Recently, Kris Berg at Inman News wrote a terrific piece about the fact that, as much as we'd like to believe their contents, fortune cookies really do generally tell us exactly what we want to hear. So my question for you is this: Are you (at least subconsciously) basing your real estate career planning and decisions on the kind of wishful thinking found in fortune cookies?
If you are, it's time to think again. As Berg notes, “These assurances [found in fortune cookies] tend to buoy the old spirits, but they're not real.” Fortune cookies are inevitably upbeat. When was the last time you opened one and read, “Your CRM tools will soon fail you”? Whoever makes up those little one-liners knows that we want to be happy; we don't particularly want to be served the truth, even in a cute little edible package.
Berg compares the fortune cookie promissory note of “something for nothing” to our real estate licenses. A lot of folks operate under the truly delusional notion that unlike some other fields of endeavor, a career in real estate isn't really “work.” And yes, you might get lucky; my hope is that you'll realize that with your present ways of thinking, what you're experiencing IS likely little more than luck. It does happen to most of us, at some point or another.
But we all know that luck is one fickle lady. The only way you're going to move out of that mindset is to realize that you have to consistently make hard choices. One of those choices is how you're going to spend your time. How many agents and brokers do you know who are whining about business in their market being dead...while they're out playing the back nine? Conversely, how many of them are stymied when their “lucky” peers are working every single day...and making money?
You need to ask yourself some hard questions, and “get good” with the answers, so that you can move towards a success-based reality. Have you ever turned down a listing because the property was too far away? When was the last time you ignored a call because you were on vacation? It's too easy to blame less-than-optimal clients or a lousy market for a serious downturn in personal income.
Real estate is cyclical, and we're still in a really bad cycle right now. Nobody's offering a lot of joy-filled “Business will be fantastic and you'll be wealthy!” fortune cookies, and if they are, you need to ignore them. Now is the time to make the tough choices. As Berg so poignantly notes, “A real estate career isn't something that happens to you. Success is not a promise delivered with your license, nor is guaranteed wealth your just desserts.”
This is the time to diversify your thinking. YOU create your career “fortune.” What kinds of changes are you making to ensure your success? Leave your comments below, and share what YOU think!
Talk to you soon.
Coach Patti
About Coach Patti Kouri:
Coach Patti, the owner of Accelerated Performance Coaching Inc., and The Real Estate Game®, strives to maintain an atmosphere of community, connection, and harmony by becoming your resource base to enhance and enrich your personal and business life. Coach Patti was voted one of the ‘Top 50 Most Influential Women In Real Estate Leadership in 2008’ by the 2008 edition of the Swanepoel Trends Report. www.CoachPatti.com and www.TheRealEstateGame.com.
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