If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. But wait - insanity is repeating the same course of actions and expecting a different result - so what are we to do? Personally, I think persistence is a virtue, but it's important to know when we're spinning our wheels, too. Some things just won't work, no matter how badly we want them to. Those things aren't what this post is about.
This post isn't about what you've valiantly attempted only to eventually concede. We've all been … (52 comments)
Have you ever wanted to accomplish something, or do something, and have thought to yourself "I'm going to get started on Monday!"?? How about "starting the first of the month"? How about "you know, for New Years I'm going to do this..."? I sure have. Monday's seem to be like a great time to start things. It's a fresh start, and a new beginning. Makes sense, right?
Over time, I've started to believe this is one of the most counter-productive mindsets anyone can have. … (13 comments)
I can hardly believe that the first quarter of 2014 is over. To say the past 3 months flew by might be the understatement of the century, but today I took a look back at my Q1 business plan, and almost completed my Q2 plan (I should get started since Q2 starts in a few hours!). I like making quarterly plans for 2 reasons - for one, it's a short enough time to remain fresh in my mind, and also because our industry changes so rapidly, a year-long business … (4 comments)
With it being the final day of the first quarter of 2014, I took inventory of my Q1 business plan and sought out areas where I need improvement, and enjoyed noting the areas where I found success. As I prepare to sprint into Q2, what better time than to consider Sally Cheeseman's AR Challenge for March - "Spring Ideas for Me & my Business".
As the contest required, I created this pie chart being as honest with myself as I could, and wouldn't you know it? I see HUGE pieces of pie … (4 comments)
It's March. Let that sink in for a minute. Wasn't it just a few weeks ago that we celebrated the holidays & brought in the new year? I'm sure I'm not alone but time has gotten away from me several times so far in 2014, and this month I'm motivated to not let the opportunity of … (15 comments)
"We are always getting ready to live, but never living"
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
I've got no problem living. At 29, I've done more craziness & have seen more things than many people have the opportunity to in their lifetime. Life comes easy to me most times, but in my business, I have a preparation problem. Not a problem where I do things half-assed or don't prepare enough. My problem … (30 comments)
The young salesman approached a farmer and began to talk excitedly about the book he was selling. "This book will tell you everything you need to know about farming!" he said enthusiastically. "When to sow, when to reap, what weather to expect and when to expect it. This book tells you all you need to know." "Young man," the farmer said, "that's not the problem. I know everything that is in … (14 comments)
In my day to day business, I rely on a lot of technology to do my job. LOS, CRM, apps, the list goes on and on, but my favorite 2 things are nothing more than basic, been-around-forever notebooks.
I'm a person that likes to write. I was an English major, I've written for newspapers, I prefer handwritten letters to email, and maybe that's why I couldn't imagine my day to day business without these 2 items, but technology aside, these are the 2 things that I believe keep my business running efficiently, help … (8 comments)
"Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired." -Jules Renard
I find this quote especially appropriate this time of year, when the cyclical nature of the business shows an industry-wide slow down that corresponds with the holiday season each year. One year, I went so far as to take the entire month of December off to enjoy some relaxation after a particularly difficult yet financially rewarding year … (3 comments)
"Every success is usually an admission ticket to a new set of decisions" -Henry Kissinger
As we approach the end of the year, many of us will be beginning to focus on business planning for next month, next quarter, next year, and also looking back on 2013. What did we do right? Did we accomplish some goals and come up short in others? What can … (11 comments)
A new AR challenge invites us to share how technology helps run our business from afar. Story of my life! One reason I love being a mortgage banker is that most of my job is mental. Knowledge & sales skills carry the most weight, and the only physical things that are required are the internet and a phone. Give me the world wide web & a means of communication and I'm golden!
The biggest advantage of mortgage lending to my lifestyle is that I can do my … (4 comments)
"You must accept that you might fail; then, if you do your best and still don't win, at least you can be satisfied that you tried. If you don't accept failure as a possibility, you don't set high goals, you don't branch out, you don't try and you don't take the risk." -Rosalynn Carter
This quote by first lady Rosalynn Carter is relevant to anyone in the business of sales, but … (6 comments)
This post was inspired by reading Jason Zhang's blog about the struggle of getting started in the world of Real Estate. While I'm not a real estate agent, I believe building a mortgage or real estate business is similar. We encounter many of the same struggles, both in getting our businesses off the ground and in day to day activities.
Though I've been in the business for 7+ years, I'm constantly humbled by what I don't know, and while I spend most time looking at my future 'to … (3 comments)
"All animals except man know that the principle business of life is to enjoy it" -Samuel Butler
I read this quote this morning, and although it sounds pretty simple and straightforward, I think we often forget about what is important as we're caught up in "life".
In the beginning of the year when I decided to change my "business planning" approach from an annual exercise to a quarterly one, a … (9 comments)
Who are you accountable to? If you have a family, perhaps you're most accountable to them, or maybe it's your boss. Everyone is accountable to someone, but I've found one of the best practices in business and in life is to be accountable to yourself.
Accountability is a big deal and for many people determines whether or not anything in their life gets done. Many things are put off to the future for a lack of accountability - that is, if we don't HAVE to do something, many of us tend to not do … (1 comments)
Monday Motivation - If at First They Don't Succeed
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