In Atomic Habits, James Clear offers us numerous examples of the relationship between environment and our behaviors.  One thing that he points out is, “Our behavior is not defined by the objects in the environment but by our relationship to them.  Stop thinking about your environment as filled with objects.  Start thinking about it as filled with relationships…    You don’t have to be the victim of your environment.  You can also be the architect of it.”

Have you ever found yourself to be underperforming and not sure why?  Do you sometimes feel like you are capable of doing and achieving at a much higher level but not feeling the motivation or drive to do so? 

Have you ever taken your car to have the tires rotated and they told you your car was out of alignment?  The biggest indicator of this issue was probably the uneven wear on your tires.  Chances are, you didn’t even notice it while you were driving, unless it was seriously misaligned.  Drive five miles, and […]

You made the giant leap!  You quit your ‘job’ and opened your own business!  This is it!!!  What you’ve always dreamt of!!!  Oh crap, now what?!?

So here you are, maybe a few years in the business, wondering what the heck just happened.  Not so long ago, if you put a house on the market, you had multiple offers within hours or a couple of days at most.  Often, those offers were well over asking price with appraisal guarantees and minimal if any inspection concerns.  Now, that is still happening, but only on the very best houses and only if they are  priced very competitively.  For the rest, the homes may make it through the first week, second week, even a month or more while getting minimal showings and attention.  What is a listing agent to do?

One of the more difficult aspects of ourselves to identify and accept is whether we are operating from a scarcity or abundance mindset.  If you are not familiar with these concepts, the terms originated with Stephen Covey in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  The scarcity mentality person sees the world as having finite resources.  Imagine a pie.  If one person takes a bigger piece of the pie, then the others inherently get smaller pieces.  The scarcity mindset person predicts the worst and expects to be disappointed.  The abundance mentality person has a deep inner sense of personal worth or security.  They believe that there is plenty out there for everyone with some left over.  They are optimistic and hopeful for the future.

Imagine for a moment that you are twelve months in the future.  You are looking back over your year and relishing in the memories of great vacations, enjoying that new musical instrument you learned to play, read two dozen amazing books, become conversational in a foreign language, and experienced your most successful year ever financially.  While all of these things may seem out of reach, in reality, we dramatically underestimate what we can accomplish were we to deliberately set our mind to it.  A well designed and executed growth plan may not be the ultimate solution, but it can help bring clarity and focus to your goals.  

After many years as a patient in the civilian world of health insurance and health care, I decided to finally utilize my VA medical benefits this year. I had an expectation of long waits, difficult communication, and substandard care. Boy was I in for a surprise.

It’s the tail end of the Summer of 2022 and oh how the market has changed! When did you first feel it? In general, most felt the tremors as early as the first half of May, but by last month, there was absolutely no doubt. The Shift was upon us!

So what can you do to be one of those that not only survives this shift, but actually grows your business and capitalizes on the opportunities it presents?

Yes, it’s that time of year again. Lots of parents are getting their kiddos ready to go back to school. Some are getting ready for their little one to start their first day of kindergarten while others are sending theirs off to college. But what about you personally? When is the last time you’ve been ‘back to school’?