planning: The best laid plans…
- 06/04/12 05:22 AM
I’m sitting on the front porch of a house that I have under contract watching the rain splashing around me. Normally I love a rainy morning, but today is the day that I arranged for a local charity to come by and pick up some furniture that the downsizing seller can’t use any more. Moving is never an easy or convenient task, but when you throw a continuous downpour into the mix it can be a real mess … literally! But time and the closing agent wait for no man, so the job has to be done … rain or shine. … (13 comments)
planning: Working during the “’Tween” week is always unique and interesting.
- 12/26/11 12:10 AM
Now that we are in the ‘tween” week between Christmas and New year’s Day, it’s time to wrap up the year. I only have one more closing scheduled for this week, and so my 2011 business is pretty much concluded. But there is plenty that needs to be done in order to start 2012 off with a bang! For whatever reason, I have always preferred even numbered years. Not to mention the fact that 2012 is a presidential election year and an Olympic year which will make for some pretty interesting events throughout the course of the year. And so I … (93 comments)
planning: When “Plan A” doesn’t work out, it’s time to move on to “Plan B.” That is, if you have a “Plan B” in place!
- 03/30/10 12:33 AM
There real estate business is fraught with twists and turns that can suddenly derail any transaction. These days, selling real estate is almost like walking on rice paper. You must tread very lightly or you will tear through the paper and have to start over. So when things go awry, it’s always better to have an alternative plan already in place. It can speed up the process, reduce the stress, and inspire more confidence in the action. Answering the “what if” question ahead of time also strengthens your negotiating position. The fear of losing a deal becomes less significant if one … (24 comments)
planning: Do you ever stop to think about where you are going? And do you know how you are going to get there from here?
- 03/28/10 12:06 AM
Sometimes the struggles of everyday life can become an all-consuming obsession. It is very easy to fall into a daily ritual of doing what is necessary to survive. Work days are divided into ever growing “to-do” lists, with most of our efforts being applied to mundane exercises and perfunctory obligations. Some years ago, it might have been said that the indicators of change were temporary, mere blue blips on the overall radar screen of life. Many are still attempting to ride out the storm in a futile attempt to endure the tempest until the winds subside and calm returns. Ignoring … (21 comments)
planning: When your high-flying is coming to an end it's time to start looking for a safe place to land!
- 11/01/08 04:38 PM
One of the disadvantages of flying high is that at some point, you have to come back to earth. It is an inevitable fact that one cannot remain aloft forever, so the wise one prepares for the descent and chooses a safe place to land. The same is true in our businesses. There are highs and lows, but as we change from one extreme to the other, we need to make sure that we have all of the preparations in place for a smooth transition. Pilots use checklists and manuals to ensure that an airplane is able to land safely. Likewise, … (19 comments)
planning: The cold weather is moving in and it's time to "put up" for the winter.
- 10/20/08 11:35 PM
We have just had our first cold snap here in the south. Patches of scattered frost and I'm having to think about turning on the furnace (it's freezing in here!) Fall is in full force and winter is just around the corner. Back in the days of self-sufficiency, fall was a time to complete preparations for the winter ahead. It was necessary to make sure that enough food and fuel was "put up" to survive the lean months ahead. Survival depended on a care allocation of resources spread out over the entire year! Do we think about our lives and are … (38 comments)
planning: Are you tired of playing games?
- 08/22/08 09:02 AM
Have you had enough of going around and around with no clear ending in sight? Are you depending on chance to decide how far you will go and what steps you'll take next? Are you hoping that others will make the wrong move so that you will benefit? Have you been ignoring strategy and good planning and been relying on something bad happening to someone else? There are those that are in the game just to be there and are satisfied just to survive, and then there are those that expect to win. They invest wisely, plan for unexpected emergencies, and … (14 comments)
I’m sitting on the front porch of a house that I have under contract watching the rain splashing around me.
;)
;)
;)
