"Only in growth, reform, and change, paradoxically enough, is true security to be found." - Anne Morrow Lindbergh

1. Zap the energy drainers! What are you putting up with or tolerating that is draining energy?

People are attracted to us when we exude clarity and energy. When you are bogged down by all the little, teeny things that aren’t conducive to you having the time and space to fully react and be present in the moment. Things like that messy desk (really, how much longer are you going to tolerate looking for things?), the doctors or dentist appointments you’ve been putting off, or the activities that you took on but no longer get any passion out of doing.

COACHES ACTION TIP> For those of you that have been reading my newsletter for a while, may be saying "Haven’t we talked about this before?" The answer is yes, because it is so essential to revisit this on a regular basis, because as we resolve some tolerations, we may then let new ones slip into their places (so we can still have something to complain about—which also gives us a certain energy, but not a very effective one).

So……make your list of EVERY toleration. Most of you will have 50-60 things on this list. Think about each room in your house, your garage, your car, your office, the people in your life, the obligations you have. Yes, I want you to list everything, whether you feel you can change it or not. Some will be pivotal tolerations: like making more money might clear up 5-10 things on your list. Now, choose 5 to tackle in the next 30 days. Then revisit your list at the beginning of each month and choose the next 5, along with adding any new ones. You’ll be amazed at how much more energy you have after 2 or 3 months! I promise!

Upgrade The Quality of People In Your Life This one can be toughie, sometimes, but think about the people in your life that drain your energy and decide if they fit with you of today and the you of your future. Are they supportive, loving, and fun? Just as we throw out the old furniture when we remodel the house, taking a look at our relationships can give us a great feeling of relief and freedom. Another piece in this puzzle is the people you work with: your sellers and buyers. Are you taking whoever calls? Or are you making a conscious effort to work only with those people who respect you and your time and appreciate all you do? If we allow others to treat us poorly, our time and energy is not available to attract new clients who could treat us well.

COACHES ACTION TIP> Spend a half hour thinking about who is in your life that drains energy from you. Make a list of those relationships, seller, or buyers to let go of. You will then be freed up to attract an "upgraded" relationship. This might mean releasing some listings of the "high Maintenance" clients or referring out a buyer who isn’t the highest and best use of your time. Don’t be timid! This is your life!

Speaking of that: How are you spending your time? Using technology is one way of upgrading our operating systems and delegating to others (or maybe it IS time to hire an assistant) is another. Do not confuse action with effectiveness. The highest and best use of your time is expressing those gifts that are uniquely yours—the ones that excite and give you passion—the ones that give you the feeling of being in the "flow".

COACHES ACTION TIP> When was the last time you woke up excited and passionate about the coming day? If you don’t remember or it wasn’t lately….look at how you are spending your time. Keep a log for 3 days and really examine if you are making the best use of each hour. What are you worth per hour? If you don’t know, take a look at the year so far: divide what you have made by the number of hours you have worked. What should you NOT be doing? What should you delegate? How can you do more of the activities that light you up? Structure the next 4 weeks to shift at least 2-4 hours each week from an activity that you shouldn’t be doing or should be delegating to an activity that is the highest and best use of who you are.

We will use outdated technology (or none!) because it is familiar. We avoid changing ourselves for the same reason. This is one reason why an extraordinary person will hire a coach—it’s hard to focus on the uncertain future and much easier to accept the ordinary when we know how it will look. To consciously upgrade one’s life is to take a risk. To live on the skinny branches! Or as Neale Donald Walsch said, "Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone"-

"I have no doubt whatsoever that most people live, whether physically, intellectually or morally, in a very restricted circle of their potential being...we all have reservoirs of life to draw upon of which we do not dream." - William James

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POWER TOOL OF THE MONTH: INFORMATION NOW!

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Information Now! is a nationwide service, allowing agents to provide 24 hour pre-recorded verbal and faxed information to those who call their toll free number. A non-threatening, easy way to prospect and obtain leads, this is powerful tool for your technology toolkit!

Information Now! subscribers receive a toll-free phone number that can be used in several ways. When prospects call the number (listed on your sign rider, in your print advertising or other media), they hear a pre-recorded message in either your voice or one that has been professionally recorded. They receive several options: to receive additional information by fax, to leave a voice mail message, to have their call forwarded to you, or to access a mortgage calculator. Buyers agents can generate prospects through generic response ads. You will think of lots of uses for creatively giving value and will find you are generating lots of responses (record The 5 Things You Should Know before putting your house on the market or 10 questions to ask any Realtor you are interviewing).

Each call is tracked and you immediately get paged with the phone number, even those blocked by caller id, unlisted numbers and most cell phones. Great looking reports are easy to read and help you track the calls as well as the response from each advertising media(you’ll be able to know the cost effectiveness of each ad!) All this for only $29 per month!

For more information about this program and designation, you can call 1-800-500-4564 or check out their website at www.seniorsrealestate.com

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Thanks for reading and I hope you will forward this to others!

Beginning next month, you will have an opportunity to participate in making this newsletter more valuable: a new section gives readers the opportunity to share resources, tips and ideas with other readers. Email me with your submissions!