Monday, November 3, 2014
The real estate business is a complicated puzzle that you will piece together over time. There are a lot of pieces to this puzzle that will add up to success when you learn how to juggle them all. Because of the complex nature of the business, it can be easy to lose focus on what you?re doing and where you?re going?especially without systems!
I can?t emphasize enough how important it is to stay focused. Don?t become inundated or distracted with the unimportant pieces of the business. If you start to feel overwhelmed or begin to question what you should be doing, always remember you are in the business of buying and selling houses. And most importantly, remember this IS a business!
Ask yourself: ?Is what I?m considering doing right now going to improve my ability to buy and sell houses better, faster, and in greater quantity?? If the answer is no, STOP! Focus on what will help you buy and sell houses. At the end of the day, that is the business you?re in! As your business grows and you take on partners or hire people to assist you, then certainly you can move your attention outside your core focus. With systems, you can bring other people in to follow what you?ve set up, and you can focus on the parts you like best.
To keep yourself on track, I recommend the following:
? Set up your day based on blocks of time. Schedule different activities throughout the day and stay consistent with your schedule.
? Get on a routine schedule. For example, I wake up around 6:30am, spend an hour in the gym, come home and eat a meal, then I begin my business day.
? At the end of each day, update your ?Master to-do list? (or have your secretary update it) with tasks you need to complete the next day. Use your master list to create your checklist of the ?6 most important things to do? for the following day. Doing your planning and preparation the night before saves time the next day. Keep your master list and 6 most important things list in front of you at all times.
? Utilize your assistant if you have one, or get a virtual assistant (VA) if you don?t, to help with administrative tasks. A great service for real estate businesses is www.teamdoubleclick.com.
? In the morning when you walk into the office, you?ll know the 6 most important things to accomplish that day. They?re already mapped out in front of you and you can hit the day running, without spending time thinking and planning. If you do your planning in the morning, by the time you?re done you?ve already wasted half of your morning.
? Schedule specific times to check emails. Unless you are answering questions from potential sellers, you shouldn?t be answering emails whenever they pop in to your inbox. You should be focusing on how to attract more sellers and qualified properties and how to sell your properties to build your business. Set up 2 or 3 specific times during the day to check email, say 10 am and 5 pm. Get out of the habit of living by the email inbox?it will be suicide for you.
Balance is important for you to be successful in any business. That means fitting into your schedule all the important areas of your life besides your business. Make time for personal relationships, self development, and self care. Good nutrition and exercise are vital to keep you healthy as you grow your business. I like to exercise first thing in the morning to get my blood flowing and clear my head. Exercise also alleviates stress, keeps you energized, and increases your mental capacity to think clearly and make quick decisions?all valuable for your success in the real estate investment business. So even if you can only fit in half an hour a day, do find the time to exercise.
Stay focused and organized. Schedule your daily routine. And remember, you are in the business of buying and selling houses, so set up your schedule and routine to fit those parameters as your primary focus.
________________________________________________________________________________
Tom Zeeb and Will energy resources, Senator Portman has placed strong emphasis on the use of energy efficiency in achieving those goals. Senator Portman was elected as an Honorary Vice-Chair of the Alliance in January 2013. Serving on both the Senate Finance and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committees, Senator Portman has been a tireless champion of energy efficiency.
In fact, Senator Portman has been at the forefront of legislative activity on energy efficiency in recent years. Senator Portman, along with Senator Shaheen (D-NH)