“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”
Mindi Stange, JP and Associates REALTORS®
It’s been about 134 days since we all made those “New Years Resolutions.”
So, how are you doing with those?
The answer was either a wow, an ouch or something in-between. Good, because whatever emotion that brought up for you, declare it perfect and move forward in a powerful direction.
Gym owners and weight loss providers love January 1st because that week is when so many people come in to join for the year, participate for a few weeks and then slowly disappear.
Consider this, replace the gym or weight loss program with any other new behavior change like learning a new language, getting up at a certain time, making sales calls and more. You see, we know human nature… you get all excited in the beginning yet somewhere along the way the enthusiasm fades and the new behavior is dropped.
Why does this happen?
Ask any expert and they will say… it’s not having a strong and compelling reason, a or “why.”
I once worked with a real estate agent that I was providing leads for. He was an average producer doing OK – not great yet not bad, just about average. One day he called me and said, “Mark, I have a $50,000 court judgement!” So what happened next?
Nothing changed in my business model; same leads and same market conditions. Over the next 6 months, his production nearly grew by 10X. He called me and said, “I paid off the judgement.” The next month and following months his production returned to his pre-judgement average pattern.
What moved him from average, to 10X and back to average?
This agent had a short-term compelling “why” that drove his daily behavior. When his “why” faded, so did his daily routine and motivation. The conclusion: getting clear on why you want to create something is basic science at this point.
You want to increase sales… Why?
You want to lose 25 pounds… Why?
You want to spend more time with family and less time working… Why?
What is it you REALLY want?
Is it the weight loss or how it makes you feel? Is it the increased sales or the financial freedom that brings you? What do you really want? Ask yourself, answer and repeat that about 5 times to get to the REAL answer.
When the days get tough and life gets in the way, it’s the compelling “why” that keeps you engaged and on track.
A: Making more sales is important to me because I want to have more money.
B: Making more sales is important to me because it provides me more freedom in supporting my family, it creates more options of travel and schools for me and my family, it allows me to contribute more to the charities and my community that I love and are dear to my heart.
With B you can feel the reason. You can see the reason. You can believe the reason. B is crystal clear.
A: Making more sales is important to me because I want to be happy.
B: Making more sales is important to me because I want to make the best out of the cards I was dealt in life. I want to celebrate life, provide for my family, give back to my community and live with joy.
With B, it is much more meaningful than a vague “I want to be happy.” Yes!?
If you actually believe creating a compelling “why” can change your behavior, then it will. If you believe it won’t, then it won’t. The choice is yours to make. It’s like Henry Ford said, “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”
Think about one of your major accomplishments… strong reason “why” was part of your formula. Without a compelling “why”, whatever you attempt will just be another project that sits on the shelf collecting dust.
Positive change awaits you when you make the effort and you tie it to a compelling reason “why!”
Now, I’d like to know… what goal is important to you? What will accomplishing this goal do for you? What’s your “WHY” for this goal?
Share your thoughts and comments with us now, we value your contribution to this community.
Staying relevant in today’s fast-changing world is top of mind to many of my friends and business associates.
A University of California, Berkeley study clearly shows the fastest growing “thing” on this planet is the amount of information we are generating. In fact, information is expanding faster than anything else we create or can measure over the scale of decades.
With the rapid increase in information and the changing popularity of online, radio and TV news how do you and your business stay relevant?
You might expect me to say, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or YouTube. While these tools have a role in relevancy, they are simply tactics of a much larger strategy.
To stay relevant today you need to have a “Flexibility and Fast Learning” strategy in place.
Mark Morford, an SF Gate columnist states, “I have found flexibility to be the most frequent reply I give to those who ask me about how the hell they’re supposed to keep up with the onslaught of tech stuff coming at them.”
Flexibility, just means you allow the possibility that some of these seemingly inane developments might be beneficial and you should not dismiss them out of hand because, well, that’s where the action is.
It is common to hear people say that the present is unlike the past. And that is true. For change is indeed constant. If we do not change, we risk being outcast by the wave of societal changes. There are specific common steps among companies and people that have used “flexibility” to reinvent themselves. They are:
1. Having a keen awareness of what is changing and has changed around you. (Be aware)
2. Reflecting on what needs to change within you and your company. (Be Flexible)
3. Checking to make sure those changes match your values and goals. If yes, move to step 4.
4. Fine-tune the plan you need to make that change.
5. Act on your plan to change.
6. Review the change after some time to ensure you are on course.
7. Go back to Step 1 on a regular basis.
According to KM World, learning before, during and after everything you do is a must in staying relevant. The results of methods such as peer assists (learning before doing), action reviews (learning while doing), and after action reviews (learning after doing) are well-known. If you are not applying those techniques in your business, projects, and teams, you are not staying relevant. Start now.
To remain relevant, you need to have a “flexibility and fast learning” strategy in place. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube are tools and have a role in relevancy, yet keep in mind they are simply tactics of a larger strategy.
#WinTheDay #ExceedingExpectations
“Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.” – Jessica Jackley
Delegate, Automate or Eliminate — Today’s post is short and sweet. Sometimes those are the best, yes!?
You see, I’ve seen too many entrepreneurs follow this idea like it’s some kind of commandment: “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.”
Can you relate?
Imagine if you could delegate, automate or eliminate many of the tasks you’re not good at, or dislike… like booking appointments, marketing yourself or running errands. The result? Creating more time to do what you are best at, love and find important.
The key in delegation, is understanding and accepting that others simply won’t do it like you. So, get over it! Have standards, yet allow your team to run with it. When you do, what is possible in your personal productivity and life satisfaction?
For automation consider “If This Then That.” IFTTT is the freeway to get all your apps and devices talking to each other. Not everything on the internet plays nice, so IFTTT is on a mission to build a more connected world.
Consider letting go of some of the things so you can spend more time in your genius zone. CrisMarie Campbell and Susan Clarke, Business Consultants and Authors of The Beauty of Conflict recommend taking an honest look at how you are spending your time through a four zone model.
What type of workplaces you in your genius zone?
What can you delegate, automate or eliminate this week? This week is YOURS. Own it!
Many of you know my story… I’m an immigrant from Italy that came to America barely speaking any English and now, the leader of the 88th largest real estate broker in America. In the last 6 years, we’ve grown from the trunk of my car to #3 in the DFW marketplace and #88 in the nation. When I created JP & Associates REALTORS I wanted to provide a solution for top producing agents and teams, I wanted to create a culture of productivity and service, I wanted to help others overcome the 7 things I wish my broker had told me along the way:
What do you need to know as an Agent?At the end of the day, decide what you want; create a compelling reason why you want it; find an accountability partner; stay committed vs just interested; execute your plan with passion; remain flexible yet focused and finally celebrate the small wins along the way. I’d leave you with the exercise, with this action plan for today:
Think about what the next 5 years, the next 10 years look like for you. When you stand there and look back at today, who do YOU NEED TO BE to make that happen? Go BE that person today! At JP & Associates Realtors, we are here to encourage, support and celebrate your journey.
“We are here to encourage, support and celebrate your journey. – JPAR Team”
The first quarter of 2018 year is gone. Can you believe it? Where did the time go?
Are you ahead, behind or on track with your personal & business goals? In any case, I’d encourage you to “declare it perfect and move forward powerfully.” Make the necessary adjustments, and keep moving forward.
“It’s not where you start but where you finish that counts”
Bennet hadn’t even turned 21 yet when he suffered one of the most crushing disappointments of his life, live in front of nearly 70,000 people in “swirling snow,” he missed a game-winning field goal in the Army-Navy game allowing Army to win 14-13.
After the failed 48-yard kick, his teammates helped him off the field, and he wept in the locker room. But then he started drawing upon what he’d learned from the leadership course he was taking and from talks about character he’d heard from Navy coaches. He decided to face reporters, take responsibility, and talk about how lucky he felt to play football. “I’ll use this as motivation,” Moehring decided. “I’ll get better. It’s the only option.”
Then a surprising thing happened. Moehring started getting words of encouragement from everywhere offering him praise and support via social media, email, and texts. All of this backup, as well as soul-searching on his own part, eventually helped Moehring cut himself some slack on not making what was likely a near-impossible kick in the first place. He realized that his missed field goan turned out to be more of a blessing than a burden. “If I made the kick, the glory would’ve faded,” he said. “But with this, I can be an example of good sportsmanship, and that’s lasting.”
Bennett Moehring “declared it perfect” and so can you.
Next Monday as a firm – our support teams – will learn from the past 3 months: we will celebrate success and also make whatever adjustment and changes are needed to not only catch up with goals but also to move ahead.
This is just the first quarter of 2018. We all have plenty of time to reach our 2018 goals… as long as we are all willing to execute the daily activities, track the results, make the changes to our behaviors and engage an accountability partner.
Are you interested or committed? 75% of the year remains, let’s go!
