Many sellers and buyers in real estate DO NOT remain committed to a goal as their good agent does. This LACK OF FOCUS is a killer. It costs money and time and ends up in frustration.
They need to
KEEP THEIR EYE ON THE BALL.
I like to illustrate a post with a good photo that makes things obvious. Look at this Wimbledon photo of the groundskeepers pulling the tarp out over the grass courts prior to an oncoming rain shower. Tennis star Anna Kornakova is providing the male workers an OBVIOUS distraction. I'm surprised some didn't trip and have the tarp roll over them. You know, it's that female powers thing! Don't you ladies say you don't know what I am talking about.
But seriously the point is, distractions of many types can be very hard to overcome. Don't deny that they are there. I used to play four hours of tennis in the hot summer Texas sun and believe me I focused on the flight of the ball over the net to win many sets. If I was playing Anna I probably wouldn't have won even any games. Here are a few tips to eliminate or minimize distractions:
* block out time just for what you want to accomplish, and be in that zone, not allowing distractions to enter the zone. Think of doing your taxes. Lock yourself in a room and don't come out till you are done.
* remove distractions as best you can. If in your office there is that cubicle or water cooler talk that sucks up your time, go into the office briefly, but then get out of there.
* plan ahead and have deadlines. Know what you are doing today at 3 pm to 4 pm and you only have to 4 pm to complete it and then you are heading to the gym. Don't deviate from the plan. It can't be done perfectly all the time, but do the best you can within your power, and make it work.
* stay motivated by breaking things into bite size chunks. You can't clean the house or your desk in one day but it can be done in three days with so much time allocated per day. That way you can stay focused on a menial task and not get distracted in a wide four hour window.
* create patterns in your life. Are you a morning person or a night person? Some like jazzercise at 5 a.m. Some don't get out of bed till 7 a.m. and prefer the treadmill at 6 p.m. Stick with your patterns and put those appointments with yourself on the calendar.
* set up filters in your email from whom you want to read from. Delete yourself from dumb lists you earlier subscribed to that now have no value. Check email at various times during the day, NOT ALL DAY long.
* Just say no to unnecessary meetings and events others want you to attend. These can be MAJOR distractions to you.
* Disconnect from the phone by picking up and returing voice mails certain times of the day. Leave a message saying you will return calls from 2 to 4 pm for example.
* Finally, leave your Surfboard at home. Surfing web sites during prime time is a HUGE distraction. Do this during some down time or personal time like for online shopping or bill paying or blog reading/writing.
Keep your eye on the ball and not Anna and something might actually get done!
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