Ah, the life of a REALTOR\u00ae. Being your own boss is the best, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s what we all thought before reality set in, and we realized that everyone needs <\/em>a boss, whether your boss is the proverbial Bill Lumbergh<\/a> or you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It turns out that being your own <\/em>boss is hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I mean, let\u2019s face it. If you don\u2019t listen to your boss, those TPS reports will never get done! \u200d <\/p>\n\n\n\n But seriously, what about all those projects like revising your listing presentation, updating your website, or cleaning up your database?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those things have been on your to-do list for how long now?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The hardest part about being your own boss is doing the stuff that doesn\u2019t have an immediate pay-off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like fixing your website, for example. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You know <\/em>you need <\/em>to do it. You know <\/em>there\u2019ll be a massive payoff when you finally get it done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (If you don\u2019t <\/em>know this, read The HUB of Your Marketing and WHY it Sucks<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ve got a pile of other projects to get done too, but there are always a hundred other things that need your immediate attention, so guess what?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The big stuff never gets done. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hey, I\u2019m not trying to make you feel bad!<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re a good REALTOR\u00ae, you\u2019ve probably trained yourself to be a \u201crapid responder,\u201d which is a good thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But reacting to whatever is going on 100% of the time and devoting 0% of your time to work on larger projects (without distraction) is a bad thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You need to find the balance between being a \u201crapid responder\u201d (good) and \u201cgetting stuff done\u201d (also good). <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not uncommon to be a good REALTOR\u00ae and a lousy boss of yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The problem is if you want to be a GREAT REALTOR\u00ae, it\u2019s necessary to be a GREAT boss, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re a lousy boss of yourself, the first step is to admit it. You don\u2019t have to go to a meeting or anything. Just repeat after me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m a lousy boss of myself.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Say it out loud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Congratulations! That\u2019s the first step. You\u2019re on the road to recovery! <\/p>\n\n\n\n The second step is to learn and implement some basic organizational skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To get started on this, it\u2019s helpful for many agents to have an accountability partner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This could be another agent in your office or a friend from another office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consult \u2018The Google\u2019 for best practices on choosing a partner and structuring your meetings, but here are my top two rules, which I learned from the experience of doing the opposite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n #1. Whether you\u2019re meeting in-person, over Zoom, or on the phone, always follow a strict agenda.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Start on time, end on time, and know what you\u2019re going to talk about before you start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n #2. Don\u2019t allow your meeting deteriorate into a BS session.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You can schedule <\/em>a BS section as part <\/em>of your meeting if you want, at the end<\/em>. But it\u2019s business first. Follow the agenda. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve got a partner, the two of you will need to learn some skills about how to be more productive, beyond just forcing yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOK, we\u2019re both going to have new websites before next Monday!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s just setting yourself up for a relapse. You\u2019ll be \u2018Lousy-Bossing\u2019 again before you know it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, why not set your first goal with each other as something like this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet\u2019s both explore a different productivity idea, implement it, and discuss it at our next meeting.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n One step at a time, my friends. You can do this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This article was inspired by module #2 – Getting Stuff Done – part of the Agent Skills Master\u2019s Program<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the \u2018Getting Stuff Done\u2019 module, I explain step-by-step how to use \u2018Rules and Routines\u2019 and \u2018Appointments with Yourself\u2019 to massively increase your productivity, minimize distractions, and find the right balance between being a rapid responder (good) and getting stuff done (also good).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n