Well the Super Bowl is history for another year, and if you had the fortune to host, pop into, attend a party with some friends or family I hope you enjoyed that time. Back to the business of work and for those that are not maybe FULLY immersed in all these social media pathways I thought this graphic I found explains it with some simplicity, and it is like DONUTS. To understand it fully you probably need to know each platform, but keep it in mind. Nothing harder than donuts !!

Too often we get bombarded in ways to build our business with TOOLS & we may wonder which one? We need to know

Which Tool To Choose For More Business

Listings, referrals, our for sale signs

Direct Mail and Farming, Networking at clubs or civic organizations

Sphere of Influence, working our database, advertising

Social networking, which ones? Blogging, Facebook, Tweets, LinkedIn

Niche specialties

The real answer is choose the ONE or a FEW tools that work for you. Some top agents never blog, some top agents derive 70% of their business from blogging. The answer is it all depends. DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU.

Confused states of things in real estate and life have in one sense, fascinated me. I think in addition to all my other skill sets I try to play armchair psychologist and understand the WHY of how people behave.

Why do they not do what they say? Why can't they follow a simple timeline or even specific directions? Why do they even do the opposite of what you expect? Wow human behavior is entertaining to observe if nothing else. But it ALSO can be wearing on the body and the soul.

The way to handle confusion is give it "a little time" to figure it out then just say Hmmmmm.

That "Hmmmmm" sound coming out loud and clear from inside your brain, saves energy, lets you not spend any more cycles beating your head against the wall, shaking your head. You just have to conclude people are who they are even if darn you can't figure them out why they are this way today. Maybe tomorrow will be different with them than today with some more growth by them. People are on different growth paths. But it is living with that ambiguous part of life that just says some days YOU WILL NOT have the answers. You best can control yourself remember, and just let others and the way they are GO. Another step for some serenity in your OWN life.

Peace of mind is a good thing. You deserve that for yourself!!

OK this year I am standing up for that critter from Pennsylvania. Hey I know a few Pennsylvanians and on the whole they are pretty nice.

Why do we insist on Groundhog Day dragging Pennsylvania Phil out of his hole each year to talk to him? Admittedly Phil this year was probably playing with the squirrels on the golf course cause the only cold around was northern Alaska and Europe. But I imagine

Groundhog Phil Says Leave Him Alone.

I conclude that as on the news they ALWAYS say the report is six more weeks of winter. HELLO. 42 more days past February the 2nd, well that is about when Spring is supposed to hit anyway. With the warm weather of late, I am sure Phil is saying don't blame or credit me either way, I am just having fun playing with the squirrels on the golf course.

A short month this February but a LEAP YEAR with a leap day on the 29th. How do you count birthdays SERIOUSLY if you were born Feb. 29th???

While visiting many luxury homes I am impressed with doors, the double ones, the solid core ones, the ones with windows in them. But as a metaphor in life it made me think of this quotation:

"The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live."

YES, our choices and decisions. Many move us forward, others side track us or are bad for us. Others can open doors or CLOSE them for us as well with pathways to continue or pathways to stop and be no more.

Each day look around you at your DOORS and remember your life is being built step by step by what you do with that handle.

Opening it, goodness or pandora's box, or closing it and moving on to OTHER doors. Keep that image in mind as you go through your day with your selections.

I've seen high levels of tension in real estate problem negotiation and it is one of many examples in life of negativity. We need to

   Release Negativity As Fast As Possible.

Think of all of it in life. Hurts, anger, pain, disagreement, cruelty, insensitivity, regret, worry, thoughtlessness, taking one for granted, selfishness, insult... the list goes on and on what any of us can be afflicted with by another at a given time. But we need to dump it as soon as possible, almost as if we wear a teflon suit. It won't go away quite that fast but to get rid of it:

Distance yourself from the person inflicting the pain, resolve the issue with problem solving or better communication, perceive where they are coming from and it is THEIR problem not yours, focus on YOU and healing and helping YOU or your clients first. WHY? WHY I ask? Why do we have to dump negativity? It robs us of energy and happiness, like a plant blowing in the wind that needs a peaceful state for that contentment butterfly to properly land.

Dump ALL negativity you have. FAST AS YOU CAN!!

I remember growing up taking the weekly piano lessons and practicing every day. Your failure early on is frustrating cause you hit the wrong notes and don't quite have the whole song down correctly. But

    Most Failure Is Not Final And Is Needed For Growth

In our real estate careers and in our personal lives there is MUCH trial and lots of error till we get better. Practice makes perfect you know, so don't let your mistakes along the way embarass you. I remember early on with brand new clients I struggled to even get the key out of the key box on a door. You feel stupid, as a freshly minted agent, but you get past it. Baby steps you know.

KEEP PRACTICING and have confidence that tomorrow you will be even better than today... YOU the concert pianist!!

As a business professional or even individual in our personal life to get things done we are constantly called on to be a "problem solver." Often we have to jack ourself up to ADVANCED problem solver and be creative. Thinking outside the box, or no box, or coming up with a not thought of before idea.

Four Steps To Find Ideas To Creative Problem Solve

1. Capture ideas immediately on paper or electronically as you meditate on a solution once the problem is defined
2. Expose yourself to new experiences, travel, classes, and a wide range of different people. It gives you a better base to think of something novel
3. You being DUMB is ok. There are no dumb questions remember your teacher told you? Do not judge any of the massive list of ideas you brainstorm about a solution.
4. Steal others' ideas. In other words ask other people about solutions. Soak them all in. Two heads or MORE are better than one. Ask your peers, your associates in different fields. You will be AMAZED what other people come up with ideas to YOUR or your client's or individual or family problem

This little list should get you started being MORE CREATIVE and zero in on that optimal solution to get you past a logjam. Do you know the best problem solvers go the furthest in life? Practice this mental faculty as often as possible. Just know those who BLOG more than those who tweet or Facebook comment are the most creative of all, since they WRITE the most. It takes the most imagination to string that many coherent words together. Best of luck to you.