"I
am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones
after all."
Laura Ingalls Wilder, Author
- DECLUTTER:
Clean your nest! Choose just one room and
block the time this month to do it COMPLETELY: Really make it buff! Throw out! Give Away!
Organize! Don’t stop until it is finished!
- A
classic now …….Simple
Abundance
by Sarah Ban Breathnach
If you haven’t
gotten this book…it’s one of my favorites.
A daily thought will help you declutter your mind, your space and your world.
3. Real Simple Magazine
Suggested by my good
friend, Jean Mabry. Simple ideas to making living easier.
========================
The TECH AdvantageLinks
========================
**** Advantage TECH TIP: USING EMAIL GROUPS
To set up a group in
Outlook: Go to the address book icon on the toolbar
Setting up the group is
easy:
Click the NEW icon under File:
Choose New Group
Now you can give it a
name and populate it with the people you want
If you’d like to
learn more: join me for the free
teleconference on June 21 at 1 PM EDT!
****TECH Info: FREE
VIRUS HOAX INFO
When you are forwarded
mail that tells you of a new virus, you can check to see if it is real or a hoax by
visiting one of these sites, recommended by Stephen Canale:
virusinfo
hoaxbusters
newviruses
symantec
REMEMBER: Do not take
actions, like deleting files until you have verified whether you are dealing with a real
hoax or a virus.
AND this is just one
more reminder to HAVE, USE and UPDATE your virus protection regularly.
****Website
TECH Tip: Give Value to your Community
Using your site for community information will bring people to you.
Internet Crusade has great community bulletin boards available, that allows
the folks you are serving can post their own information and photos. Set up a babysitter
pool. The softball team schedule, photos and scores.
Check out the one Mike Barnett has
set up at
You’ll even notice he has a page for FSBO’s! For more information,
Contact Mike@MikeBarnett.com
****TECH Resources
- IRA SERKES NOTES
RE/MAX agent, Ira Serkes ( mailto:ira@berkeleyhomes.com
)is one of the smartest and most detailed people I know. He recently attended Howard
Brinton’s High Tech High Touch program
and has created an entire area on his site to share the highlights. He said I could share these with you at BerkeleyHomes
Thanks Ira!
2. DIGITAL CAMERA PICK
My friends at VisualTour (the $25 Virtual tours I keep telling you about) are recommending
the new Kodak DC4800 It has a $100 Rebate (see below)
You can read all the features at Visualtour
This is the archive of their great weekly newsletter.
If you don’t subscribe to their newsletter, you can sign up while you
are there and enter a drawing for a Palm Pilot!
Here is a link to the $100
rebate coupon (requires Adobe Acrobat reader to open).
AOL Users:
<ahref=http://www.kodak.com/US/plugins/acrobat/en/digital/promos/dc4800Rebate/dc4800RebateCoupon.pdf>Click
Here</a>
And here is a link describing the terms of the rebate.
AOL Users: <ahref=http://www.kodak.com/US/en/digital/promos/dc4800Rebate >Click
Here</a>
So if you have any possible need
for your first or a new digital camera, Print this out, write it down, do what you must,
but GO BUY THIS NOW!
And, remember, you get a discount on the VisualTour Software by ordering
through Advantage Solutions Group! Call me to save money.
3. TURBO POST-ITS for your computer screen
My friend, Sandy Sanderson,CRS,GRI,LTG of Wandering Star Prof Services
Sandy@Wanderingstar.com is offering to you a
free copy of TurboNote.
Browse her web site at wanderingstar and click on Free Software at
the bottom-left hand side of the home page.
Submit YOUR favorite sites, tips or resources and get 50% off any Real Estate Game!™
THE COACHING DISTINCTION OF THE MONTH:
Excellent vs Perfect
DEFINITIONS:
Excellent: A Very High Standard of Satisfaction
Perfect: An Unattainable State of Complete Perfection
COMPARISONS:
Work In Progress vs. Unattainable Goal
High Standard vs Impossible Standard
EXAMPLE:
Susan decided to focus on email marketing this year. She didn’t have
very many email addresses, didn’t know what to send, and kept putting it off because
she wasn’t ready. Tammy, on the other hand, began to call everyone in her sphere of
influence to let them know she was updating her records and needed their email addresses.
She signed up for a service with autoresponse system like ezfollowup oriprocenter and began to send out regularly
very short informational nuggets.
KEY POINT: If you
wait until you have ALL the information, you will lose the opportunity that you may have
by taking action. Usually taking any action will produce more results than taking none
<G>
BENEFIT: You
create and have more energy because of the action you take. For any project you are truly
wanting to do, breaking it down will enable you to continually make some progress. That
progress over time will make a difference. Most millionaires became that way by taking
small, gradual, consistent actions toward growing their wealth!
COACHING ACTIONS:
- Choose
one project that is crucial to your future success.
Define it clearly for yourself so that the end result is very clear.
- List all of the actions that are involved in creating the result.
Don’t be too general here. Write down as many specifics as you can or break it down
into major actions and the minor actions to support the major action. For Instance: A
Major Action: Build database of email addresses. Minor Actions: Call everyone in my sphere
of influence by calling 5 per day, every week day, beginning tomorrow.
- Time-frame the actions by giving them a by when
- Delegate to others with result and time-frame those things you can.
For instance, have your assistant print for you the telephone numbers of the 5 people
you’ll call each day.
- BEGIN
- Fine-tune and tweak as you go along, making changes. This is where
EXCELLENT fits in----you don’t have to wait until it is perfect but you do want to
keep raising your standards by identifying what is working and how you could make it even
better.
- Then make those changes! And keep taking ACTION!
- If what you are working on has elements that should be systematized,
make sure that gets captured and written down, so you don’t have to reinvent the
wheel.
The SKILLS
Advantage:
Free
Teleconferences
=================================
This Month’s FREE Teleseminars: Your direct link to ideas
& resources
(Conference
Calls on Steroids!) All
you need is your telephone!
If these don’t fit your schedule……..you can order the tape for only
$10.
THE REAL ESTATE GAMES™
& Business Planning Retreats
============================================
SUMMER SALE!!!!!! $59 for July or August
Four weeks of daily
focus & motivation for less than the cost of a cappuccino !!
THE NEXT GAMES
July 9
9:45 AM EDT, 6:45 AM Pacific
August 6
10:45 AM EDT/ 7:45 AM Pacific
For Complete Information visit TheRealEstateGame
Cost for all four weeks is only $99 (less than $5
a day)
To register: joeann.com
Or send an email to joeann@joeann.com
THE
NEXT REAL ESTATE GAME
BUSINESS
PLANNING WEEKEND
Are you truly ENJOYING
your work?
Is it part of a life
plan?
Do you know how much is
enough?
If not, this weekend will revolutionize your life!
WHERE: Scottsdale, AZ
October 4-7
3 Days of personal &
business coaching to help you achieve your dreams. Limited to 20 agents
For more information:
joeann.com
Or send an email to joeann@joeann.com
<<>>
** <<>> ** <<>> **<<>> ** <<>>
ADVANTAGE
THINKING: The Quest For The ExtraOrdinary
<<>>
** <<>> ** <<>> **<<>> ** <<>>
"Good but
average is no longer good enough" TOM PETERS
Sorry, Tom, I have to admit it…some
days average is just fine.
Let’s get real: there are some days I don’t want to go the extra mile
or do ONE MORE thing. Some days, it’s just fine to while away the day
in the garden or out camping on our 40 acres. I need days when
I’ve got no pressure to create a result or make a difference.
It’s taken many years and lots of introspection and personal growth seminars
and work to give myself this permission to just “be” with no purpose.
used to think my purpose in life was to MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
I used to think I just needed more focus and self-discipline and
I could accomplish EVERYTHING! I have adjusted my thinking to understand
I am human and no one can accomplish everything!
These days, I am only pleasing myself and not worrying what anyone else thinks.
Why am I revealing this selfish, unspeakable
behavior to you?
Because
my topic this month is doing what it takes to be extraordinary
and I want to preface this by sharing the good news that
you have a CHOICE about when you do this !
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN AVERAGE AND
EXTRAORDINARY
I’ve been contemplating this week that GAP that I often see myself wanting
to bridge and hear my clients want to span between the present and
what they want for themselves. I’ve been noticing where and why I stop
in stretching myself. It’s most
noticeable in physical things for me.
Bill Phillips’ Book, Body For Life
has an interesting take on aerobic
exercise.
In his Program, you do 20 minutes and increase the difficulty rather than the time.
He cites other exercise programs have you gradually increase the amount of time
you are working out thereby taking more and more time to get fit.
I remember complaining to my doctor that the 3-4 times a week I was exercising
was no longer keeping my weight where I wanted it and
she said my bod had gotten used to that frequency and I needed to do more.
Talk about being discouraged by doing what I thought was good for me…
and here I’d acclimated my body to 3-4 times a week was NORMAL!
"Oy veh" as my Jewish friends would say!
Phillips says instead you
should increase the intensity and cycle your workouts
to build based on an intensity of 1-10 with 1 being completely at rest and
10 being the ultimate pushing it to the max! I’ve tied this in the past week
with my bike trips. Instead of a comfortable
easy pace, I warmed up and
then did 1 minute intervals at a 5,6,7,8,9 level then back to 5 and repeat
four times until the last rep when I push it to 10. I could do the 5, 6 & 7
without too much strain. 8 was pushing it and at 9…. I was glad it was only for a
minute.
Long ago, I played execise games with myself knowing I could do
ANYTHING for one more minute. But the stretch from 9 to 10 was BEYOND
what I thought I had in me. After that last minute of 9, I was NOT convinced I
could do ANYTHING for another minute, much less, push the intensity another notch.
But, surprise, there was this well of reserve that showed up and
I COULD so it for another minute (but probably not 90
seconds :>)
Most of the time when I do my weight
training with Darla, my coach,
she asks me to do more reps than my burning muscles think they can do.
Actually, why would I pay her to be my coach if she wasn’t pushing me past
what I could do on my own?
What I notice about both of these situations
is that it doesn’t happen without
my commitment to the extraordinary. I mean, why in the world would this girl
who has spent most of her life as decidedly non-athletic want to do this?
The answer is two-fold for me. First, because I do love the fun of the challenge!
Secondly, because I am intrigued with finding out where those limits REALLY are
and HOW to learn to bridge the gap!
So, for me, it’s learning about the process as much as being the guinea pig!
And this is what I have
learned that I want to share with you and ask you to take a look at yourself.
1. I WILL CHOOSE MY PLAY TIME AND MY EXTRAORDINARY TIME
I am a woman who LIKES the energy of extremes.
The old adage about “doing everything in moderation” is just about as BORING
as I can imagine. So I am giving myself permission to choose when I want to completely
relax and when I want to stretch and GO FOR IT. I am clear that my consciously
putting BOTH into my life enriches me and creates fun and challenges.
Do either ALL THE TIME would be as bad as the moderation thing.
2.
WHEN CHOOSING RELAXING, I WILL ENJOY IT
For years, I believe the opposite of my workaholic style was LAZY.
Heavens…who’d want to be characterized that way?
I bought into the Nineties success model that even gave status to a person
who was so busy they never could take a day off.
I will now give myself permission to do
nothing.
To not contribute, to not make a difference,
to not say yes to things because I have a little space on my calendar
and it would make someone else, but not me, happy.
3.
WHEN CHOOSING TO BE
EXTRAORDINARY:
I WILL GO FOR IT WITH “10” INTENSITY
Horse races are
won by a nose and that little something extra above a 9…
can produce the
difference between being comfortably focused and intentional
and
extraordinary. That “day before vacation” mentality that accomplishes zillions
of things in one day can bring forth miracles if
practiced on purpose.
I am therefore also giving myself
permission to get out of balance and
work like a crazy woman
when I set my mind to a challenge.
The difference now is
that it isn’t a way of life but an intentional place I’ll go,
knowing why and
for how long.
You may be like me…..
in enjoying the extremes and the adrenaline rushes or
you may be someone who thrives on the consistency, moderation and getting predictable
results.
One of us likes change and the other doesn’t. There really is no right or
wrong here.
My hope is that you are giving yourself
permission to do it YOUR way, in a way that makes YOU happy.
Here a few Coaching
Questions to Inquire into:
1. What’s
your natural style and are you being true to it?
Tip>When you are being true to yourself, there is a
feeling
of peace and relief.
2. Where are
you holding yourself back and not giving your personal “10”
when focusing on producing results in business?
Tip>Identify 5 areas of your business where there is 1 more thing
ou could do that would raise your standard of service or make a
difference in your results. From 9-10 is not
far, but it is like the horse
than wins the race by a nose…
or the Olympian that wins by just a few hundredths of a minute.
You have a reserve you can call on.
Amp up your intensity and don’t be satisfied if you are interested in excelling!
3. Where are
you serving others needs to the detriment of
giving yourself all the nurturing and space you need?
Tip>This week, say NO at least once more daily than you
normally would.
Only say YES to things that will enliven you and bring you joy.
Perhaps there is a listing you need to let go of or other high
maintenance clients that you need to refer out or get out of your life.
These days, the only person I am competing
with is myself.
It is exciting and fun to stretch my limits and go for the extraordinary by choice.
I can just have the fun of doing it without
having to prove anything to anyone.
I can make complete fool of myself..dust myself off, get up and try it differently!
Knowing I can call on the wellspring of reserve to push the intensity is a challenge
that is sometimes one I want to play. And sometimes, completely relaxing and
saving the push for another day is just fine, too.
Actually, it’s probably more extraordinary to live my life this way than to be
striving all the time!
The INSPIRATION Advantage
============================================
"To love a person
is to learn the song that is in their heart, and to sing it to them when they have
forgotten." Thomas
Chandler
"Treat people as
if they were what they ought to be, and you
help them to become what they are capable of being." Johann Wolfgang von
Goethe
"Bless those who
challenge us to grow, to stretch, to move beyond the knowable, to come back home to our
elemental and essential nature. Bless those who challenge us for they remind us of doors
we have closed and doors we have yet to open.” - Navajo Saying
STAYING
AHEAD OF THE CURVE
============================
Resources You Should
Use!
PLEASE
GIVE ME YOUR HELP!
What resources have you found that are valuable? Send in a suggestion and earn a
Certificate for 50% off a Real Estate Game! ™
1. Book Picks Business, Your Money &
Your Life! For additional suggestions, visit the Bookstore
The
E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
If you don’t have great systems in place for
your business, this book will give youlots to think about and change. You’ll see why
it is important to not only work in your business but to work on it, as well.
Rich
Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki & Sharon Lechter
Robert’s personal story and philosophy may
shake up your thinking a bit about your assets and your spending. If you are interested in
becoming financially independent, this book is a must!
Simple
Abundance by Sarah Ban Brethnach
Is the world moving too fast some days? This book
is has lots of inspiration and tips to slow things down and enjoy the days more fully. A
great bedside companion.
2. Awesome Year Planning Guide is
available at $12 each.
A step by step, 30 page workbook to guide you
through your yearly planning!
3. Visual
Tours For $25 per tour. This is the answer to stay on the cutting edge. Join us for
the free conference call this month to find out lots of ways to prospect and make money
with this tool. Call me for the best price on their software.
4. ART:
Automatic Response Systems Do you have enough qualified prospects? Would you like a
tool to give you an edge on listing appointments? Consider the advantage you can have with
a 24 hour hotline Or the ability to send a voice message to your entire database.
Call 888-472-4477 ext.7204 for a free sample. the needy ones. This is also causing
her not to have the time or space for the serious clients.