Monday Morning Match is a short post - maybe a quote, inspirational story or idea - intended to spark some motivation inside each of you so your week gets off to a fantastic start on Monday morning.
Why do you do what you do?
As Stephen Covey says, do you "start with the end in mind?"
Why do you work so hard? Do you have a clear, specific target of what you're trying to selling, earn or accomplish?
Are your goals S-M-A-R-T?
S is for Specific - Do you know exactly what you want to happen (and what you don't want to happen?
M is for Measurable - Will you know when you accomplish it? Is there a visible "scoreboard" to show when you've "hit your mark"?
A is for Attainable - Who determines whether your goals are attainable? That's right... you! Not your peers, your family, your coach or your managers. Just you. Don't set any goals to impress anyone. Set things you believe are attainable and then do what is needed to achieve them.
R is for Reward - Why do you do what you do?It's been said that when you figure out the "why" the "how" becomes much easier. What is it that you're working for?
T is for Time Frame - When will your goal be accomplished? Remember, "a goal without a deadline is just a dream." What will you get done by the end of this week? This month? This year?
I'm on "Island Time"
This week I am enjoying a week on Sanibel Island. It's a small island just off the coast of Fort Myers in Southwest Florida. It's quiet, peaceful and has no traffic lights on the island. It's the perfect place to "revive the batteries" for a busy second quarter. I'm enjoying spending the week with my wife and children, sleeping in late and staying up later. It's nice to head out to dinner and order what you want, knowing you've worked hard all year and you deserve the best.
What is your "get away"? Where is your "escape"? How will you get away from "it all"?
When was the last time you ordered whatever you wanted off the menu because "gosh darn it, you have earned it"?
Remember, when you figure out the "why", the "how" becomes easy. My friend Bryan Dodge always says, "Those who ask the "how" always work for those who know the "why."
Where is your Sanibel? What needs to happen to help you "get away"? What do you plan to do to get some time away after all the hard work has been done? How good will it feel to "turn off" for a few days to rev up the batteries?
What are you waiting for? Surf's up! Get out there today and start building relationships, solving problems and having fun. The quicker you can do that, the quicker you'll be sinking your toes in the sand...
Monday Morning Match is a short post - maybe a quote, inspirational story or idea - intended to spark some motivation inside each of you so your week gets off to a fantastic start on Monday morning.
It's been a while since I'd watched my favorite movie from start to finish, so this weekend, I sat down and popped in The Shawshank Redemption. I'm sure that many of you have seen the movie and if you're like me, you've been channel surfing, clicked on the movie and ended up watching the rest, regardless of how far into the movie (or close to the end) it was when you landed on it.
Am I right?
I'm not going to give away any of the plot of the story for those of you who may not have seen the movie other than to say it is a prison movie that was adapted off of a Stephen King story. It is anything but a horror genre flick but then neither was another great movie by Stephen "King of Scary Books" King - Stand By Me.
One of the central stories in The Shawshank Redemption is the friendship that is forged between Andy Dufresne (played by Tim Robbins) and Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman). Each actor masterfully plays his role, making everyone watching wish they had a friend as smart as Andy and a friend as caring, loyal and helpful as Red.
More than anything, it's a story about determination and hope. Red starts the discussion about hope when he says, "Let me tell you something my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane."
Now I often hear people say "hope is not a strategy" when it comes to success in real estate (or life) and I agree. Hope should never be your only strategy for success. A business plan with goals and a clear outline of specific actions you will take to achieve those goals is certainly a requirement but I think you'd agree with me that trying to live without hope is a pretty difficulty thing.
Hope can be a "dangerous thing," as Red says. And sure, hope should not be your sole strategy. But it was what Andy says to Red towards the end of the movie, as a means to encourage Red to fulfill his end of their promise made to each other inside the walls of Shawshank that just might apply to you and your business this week,this month and this year...
"Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things and no good thing ever dies."
I'll let you decide what you will do this week. But you might want to listen to Red...
"Either get busy living...or get busy dying"
And until then, I hope you'll build relationships...solve problems... and have fun
Click here to see the theatre trailer for The Shawshank Redemption
I took my 8-year-old son Ryan to get a new bike this weekend. He has officially outgrown his 16" bike and was ready for his first 20" bike, but before we shopped, we were informed of his need to have a bike with "gears" and specifically one where you could spin the pedals backwards while riding.
As we shopped for bikes and eventually found the one he wanted, it got me thinking about the similarities between a bicycle and a successful career in real estate. Go for a ride here with me, will ya?
Begin with the End In Mind - Yes, this is the same concept as introduced to the world by Dr. Steven Covey in his tremendous book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Ryan knew that he wanted a 20" bike similar to those his neighborhood buddies rode and it had to have the "gears" and he had to be able to pedal backwards while he was still riding.
What do you have planned that you want to accomplish today, this week, this month or this year? Have you reviewed the business plan you created at the end of 2009? What are the specific things that you have to have to make this year a success? Now that you have those things clearly in your mind, are you ready to pedal until you achieve them?
What's Your Comfort Zone? For Ryan to ride comfortably on his new bike we had to lower the seat as far as it could go and even then, he still needs to stretch his legs when he stops. But, we all know he'll grow into the new bike as the summer begins.
How safe do you like to feel when you're facing your daily activities? Do you "lower your seat" as low as it will go because it's not too much of a stretch or do you find yourself always trying to go a bit higher? The more we can push the limits of our comfort zone, the stronger we will get. Confidence doesn't come to those who repeatedly do the easy stuff, it comes to those who master the easy and then reach for the harder stuff, seeking to make that become the easy stuff until they are ready to reach for the next level of hard stuff. Remember - people don't pay top dollar for the easy stuff they could do themselves.
What would you say is "outside of your comfort zone" today? Maybe it's that For Sale By Owner that you just saw this weekend? That upset client who left you a message that you just don't want to call back? Perhaps it is asking for a full fee on your next listing presentation? Success is rarely found inside your comfort zone.
How's Your Balance? - Riding a bigger bike isn't much different from a smaller bike except it's a lot longer to the ground if you fall. The key is to maintain a steady balance whether you're moving slow or fast.
In a career like real estate, the word "balance" can be a bit hard to define. Are you looking for balance between your work life and your personal life? Time spent with clients vs. time spent with family? Focusing on business development activities vs. time spent on business support activities?
There's no generic answer to finding balance because for everyone, it holds a different meaning. Sometimes on a bike, the faster you go the easier it is to stay upright while other times, you must slow down to regain your balance. Two things are true about balance in both bike riding and real estate; #1 - You need to stay focused on what is ahead of you. If you spend too much time look backwards, you're sure to lose balance and go off course. #2 - If you slow down too much, you will have no forward momentum and you're sure to topple over. Keep those wheels moving forward.
Look Both Ways - A good bike rider is always aware of his or her surroundings and watches for the obstacles that could impede his movement forward.
Are you comfortable with your ability to look at your activities and responsibilities from all angles? When you negotiate for your clients, are you smart enough to anticipate what the other party might do next so as to best position your client? When you fail, can you look objectively at your actions to see where improvement is possible? Do you try to put yourself in your clients shoes - gaining the empathy that might be needed in certain situations? Can you sometimes see where your actions might not have been prudent and are you honest enough to admit mistakes?
Changing Gears - Ryan needs to learn that you can't change gears while you're standing still. On a bicycle, in order for the gears to engage properly, the wheels and chain must be in motion when the gears are changed or else chain derailment may occur.
In real estate, the changing of gears in a daily occurrence but it is usually best dealt with by those who are constantly engaged in activity, not those who are waiting for things to happen. Remember back to your junior high school science class when you learned about Sir Issac Newton? Newton's First Law states that an object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by another force.
Have you ever noticed that the busy agents in your office are almost always busy and those who have no business are usually complaining that the market is too slow for anyone to have business? What inertia will you apply to your business today to start the momentum moving towards your goals?
It's time to get that old bike out of the garage and get ready for a great spring ride. Strap on your helmet, jump on the seat and grab a hold of the handle bars. Pick your destination and take off, pedaling your ass off until you get to where you want to be.
I know Ryan will be doing the same thing every day this summer.
In our second post on Business Planning, we're going to focus on utilizing S.M.A.R.T goals, understanding the difference between goals and activities and prioritizing tasks.
The whole issue of "goals" is hard for many people, regardless of their career path. Some people build their entire life around goals while others never will "set a goal" for one reason or another - usually fear of failure or unwillingness to hold themselves accountable to the results.
In real estate, it really is an "independent contractor" mentality so being able to hold yourself accountable to the goals within your business plan will be important. The biggest obstacle is creating clear goals, IN WRITING, that can be followed and measured. These goals should be what I refer to as SMART goals:
S is for Specific - Can you clearly tell by reading the goal what is to be accomplished?
M is for Measurable - Will you know when you have achieved the goals? Surpassed it? Fallen short?
A is for Attainable - Who determines this? You do. Not your manager, coach, spouse or partner. It should be something you truly feel you can accomplish, even if you have to reach to get there
R is for Reward - What are you doing this for? What is that "special something" that will get you up in the mornings? That will make you make those extra phone calls or knock on those extra doors?
T is for Time Frame - When will this goal be accomplished. Remember a goal with out a time frame is nothing but a dream.
Look at your current goals and ask yourself if they pass the "smart" test. If they don't, what can you do to re-commit to them as SMART goals? Saying you "want to lose weight" isn't specific, isn't measurable, there is no reward tied to it and there is no time frame. So what do you have, 1 out of 5? I believe weight loss is attainable by anyone. Just don't eat for a day and you will have lost a few ounces, right?
Now let's take that same concept (weight loss) but make it SMART - "I will weigh 175 pounds by May 31st, 2009 and when I accomplish this, I will buy a new pair of exercise shoes."
It's specific - What am I doing? Losing weight.
It's measurable - How will I know if I accomplish it? I can get on a scale and check my numbers.
It's attainable - Where am I at now and how far do I have to go to get there? I currently weigh 184 (but truly feel about 195).
What's my reward? A new pair of shoes. I personally am still recovering from knee surgery so I have been walking instead of running.
What's my time frame? The end of May. That means I have a little over two months.
Quiet on the set...and...Action!
Now I must decide on some basic activities that I can do to get me closer to accomplishing my goal. In the example given, walking each day, eating healthy, drinking more water and general weight training might be great things to do on a weekly basis that should help me stay on track. I should also get on the scale every once in a while to track my results.
The same thing applies to Realtors. Too often we try to "make 10 calls a day" or hold "3 open houses each month" and consider those our goals. Those aren't goals, those are activities. They help us get closer to our goals of a certain # of closings or specific net income. Look at your Business Plan and think of what your "SMART goals" are and then determine what basic activities you should be doing to accomplish them.
"Do What's Due First"
When it comes to prioritization, most Realtors make everything urgent and everything important. Stop and breathe for a second when I tell you that not everything in this business is urgent and not everything in this business is important. As soon as you can learn this lesson, you'll be a step ahead of many people.
Every time you decide to do something, ask yourself this question - "Will this activity get me closer to the attainment of one of my goals?" If "yes" then proceed, if "no" then look for something that is more urgent or more important and either delegate the pending activity or schedule a time to do it later. If you have two tasks or activities that are both important and/or urgent and will help get you closer to accomplishing a goal, determine which one would affect you the most if it wasn't done. Many times the fear of pain is a great motivator than the opportunity for gain.
In our next post, we'll look at a list of basic activities that could go into your daily, weekly and monthly schedules and help you attain more of your goals.
Until then....build relationships...solve problems....and have fun.
Monday Morning Match is a short post - maybe a quote, inspirational story or idea - intended to spark some motivation inside each of you so your week gets off to a fantastic start on Monday morning.
