Archive for the ‘motivation’ Category

Monday Morning MOJO

By Intero Real Estate | April 26th, 2009 0 Comments

Attack failure and breakdowns…because it is the last step just before the breakthrough to getting what you want.

Good Morning MOJO,

“I just can’t bare it anymore”.  ”It just won’t work”.  “I just keep running into the wall”.  “I am working so hard and things aren’t getting better…they are getting worse”  “I’m calling it quits”.  Perfect!!!!  This is exactly where you need to be.  You are at the point of having that radical breakthrough you’ve been waiting for.   It is at this specific moment when the magic happens for those few who can suck it up and grind through the pain, the failure, and the doubt.  When you are at the point of throwing in the towel and calling it quits is exactly when you need to turn up the heat and really go for it, because you are at the Tipping Point.  I know it sounds kind of nuts, but you have to experience the breakdown to have the breakthrough…it is just part of the process of getting better.  This is how it is with almost everything in life…personally, professionally, with your health…you name it.

When we are born, we naturally have this fight in us…it is how we learn to walk, talk and read.  But then over time most of us lose our ability to not give up.  Our job, now more than ever, is to get it back.  The tough part is when you are one of the few who embrace failure as part of the process of getting better, you are going against the tide.  Because most people look to go the path of least resistance…not fighting when the going gets tough…just giving up is the norm. Most people are looking for the short cut…the quick fix diet or pill…the home run investment…the easy way to the top.  That is why obesity is one of the biggest epidemics in society…why so many people file bankruptcy…why so many marriages end in divorce.  Rather than doing what it takes to get what they want, people give up when the going gets tough and try the quick fix solution instead.  We try and find the easy way to avoid the pain.  There is no easy way…you have to attack it head on.  You just have to eat less/healthier and workout regularly…invest consistently, wisely and be patient…talk it out when you and your spouse are fighting…  You have to embrace the path of resistance…the path only the lucky 5 to 10 percent of society have the discipline and commitment to travel.

So, attack failure and breakdowns…because it is the last step just before the breakthrough to getting what you want.  Don’t fear the breakdown…you actually need to embrace it as part of the process of getting better.  It is those people that when things become almost unbearable…when everyone else starts throwing in the towel and giving up…it is those that can keep on track just a little longer when most others quit who will experience the radical breakthrough to get what you want…taking it to that next level.

Make it a GREAT week!!!!


Monday Morning MOJO

By Intero Real Estate | January 25th, 2009 0 Comments

Anything is possible…never stop dreaming…never stop trying…never stop going for it

Good Morning MOJO,

In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy was busily working when a new voice came over the loud speaker asking for a carry out at register 4.  Kurtis was almost finished, and wanted to get some fresh air, and decided to answer the call.  As he approached the check-out stand a distant smile caught his eye, the new check-out girl was beautiful.  She was an older woman (maybe 26 and he was only 22) and he fell in love.

Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find out her name.  She came into the break room, smiled softly at him, took her card and punched out, then left.  He looked at her card, BRENDA.  He walked out only to see her start walking up the road.  Next day, he waited outside as she left the supermarket, and offered her a ride home.  He looked harmless enough, and she accepted.  When he dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again, outside of work.  She simply said it wasn’t possible.

He pressed and she explained she had two children and she couldn’t afford a baby-sitter, so he offered to pay for the baby-sitter.  Reluctantly she accepted his offer for a date for the following Saturday.  That Saturday night he arrived at her door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go with him.  The baby-sitter had called and canceled.  To which Kurtis simply said, "Well, let’s take the kids with us."

She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not taking no for an answer, he pressed.  Finally Brenda brought him inside to meet her children.  She had an older daughter who was just as cute as a bug, Kurtis thought, and then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair. He was born a paraplegic with Down Syndrome.

Kurtis asked Brenda, "I still don’t understand why the kids can’t come with us?" Brenda was amazed.  Most men would run away from a woman with two kids, especially if one had disabilities – just like her first husband and father of her children had done.  Kurtis was not ordinary – - – he had a different mindset.

That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids, went to dinner and the movies.  When her son needed anything Kurtis would take care of him.  When he needed to use the restroom, he picked him up out of his wheelchair, took him and brought him back.  The kids loved Kurtis.  At the end of the evening, Brenda knew this was the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life with.

A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children.  Since then they have added two more kids.

So what happened to Kurtis the stock boy and Brenda the check-out girl? Well, Mr.  & Mrs.  Kurt Warner now lives in Arizona, where he is currently employed as the quarterback of the National Football League Arizona Cardinals and has his Cardinals in the hunt for a possible appearance in the Super Bowl.  Is this a surprise ending or could you have guessed that he was not an ordinary person.

It should be noted that he also quarterbacked the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.

Hmmm…stock boy to Super Bowl.  Don’t doubt what you are capable of…make sure you are doing the things necessary to give yourself a shot when the opportunity presents itself…and make sure you are always being the kind of person great things like this happen too.  If someone can go from stock boy to the Super Bowl there is no reason our dreams can’t too…just never every give up and always do the right things!!!!!

Make it a powerful week!!!!!!


Monday Morning MOJO

By Intero Real Estate | November 16th, 2008 0 Comments

You and I have greatness inside of us. We have the seed of success waiting to be ignited, shared, and profited from.

Good Morning MOJO,

Laugh at perfection.  "Tom, what did you say?"  I’ll say it again…laugh at perfection.  Unfortunately, for most of us the “school mind” still kicks our butt in adulthood…in a big way. 

“Mom, Dad, I got an A on my test."  We grew up in an environment where shooting for perfection, an A, was always the goal (personally, I didn’t get many of them).  For most people it was the goal of our teachers and parents.  Many people have their self approval wrapped up in the illusionary concept called “perfection”.   However, when we do that, here’s what happens…we get in the real world. We make the shift from being a student…to being an employee…to becoming an entrepreneur and we bring the “school mind” with us…Perfection…Perfection…Perfection.  What crap!!!!!  It locks our feet in quicksand and takes us down.  We lose time, we lose energy, we lose support…we lose self esteem.  "I’ll start this idea/project when everything is just right" (This is the self talk of most new entrepreneurs).  Unfortunately, somehow the right time never happens.
 
I have several friends who are incredibly successful. They have big houses, vacation homes, drive nice cars, have fat bank accounts and I have never seen ANY of them be perfect in ANYTHING…Never.  Let me sell you on a philosophy that changed my life…not only myself, but thousands of others who have bought into it.  You don’t have to get it right, you just have to get it going.  Let me say it again…you don’t have to get it right, you just have to get it going.  Imagine NOW picking up this idea called perfection and throwing it out the window.  Stop stealing your greatness from the world because you’re waiting for everything to be just right…it’s not necessary.  Stop seeking approval and acceptance from everyone around you…give it to yourself.  Now, allow yourself to take action…allow yourself to make mistakes.  Who cares if people laugh at you? Even those close to you…Big deal. You’ll be laughing at them someday living the life of your dreams.

 
You and I have greatness inside of us. We have the seed of success waiting to be ignited, shared, and profited from. I know sometimes it’s tough. You’re kind of alone with your goals and plans. People around you might think you’re wasting your time. Well…we can do it.  We don’t have to get it right, we just have to get it going.

What have you been putting off…what have you been waiting for everything to be just right for, that you thing you can take ONE action on today?   Start…NOW!!!!!!Make it a Powerful week and Go For It Full Out!!!!!!!


Monday Morning MOJO

By Intero Real Estate | September 8th, 2008 0 Comments

When you need someone you can depend on to get the job done ask the busiest person…the one who on the surface appears to have no more time.

Good Morning MOJO,

You ever notice when you really need someone you can depend on…someone who you know will come through no matter what, it is the busiest person.  The person who on the surface seems like there is no way in the world they can handle one more thing.  You know why?  Because the idle ones have too many excuses…to many substitutes…too many shortcuts.  Almost everything in life is that way. Unfortunately most of us will never know our true capacity for achievement because we never challenge ourselves to perform at our best every day. 

This is most obvious when we are presented with an opportunity that really interests us.  No matter how busy we are, when there is something we want to do…something we like to do, somehow we will find the time to pursue it…right?  On the other hand, those things that we don’t like or those things we don’t want to do are easily postponed and eventually forgotten.  Successful people are not procrastinators…the most successful and effective people have a sense of urgency.  They just grab a hold of it and get it done!!!!  They set deadlines and force themselves to establish priorities by what is most important and not by what they like to do the most.  Deadlines….that is the magic word.  Unfortunately, way too many people never set a deadline to accomplish those things which are most important.  They put it on the proverbial “list”.  You know “the list” I am talking about.  The one you write shit down on that you never have any intention on doing.  Because those things we don’t put on “the list”, we usually just dive in and get done…usually before the deadline…right?

Remember, we are not naturally wound to do all the things we need to do to be successful in life…personally, professionally…health…etc.  Because usually those things required to be successful at any area in life, involve doing something we don’t naturally like to do…at least not in the beginning.  Otherwise everyone one would be getting everything they want in life…right?  Here are a few examples…

  • Exercise versus Watching TV

  • Saving Money versus Spending Money

  • Salad versus Cheeseburger and fries

  • Showing up first and leaving last versus Showing up last and leaving first

  • Getting up early versus waiting until the absolute last minute like the rest of the world

  • Making that tough phone call versus blowing it off until…

Here is the interesting thing though…if you make a commitment to do what is required to be successful, you will eventually become addicted to the success and then the pain of doing what is required will actually become something you thrive on.  I think it takes 90 days to make this happen.  At 90 days, it has been my experience that is the point when you go from feeling good that you accomplished it to the point that you feel like crap if you don’t.  That is the key and that is when you know you have changed that area of your life.  It’s at that point when if you don’t do it, it would be like not brushing your teeth or taking a shower…that just would not happen.  At least I hope!!!!

When you see other people that have what you want…it is not that they are more gifted…it is that they are more disciplined and accountable to doing those things required to be successful.  So, here is what we all need to do…if there is something we need to get done, even if it does not require a deadline, SET ONE!!!!!!  You will be amazed at how much you can accomplish in a short amount of time if that is all the time you have.  Remember, work/life expands to meet the time allotted.  We all have the same 24 hours in a day. 

JUST DO IT!!!!!!!

Have a Powerful week!!!!


John Thompson’s Advice on Motivating Real Estate Agents

By Intero Real Estate | November 6th, 2007 0 Comments

The managing officer of Intero Los Altos says inspiration must come from withinJohn ThompsonJohn Thompson, or JT as he is known to most, is the co-founder and vice president of Intero Real Estate Services. He’s also the managing officer for one of the company’s most successful offices, Intero Los Altos. JT has been working alongside Intero founder, Gino Blefari, for more than two decades and was one of the guys who sat with Gino in rented office space back in 2003 to map out a vision of what a great real estate company should look like. Today, he’s one of the most respected managers and executives at Intero, known for his ability to motivate and inspire others.

We talked to JT about his management approach, an easy-going, participatory style that focuses on leading by example, communicating openly and inspiring others to find their own motivation to reach their highest potential.

InspireWhat do you think the biggest mistake is that managers make in trying to motivate their agents?

They aren’t inspiring themselves. That’s definitely the biggest mistake. If you’re not inspired, nobody working with you is going to be inspired.

The other thing to consider is that it’s almost impossible to motivate somebody who doesn’t want to be motivated. They have to want to do it for themselves. What you can do—in fact the only thing the you can commit to—is to be inspiring so that other people see it, are attracted to it and will be motivated to jump onboard.

What’s the hardest thing to do in motivating agents?

The hardest thing for me is to be motivating even on the days when I’m not feeling particularly great myself. But, that doesn’t matter. As a manager, I’m not allowed to have an off day, even though I have the same mental challenges to overcome and issues to work on. People are looking to me for leadership; so it’s that much more important for me to do the things that get me to the place of feeling inspired. Because of the role I have accepted, it is a requirement for me to work harder at this than everyone else, otherwise you have no credibility.

What do you do to get to that place?

I read more books. I focus on my health. I make sure I am having conversations with other inspired people. I review my vision book to remind myself of the things that are important to me and what I’m working for and towards—the people, my family, my friends, places I’ve been, things that I’m excited about doing down the road. Jim Rohn has a line I am fond of . . .

You look back for experience and
forward for inspiration. 

It is important for me to always be looking forward without losing sight of living in the moment.

The truth is, I still have to go through days and put on a strong face when I’m not feeling strong, but I can’t let the people around me down, not when they’re looking to me for that spark.

It seems like you focus on helping people address the “big picture” almost as much, if not more, than the details of selling. Why?

I do that because it’s all connected. Listen, we’ve all worked with the agents who seem to be working smarter and more efficiently than everyone else. People ask me “what’s the secret?” The secret is, there is no secret. There are two things those agents are doing differently. First, they’re focusing their activities on the things that generate results. That’s pretty clear. But more importantly, it’s who they’re being while they’re engaged in those activities.

I’ll give you an example. Two people hold an open house. One gets five appointments and the other gets zero. Do you know who the person who gets five appointments is? It’s the person who’s energy is positive an attracts others. And you can only be that person when you’re internally happy with the things you’re doing and how you feel about yourself.

It’s the same concept as motivating your agents. You can’t force someone to take an appointment with you. The only thing you can commit to is motivating yourself, and if you do that from deep inside, people will be inspired by it and will always gravitate to you. That’s why I focus on the big picture–because it’s all connected.

This business is about connecting with people, and so you’d better make sure that you’re the kind of person others will want to be around.

What specifically would you say to an agent who’s not doing well with their sales?

Tell me right now what you think you can be doing better? What time did you go to bed? What did you do between 9:00 and 11:30 p.m.? That’s two hours. Should you be in bed or doing something to promote your business?

If you’re happy with your results, then whatever you’re doing is not bad, but you’re sitting in my office unhappy. The secret to getting better results is that there is no secret. You have to change all these small things that will add up and have a big impact on you. Shake up your routine. Do something, anything, different.

It can be as small as getting people to drive to work differently. The pattern needs to change. Get yourself out of the pattern if your current routine isn’t producing the results you want.

When people get results, they seem to be happy with life. I didn’t get to the office today until 8:15am, but I was up at 4:30am. I’m not going to say that you have to get up at these hours, but it is an option. Maybe you can do if for 60 days. If you did work harder, what do you think the odds are that you’ll get the results you want?

You say that you read quite a lot for inspiration. Any books you would recommend?

That’s a tough one. I can throw out a couple of books that were fabulous for me, but books are very personal. Some books hit home to one person and land on deaf ears to others.  The key is to keep reading, since you never know which one will speak to you.

For example, so many people love Stephen Covey, they always recommend his material to me and I have tried but I just don’t respond to it.

I think anything by Jim Rohn is worth reading. He’s my favorite author and speaker. I like that his concepts are very simple.

The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz is also good.

A non-business book that’s great is Viktor Frankl’s a Man’s Search for Meaning. He was a Holocaust survivor who went on to become a renowned psychiatrist. His whole thing is about how our mind, our search for meaning, motivates everything we do.

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