4 Skills That Will Catapult You to Success

Would you like to make 2020 your best year ever?  It is a time to leap, yes 2020 is a leap year, and your opportunity to leap into spectacular performance in all areas of your life.

Make the first year of the decade one worth remembering. Here are the top skills that will greatly enhance you in every area of your life:

1. Mindset

We all hear about the importance of the right mindset every day. From Mike Ferry to Tony Robbins, everyone speaks about mindset. Yet, what does it really mean?

Mindset is the accumulation of all your life experiences beginning from childhood, to your environment and your education. It also includes the ideas and beliefs of the people you have interacted with throughout your life. Mindset is the inner voice, that you may not be aware of, that runs you every day. And for most people, most of the time it is negative.

Most experts agree on one thing: How you start your morning sets the experience for your day. So, to create a mindset that empowers you and takes you to the next level in your life, here are some of the top approaches that can make a difference. Choose what works for you. These skills are championed by some of the most highly productive people.

Affirmations

When you wake up each day, express your gratitude for life, and begin with an affirmation in the mirror. An example would be, “Today is going to be an amazing day!” For more about affirmations, check out the book Miracle Morning For Real estate Agents by Hal Elrod, Michael, J. Maher and Michael Reese.

Meditate

Just 10 minutes in the morning, doing deep breathing can set the tone for your day. Meditation is a great way to relieve stress and stay focused. Check out Guided Mindfulness Meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Through his pioneer work at the University of Massachusetts, many businesses have embraced this and have seen positive and life-changing results.

Read

Read books that inspire you or learn from great leaders that you respect and admire. Set a goal of how many books you will read this year, or join a local book club, which is also a great way to make new business connections. Check out Take Control of Your Life by Mel Robbins as a starting point.

2. Embrace Change

Real estate is a profession that is continually transforming. Ask anyone who has been practicing it for decades and they can easily mark the many changes that have taken place. Yet, in every industry there are always those who live in the past and refuse to learn how to navigate the changing waters. In our own industry, the last recession caused a lot of smaller brokerages too close or merge with larger ones. Change is here to stay. Let’s embrace it.

Here are some tips to grow and prosper no matter the business climate:

• Build a strong database.
• Have a system in place to communicate with your client base consistently.
• Provide outstanding customer service.
• Learn and use technology. If needed, call Tech Helpline, if your association or brokerage offers it. Tech Helpline is the real estate industry #1 tech support service, available as a member benefit to over 600,000 Realtors in the U.S. and Canada. Or, hire a company to help you if Tech Helpline is not an option for you.
• Learn social media and how to market yourself.
• Take real estate classes to continually increase your knowledge and skill level.

3. Let It Go!

Every business has its horror stories of deals gone sour. When it happens in real estate it feels more personal and can cause a lot of distress because we are dealing with people and for most, it’s one of their most intimate and valuable assets: their home…and well, things happen.

Have you ever had one of these experiences?

• Your seller cancels the listing because he says he decided not to sell. You later learn that this is not true. The truth is that someone came to his home (after seeing the listing being advertised) directly and offered to buy it for cash. The seller agreed and is happy because now he does not have to pay you a commission.
• Your friend or neighbor hires someone else after they have known you for years.
• As the listing or buyer agent, you do all the work for both sides of the transaction and only get paid for one side. The other agent does not do their job. To get the deal closed you end up doing everything.
• You work continuously with buyers for months, and then they buy a home without you.

I’m sure you could write your own story. That is the problem. It is a story and holding on to it prevents you from moving forward. You can hold on to it or choose to let it go. If you choose to hold on to the disappointment and stress of deals gone bad, then that impacts what you are up to creating in the present moment. When you choose to let it go, that opens up your world to new possibilities. That does not mean you forget about what happened. It just means that you will not let it affect you anymore.

Tips on Letting Go

• Remember to not take it personally
• Keep moving forward and learn from what happened
• Embrace gratitude for the good things in your life. Download one of the gratitude apps or simply write 3 things you are grateful for every day in a journal that you keep with you.

4. Surround Yourself With Positive Friends, Co-Workers and Groups

 One of the fundamental needs of every human being is to be able to feel connected to others. Tony Robbins speaks of the importance of connection. There is also the hierarchy of human needs as defined by Maslow. Scholars, theologians, poets also write about it.

Yet, connecting with others on a deep level is not always easy. It begins with communication and speaking your truth. So search and connect with like-minded people that will support you and be a champion for your success. Stay away from negative people.

Check out as (mentioned earlier) the book, The Miracle Morning For Real estate Agents. One idea is to sign up for their 30-day life transforming challenge and form a group in your office to discuss and grow from it.

Another idea is to join Mel Robbin’s Best Decade Ever, which is available for free.  There are also groups on Facebook that serve as forums for real estate agents to grow and learn.

The local Women’s Council of REALTORS (yes, many include men) and your local association are another good way to get involved with like-minded people.

Another option is to form a mastermind group, either locally or online, with agents from your region or around the country. This is a great way to meet and connect with like-minded people to ask questions, share experiences and learn.

As the year draws to a close, now is the time to focus and prepare. There is no need to have all the answers now. Start one step at a time.

Most of all…think positive. Beginning today, right now. Here’s to 2020!

Written for Form Simplicity by Janice Zaltman, a Realtor, LEED AP, Marketing Coach and Writer with more than 20 years of experience in the sales, marketing and media fields.