by andrew | May 16, 2018 | Best Practice, Goal Setting, JPAR, Mindset For Success, Success, Success From Scratch, Sucess Goals, Top Producer
In episode 5 of “Success From Scratch,” MJ Franklin shares her secret to success. It wasn’t education, it wasn’t special celebrities she knew, it wasn’t because she had a lot of money. She had GRIT, determination, drive and a willingness to serve.
Make time to watch this episode, you won’t regret the time invested.
“You can’t be in this business for the money, you have to be genuine.”
MJ Franklin, JP & Associates REALTORS®
Share your thoughts and comments with us now, we value your contribution to this community.
by andrew | May 14, 2018 | Best Practice, Goal Setting, JPAR, Mindset For Success, Priorities and My Time, Productivity, Sucess Goals
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.
Let us compare these two scenarios:
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.
Another example to consider:
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!?
….So, why does your “why” matter?
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.
by andrew | May 7, 2018 | Best Practice, Goal Setting, Mindset For Success, Productivity, Staying Relevant
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.
Flexibility
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.
Learning Fast
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.
Here is a checklist of simple questions to guide you through fast learning strategy:
To “learn before doing” at the start of your day or any activity:
- What is supposed to happen today?
- How will I know if I’m successful?
- What knowledge do I need to get what I want to be done, and where can I get it?
- What help do I need?
To “learn while doing” in the middle of a task or activity:
- What was supposed to happen up until now?
- What has actually happened?
- Why are 1 and 2 different?
- What can I learn and do about it right now?
To “learn after doing” at the end of the day or a task:
- What stands out for me that is new or different?
- What should I repeat next time I do this, and why?
- What should I do differently next time, and why?
- Who else may be facing similar challenges and might find this useful?
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
