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How To Make Better Decisions, Fewer Mistakes In 2018

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Real Estate Mavericks

Want to make better decisions in 2018? I may have your answer... learn my one sentence decision-making guidelines, mental triggers that can help you know what to do when others don't.   

I learned about one sentence decision making triggers from my father. His nickname was Chubby. So I call them Chubby Rules.

Chubby had only a high school education. Through hard work and good decisions he became one of the top producing Realtors in Cincinnatiultimately building a 10-office real estate firm

Chubby was the best instant decison maker I've ever known. It was uncanny. He always knew what to do when others bumbled and hesitated.

Chubby told me that many people are immersed in a decision making fog. They struggle to make good decisions because they have no parameters for making decisions. 

Chubby recognized the disjunction between being educated and being smart. When I was growing up, he took me to Perkins Pancake House in Montgomery, Ohio on Saturday mornings, using that time to teach me street smarts, insisting that I memorize his one sentence decision making guidelines. 

Since Chubby passed away I've added to his one sentence rules. Some are my own, some I learned from others. For example, when I met John Paul DeJoria I asked him to share a one sentence principle that guides his life. He said, "success unshared is failure." I loved it, and made it a guidepost to help me decide how to allocate my time and resources to others.  

The following Chubby Rules have been a significant contributor to my success. Every day they provide a framework for knowing what to do and say when others seem lost. If you want more detailed explanations, email me at greg@realestatemavericks.com. Happy New Year! 

 

MY FAVORITE CHUBBY RULES

Know when time is on your side and when it's not.

What you lack in smarts, make up for in effort.

Purpose is the cake of happiness, pleasure is the icing.  

Make yourself better than you. 

When you think nice about someone let them know before you forget. 

Because you can doesn't mean you should. 

The lure of the distant and difficult is often deceptive. 

Don't trade time for money if you aspire to be wealthy. 

People tend to criticize what they are not part of. 

Care more about others than you do about you. 

It's really dumb to think you're smart. 

Make money so you can make a difference. 

Do what's right, not what's popular. 

Free isn't better if better isn't better. 

Brief and brilliant beats big and bloated. 

Learn something about everything and everything about something. 

When you look forward to lunch, you need a new job. 

Politicians take polls, leaders make polls. 

The only real risk is that you won't get it all done before you are. 

Deals don't make you money, people do. 

Rush with good news, drag your feet with bad. 

A problem is a set of facts compounded by emotion. 

Regret is the past crippling the future. 

Success unshared is failure. 

You can accompish anything if you don't care who gets the credit. 

The worst decisions are the ones you don't make.

Adventure is discomfort remembered.    

It's important to be educated, it's essential to be smart. 

When the call didn't come I knew it was you (be dependable). 

You don't grow when you don't listen. 

Don't look back, you're not going that way. 

The worst settlement is better than the best lawsuit.

Work as much on friendships as you do on work. 

Home is the place we spend time between the events that define our life. 

Realize that everyone has a personal agenda. 

Consider the end before you begin. 

 

CHUBBY AT WORK

 

Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Greg, there are times we do have to make pretty quick decisions, and hopefully they are the right ones.  Happy New Year!  

Dec 31, 2017 08:44 AM
Greg Hague

Thank you Joan. Happy New Year. 

Dec 31, 2017 09:11 AM
Brad Thomsen
Big Bear Realty - Edmonds, WA
Real Estate Services

Hi Greg Hague 

Better Decisions, Fewer Mistakes.

Thank-you for this Terrific post.

Happy New Year!

All the best to you and yours in 2018

Brad

Dec 31, 2017 09:00 AM
Greg Hague

Thank you Brad. Very kind of you to comment. Happy New Year. 

Dec 31, 2017 09:12 AM
Kristin Johnston - REALTOR®
RE/MAX Platinum - Waukesha, WI
Giving Back With Each Home Sold!

What a wonderful post and so true too!  So glad I didnt miss it..happy 2018!

Dec 31, 2017 09:02 AM
Greg Hague

Thank you Kristin. Happy New Year. 

Dec 31, 2017 10:08 AM
Doris Freeman
Zach Taylor Real Estate - Gallatin, TN
Broker/Agent, 615-961-7799

Happy New Year to All

Dec 31, 2017 09:26 AM
Anonymous
Bud Gragg

Great Stuff Greg - Thank You! and Happy New Year!

Dec 31, 2017 11:34 AM
#5
Teresa Herriot
Hague Partners - Scottsdale, AZ
DB for Hague Partners

Greg, fantastic post.  Looking forward to learning more fromyou throughout the year.  Teresa

Jan 01, 2018 07:00 PM
Anonymous
Jenn F.

Greg, What a fantastic article to start the new year! Thank you for sharing your Dad's wisdom with us :-)

Jan 02, 2018 08:17 AM
#7
Andy Brown-Climer School of Real Estate
The Climer School of Real Estate - Orlando, FL
The Best Real Estate School in Florida

Greg, cool blog. I am a big fan and student of Google's always - changing rules on what they and their spiders and crawlers like in blogs for its SEO rankings. (Don't forget about that stuff).

Jan 08, 2019 01:14 PM