So you think you can multi-task? Think again. Today our office had a 3 hour training session on goal-setting for 2008. May seem a little late in 2007 to be doing this for those of you who completed this task in October, but better late than never. The program is quite simple assuming one knows the gross commission income desired, the conversion rate of appointments to contracts, and the conversion rate from contracts to closings. Commission rates and average sale price need to be factored in as well. It's less than an hour of work to produce the numbers required to state the goals, so most of us should be done by year's end. But, I digress.
Digressing is the point of this post, really. Regarding the multi-tasking, one demonstration was a big AHA! to me. It pitted multi-tasking against focused singular activity. Essentially, time-blocking with the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the office door versus leaving the door open and letting everyone and his brother/sister to interrupt the activities. What a revelation!
Two volunteers were each given two plastic bags containing ten pennies in one bag and ten paper clips in the
other bag. They also needed pen and paper handy. The goal was the same; the ten pennies would be stacked, the paper clips would be attached, and ten stars would be drawn on the paper. The first volunteer was instructed to stack a penny, attach a paper clip, and draw a star, then repeat until done. The second volunteer was told to stack all the pennies, attach all the paper clips, and draw all the stars, not stopping the singular tasks until they were each complete. Do I need to tell you
who won? Do I need to mention that the first volunteer was flustered in this timed trial of ability that was doomed to failure?
Yet this is how many of us run our businesses. We think we can multi-task and in attempting to do so, patting ourselves on the back and running around looking important, we are just wasting effort that could be spent on other activities or, YIKES!, down time with our family and friends. Realtors are a social bunch by nature and we don't like to be told how to run our businesses; that is quite possibly why we chose this business in the first place. We are entitled to life outside of real estate though. Really, we are.
This year is going to be different for me. I am going to be a machine, for specific designated hours of the day and days of the week. Do not disturb, at risk of...harsh words in a raised voice.... (I'm not the violent sort.) Outside those times you can find me doing those things I haven't done for the three years I have been in this business: tending to my ornamental gardens, sewing for my home, my children, and me, cooking (yes, kids, we are going to have dinner again), reading fiction, seeing our friends for fun (yoohoo! remember us?), and maybe finally getting enough sleep. The laundry will be done on a timely basis, probably while watching TV - there's an example of useful multi-tasking since each activity requires only half of the brain. I cannot wait to start this new routine. It's going to be a great new year!
I've got to go now and finish the online continuing ed I signed up for two days ago, due by 12/31/07. I'll be back later. GRRRRRR.......
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