate career without realizing it? What will you do to set yourself apart this fall?   Words of Wisdom “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” – Thomas A. Edison “What I think a lot of great marathon runners do is envision crossing that finish line. Visualization is critical. But for me, I set a lot of little goals along the way to get my mind off that overwhelming goal of 26.2 miles. I know I've got to get to 5, and 12, and 16, and then I celebrate those little victories along the way.” – Bill Rancic “You don’t need a big close, as many sales reps believe. You risk losing your customer when you save all the good stuff for the end. Keep the customer actively involved throughout your presentation, and watch your results improve.” – Harvey Mackay “Too often, sales reps simply regurgitate their presentations and expect to land the sale. It doesn’t work.” – Harvey Mackay

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

Follow Your Passion! Happy Monday! Isn’t it great to be alive? What if you knew you only had a year to live? How would you approach today?   I recently read the story of Anthony Burgess, who was just 40 when he learned that he had a brain tumor and had only one year to live. He was completely broke at the time and didn’t have anything to leave for his wife, Lynne, who would soon be a widow.   Burgess had always dreamed of being a writer but had never pursued the passion. His desire was to create income that his wife would have after he died. If he published a book, his wife would receive the royalties. With that thought in mind, he put a piece of paper into a typewriter and began writing. Though there was no guarantee that he would be published, he couldn’t think of anything else to do. “It was January of 1960,” he recalled, “and according to the prognosis, I had a winter and spring and summer to live through, and would die with the fall of the leaf.”   Burgess wrote energetically, finishing nearly six novels before the fall. The irony is that Burgess did not die; his cancer went into remission and then disappeared altogether. In his long, full life as a novelist, he wrote more than 70 books. He’s best known for A Clockwork Orange, which also became a movie. If not for the death sentence Burgess thought had been handed down by cancer, he may never have written at all. It’s a great reminder to live every single day, week, month and year for all it’s worth!   Something to Think About Many of us are like Anthony Burgess – hiding greatness inside, waiting for an external emergency to bring it out. Ask yourself what you’d do if you were in Anthony Burgess’s original predicament. How would you live differently today?   Weekly Challenge Is there something that you can do differently in the second half of 2015 to move your real estate career from good to great? What do you need to do for that to happen? Take at least one step toward greatness in your career this week.   Words of Wisdom “Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone.” – Anthony Burgess “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” – Mark Twain “A great man is always willing to be little.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson “You were put on this earth to achieve your greatest self, to live out your purpose, and to do it courageously.” – Steve Maraboli “Today is a new day. Don’t let your history interfere with your destiny! Let today be the day you stop being a victim of your circumstances and start taking action toward the life you want. You have the power and the time to shape your life. Break free from the poisonous victim mentality and embrace the truth of your greatness. You were not meant for a mundane or mediocre life!” - – Steve Maraboli

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

Brain Training Good morning! I hope you had a fantastic weekend. Are you ready to fast track your success? Research shows that we can consciously keep about seven things in our heads. Once numbers get to 10 or higher, we need to break them into smaller groups. Which list is easier to remember? 15557874567 or 1-555-787-4567?   Functions such as our heartbeat, the air temperature and the position of our feet are on autopilot, allowing us to focus on more important things. This is a very useful feature of our minds. The problem is that if we keep only consciously seeing the seven things we’ve noticed in the past, we’re going to miss the 8th, 9th and 10th things that might change our lives. So we have to tell ourselves to look for something new and different instead of what we already know.   Imagine your brain as a control tower on a battleship in the middle of the ocean. Instead of one radar system, you have dozens: the happiness radar, the misery radar, the problem radar, the failure radar, the beauty radar, the peace radar and the self-critical radar. You can choose which radar you want to turn on and which ones you want to turn off.   The happiness radar is simple to activate. Just write this question on an index card, and read it a few times a day: “What is another reason to be happy NOW?” While this question seems simple, it’s linguistically elegant because it presupposes that there already is another reason to be happy (now your brain is finding two things, not just one). And it has an embedded command to be happy right now… not in the future. Asking the question is part one. Finding the answers is part two.   Allocate 60 seconds to this question, five to 12 times a day, and this mental process will become a habit. You will be rewiring your brain and creating new, stronger neural pathways each time you answer it. Do this every day for 21 days, and you will be happier and more successful!   Something to Think About How many things would you like to change in your life? Could it really be that simple? Are you willing to invest 21 days to find out?   Weekly Challenge Let’s apply this lesson to your real estate career. Write a question on 10 index cards, and scatter them around where you will see them a few times a day (e.g., your computer, your bathroom mirror, the dashboard of your car). You don’t have to work on the answer, just read the question. See it, and let it percolate in your mind. Here are some examples: How can I double my income? How can I make a million dollars? How can I experience more freedom while earning money? Use the same question for a day, a month or even a year.   Words of Wisdom “Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else.” – Les Brown “Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” – Joshua J. Marine “Don’t be afraid to stand for what you believe in, even if that means standing alone.” – Andy Biersack “Life is short, live it. Love is rare, grab it. Anger is bad, dump it. Fear is awful, face it. Memories are sweet, cherish it.” – Unknown “The only thing that stands between you and your dream is the will to try and the belief that it is actually possible.” – Joel Brown

Monday Morning Wake-Up Call

Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

 

Spring Back Into Action!

Good morning, everyone! Can you believe that it’s almost August? Did you take time for yourself this month? Are you well rested and ready for a great fall market?

 

All predictions point to a very strong market through the remainder of 2015. What an exciting thought! Are you ready? Here are some action items you can implement to hit the ground running:

• Have a marketing campaign laid out for the rest of the year. Don’t forget that your clients should get one marketing piece a month reminding them why you’re the best agent to handle their real estate needs, as well as the needs of their friends and family.
• Ensure your listing presentation focuses on discovering the seller’s needs, and then address those needs with your services and tools. If you feel like you fall short in this area, it might be time to sharpen those skills.
• Use social media to stay in touch with clients and maintain a constant presence. This is a great time to send a friend request to all of your friends, family and past clients.
• Plan a client appreciation party. The end of summer is a great time to throw a party and enjoy face time with those who know and trust you.

There are many things you can do to position yourself for success, and NOW is the time to lay the groundwork for the months ahead. It’s not too late to make this the best year of your career!

 

Something to Think About

NAR says that 10% of the people in your database will do business with you or refer business to you each year – if you stay in touch and maintain a presence throughout the year. How many people do you have in your database? 300? 400? 10% of 300 is 30 transactions a year from those you know! How do you stay in touch? One mailing a month that touts your service and results; four personal notes per year; two phone calls per year; one or two face-to-face meetings per year; and daily social media postings. Real estate is a contact sport!

 

Weekly Challenge

Take a good solid look at your OWN business and marketing plan.  Where are you in terms of your goals?  What needs to be tweaked?  Follow the action steps in this week’s message to ensure you’re ON TRACK for the rest of the year!

 

Words of Wisdom

“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” – Vince Lombardi

“Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.” – Napoleon Hill

“Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.” – Confucius

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.” – Vince Lombardi

“If you want to be truly successful, invest in yourself to get the knowledge you need to find your unique factor. When you find it and focus on it and persevere, your success will blossom.” – Sydney Madwed

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

Letting Go… Good morning! I hope you had a productive (yet relaxing) weekend! Learning to let go of old habits, ideas, beliefs and people who aren’t serving our best interests is hard. It’s easy to make excuses for why we’re not changing. Do you know someone who’s not happy with his/her situation but refuses to pursue other options? Sometimes it’s fear of the unknown. I’ve heard people say that “the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t know.” That means it’s better to deal with a person you know or choose an option you know – even if it’s not what you would most like – than to deal with someone you know nothing about or an option you have no experience with. In other words, known things are preferred over the unknown – even if they’re not ideal. That statement seems absurd to me, yet many embrace it. I also have heard that people sometimes create and maintain problems because it gives them a sense of identity. Perhaps this explains why we often hold onto our pain far beyond its ability to serve us. We replay mistakes over and again in our heads, allowing feelings of remorse, guilt or regret to shape our actions in the present. Worry is another way of not letting go. Do you know people who cling to frustration and worry about the future as if the act of fixation somehow gives them answers? Science has proven that stress harbored in our minds and bodies can create serious health issues. Ajahn Chah said, “If you let go a little, you will have a little peace. If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace.” Though it may sound simple, Chah’s advice speaks volumes. There will never be a time when every moment in life is simple and carefree; however, there will always be time to practice accepting that every moment is an opportunity to let go of something and enjoy the peace it brings. Something to Think About Letting go can be as simple as giving away old clothing and cleaning the basement or as radical as leaving a long-term friendship/relationship and changing your entire lifestyle. The feelings of pain and sadness are perfectly normal; after all, you’re saying goodbye to something that was part of your life, belief system and surroundings. If you don’t allow yourself to work through the loss or pain, you might quickly reach back out for the thing you just let go of. So, as the wildly popular song from Frozen advises, “Let it go!”… and then boldly move forward. Weekly Challenge There are lots of ways to “let it go.” You can let go of something about you, you can let go of an emotion, you can let go of a past relationship, you can let go of stress. Pick one for this week, and let it go. Here are some examples: 1.      Write the word “Expectations” on a shoebox. Whenever you start dwelling on how something should be or should have been, write it down, and put it in the box. 2.     Take responsibility. When you’re angry, you often focus on what someone else did that was wrong, which essentially gives your power away. When you focus on what you could have done better, you often feel empowered and less bitter. 3.     Reward yourself for small acts of acceptance. Get a facial after you delete his number from your phone, or head out with friends after putting all of her things in a box. 4.     Replace your thoughts. Recognize when you begin thinking about something that stresses you so you can shift your thoughts to something more pleasant – a child’s smile, a kitten’s antics or times with those you love. 5.     Imagine your life 10 years from now. Then look 20 years into the future, and then 30. Realize that many of the things you’re worrying about today don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. ​ Words of Wisdom “Abundance is a process of letting go; that which is empty can receive.” – Bryant H. McGill “Letting go helps us to live in a more peaceful state of mind and helps restore our balance. It allows others to be responsible for themselves and for us to take our hands off situations that do not belong to us. This frees us from unnecessary stress.” – Melody Beattie “There’s a victory in letting go of your expectations.” – Mike White “The main thing in making art often is letting go of your expectation and your idea.” – Agnes Martin All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on. -Havelock Ellis

MONDAY MORNING WAKE UP CALL

Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

Find Your Balance Good morning! I hope you had a fun-filled weekend of celebration with friends and family. I love July because it’s a time when those of us in real estate can take a moment to kick back and relax a bit. With the great spring real estate market we had, we’ve earned our time off, so let’s enjoy it for a while. July also marks the beginning of the second half of the year. Looking at your year-to-date production, are you on track to hit your goals? If not, what’s your plan to get back on track? Options include hiring a personal coach, enrolling in a training program, ramping up your marketing and setting aside time each day to call your database and see who’s ready to list or buy a home. You also can schedule a one-on-one with me, and together we’ll work out a strategy to hit or exceed your 2015 goals. Don’t wait until the end of the year to look at your business; do it between now and the first week of August. Why? Because the market typically picks up again in the fall, and experts predict a strong one. Statistics show that agents who ramp up their business in early August hit the ground running in September and enjoy a very successful finish to the year. So go ahead and have some fun this month. Go boating, go camping, go cruising, go on vacation, or do nothing at all. Whatever you do, enjoy yourself! Once you’re relaxed, recharged and rejuvenated, let’s reboot and work together to position your business for a strong finish to 2015. Something to Think About We work hard in this business, so it only makes sense that we should play hard too. Our bodies and minds need time to relax, so don’t feel guilty about taking time off! I constantly talk to agents who never shut down; even on holiday, they still take calls from clients. Early in my career, my broker forced me to take time off, making it near impossible to check in on my clients. During my first vacation, it was really hard to call the office and find that I had no messages, and no one was looking for me. I couldn’t relax because I was used to working during vacation. Our “connected” society makes it far more difficult to shut down these days; however, I assure you that when you take the time to unplug and put a message on your phone and email saying, “I’m out of the office with no access to email or cell service. If this is in reference to a real estate transaction, please contact XXXX at XXXX, and he/she will address your issues or needs,” life will go on. The takeaway? Be present with those you love, and you’ll learn the value of “balance.” When there’s balance in your work, your personal life and your relationships, you’re bound to be a better person in all three areas. Weekly Challenge  Is there someone you trust with your business when you’re out of the office? A person you can count on to handle anything that comes up, no matter what? We all know that even though there’s an “out of office” message, we can still see what’s happening. So here’s the challenge: Can you watch a message come in and not respond, but trust others to handle it? If not, find someone who will handle it–and be as present while you’re on vacation as you are at work. Once you find that person, you’ll be much more inclined to actually relax and enjoy some time off. Maybe start with a day on a boat or on a long bike ride with friends... and expand your off-time horizons from there. There are many ways to escape for a day, a week or even two weeks. You decide! Words of Wisdom “It’s all about quality of life and finding a happy balance between work and friends and family.” – Philip Green “Man maintains his balance, poise and sense of security only as he is moving forward.” – Maxwell Maltz “Balance, peace and joy are the fruit of a successful life. It starts with recognizing your talents and finding ways to serve others by using them.” – Thomas Kinkade “No person, no place and no thing has any power over us, for 'we' are the only thinkers in our mind. When we create peace and harmony and balance in our minds, we will find it in our lives.” – Louise L. Hay “A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life.” – William Arthur Ward