{"id":358,"date":"2023-11-16T17:32:20","date_gmt":"2023-11-16T17:32:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agentskills2.dvsrvr.in\/?p=358"},"modified":"2023-11-16T17:32:20","modified_gmt":"2023-11-16T17:32:20","slug":"high-productivity-step-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agentskills2.dvsrvr.in\/?p=358","title":{"rendered":"High Productivity Step #1"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Wise Ted Factoid (WTF) #43:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You must establish good habits BEFORE\u2014not AFTER achieving your goals.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Real Agent Memo this year, I\u2019ve focused a lot on organizational and productivity skills. That\u2019s because you need these skills in order to support a business where you can comfortably complete 50-100+ transactions per year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if your goal is only to do 25 deals per year, wouldn\u2019t you rather do it more efficiently, with fewer mistakes, fewer missed opportunities, more time off, and with an abundance of thrilled, high-quality clients referring you to their friends and family?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know plenty of agents who are stuck at X # of deals, year after year, and they can\u2019t imagine how they could ever get to where they want to be without doing one or both of the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Working 18 hours per day, seven days a week, and\/or<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Having a massive heart attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, I don\u2019t want you to do either of those things! And you don\u2019t need to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You need to stop READING about productivity and start DOING something about it. So what\u2019s Step #1?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start SETTING and HONOURING \u2018Appointments With Yourself\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve been reading this column for a while, you\u2019ve heard me talk about Appointments With Yourself many times. In fact, it was in the last RAM – 4 Simple Steps to Get Out of a Rut<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember? As you read it, you nodded and said to yourself, \u201cYes, I\u2019ve got to start doing that!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, you immediately did nothing. Hey, it\u2019s human nature. We all do this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, here\u2019s a reminder and a plan to implement my High Productivity Step #1 before you exit this email. First, let\u2019s clearly define an \u2018Appointment with Yourself\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s an appointment on your calendar that you\u2019ve set for yourself (the same as with anyone else) with the specific goal to start or complete a task or project. The key is that you MUST honour the Appointment With Yourself just as you would honour an Appointment With Anyone Else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if you\u2019ve got an \u2018Appointment With Your Dentist\u2019 at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, you don\u2019t call them at 2:45 and cancel because \u201csomething else came up,\u201d do you? No, of course not! And yet, most of us REALTORS\u00ae are utterly disrespectful of our own <\/em>time. We put everyone else\u2019s needs ahead of our own, which is entirely counterproductive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, here are some tips on setting and honouring Appointments With Yourself and taking the first and most crucial step towards massively increasing your productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Set Appointments With Yourself for weekday mornings. (We tend to get busy with clients in the afternoons, evenings, and weekends.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Start small and practice – Think of something you need to do, and set an Appointment With Yourself for five minutes to work on it. That\u2019s it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. If something comes up that conflicts with your \u2018Appointment With Yourself,\u2019 figure it out. \u201cCan we look at this house on Wednesday at 10:00?\u201d No, sorry, I have an appointment at that time. How about at 11:30? Or whatever. (This is not Rocket Surgery.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Start ON TIME every time, just as you would (I hope) with an \u2018Appointment With Anyone Else\u2019. Treat yourself with at least the same respect you would extend to Anyone Else. It may seem trivial to start five minutes late, but there\u2019s a bigger picture here (establishing good foundational habits).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. When you finish the allotted time for your Appointment With Yourself, always set another <\/em>one to guarantee you\u2019ll eventually complete the task or project. Nothing is stopping you from continuing with it in the meantime whenever time allows, but you MUST still honour the next appointment, no matter what.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still trying to figure out where to begin? Here\u2019s a suggestion. As mentioned, I\u2019ve been chatting about various productivity topics since the start of the year, so why not set an Appointment With Yourself (for five minutes) to re-read this article from January 11:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Habits for a New Year<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After that, your next step should be obvious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or, set an Appointment With Yourself (for five minutes) RIGHT NOW for whatever other task you\u2019ve been avoiding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do it NOW, before you close this email!<\/p>\n\n\n\n