Trust Yourself, And Prepare to Be Surprised

With summer coming to a close and fall on the horizon, I think about the change of seasons.

The next couple of weeks signal the start of the school year for kids across the country, and the beginning of the holiday season (if you think I’m rushing things just go to the stores that are slashing prices on summer goods and stocking up on Halloween merchandise).

I reflect on the beginning of my career, which took place in 1988—twenty years ago. At that time, 16 years had passed since I last worked.

1972 is when I exited the workforce and became a fulltime mom to raise my daughter, Nicole. Howard and Michael came next.

For those of you out there who struggle with self-confidence, I know exactly how you feel. For those of you who are starting something completely new, like a new career, parenthood, or a relationship, you’re in good company.

Welcome to the Labor Force

Nicole was older, my sons, Howard and Michael were in school, and Saeed, my husband, suggested that I return to the workforce. After 16 years of full-time motherhood I was reluctant.

Yes, real estate is full of opportunity, but I considered the challenges that were ahead of me.

Saeed was a prominent figure the real estate community. The agents and brokers knew me as his wife. That added more pressure.

Imagine my anxieties--“Myra. You mean Saeed’s wife? Yeah, she tried to launch a real estate career, and it flopped.”

Here’s a short list of my greatest fears:

1. I won’t be successful
2. I won’t close deals
3. I’ll fall flat on my face
4. I’ll fail miserably and everyone in the real estate community will have a good laugh

What did I do? Tune in and I’ll continue my story.

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Don’t Wait for Things to Happen, Make Them Happen

Whether it’s going to a charity event in the evening--even when you're dead tired--or picking up the phone and going through your contacts, the principal is the same. You’ve gotta go out there and create business. This approach is what separates the successful from the mediocre.

Act Right Away

Last Wednesday a client and I were walking through a home. She’s a dear friend, and someone who I worked with for years. I could tell that she liked the listing. Experience has taught me to provide valuable information about the homes clients have seen. They often look at many properties in one day, and it’s a challenge to keep track.

“Do you want a copy of the floor plan?” I asked.

“That’d be great,” she said. Earlier in the day the seller’s broker had provided me a copy of the plan and it was on my desk in my office.

As we were leaving the listing, I told her, “The floor plan will be waiting for you when you get home.”

“What do you mean?” she asked me.

She wondered how I could have taken care of her request already. We had been together during the listing appointment, after all.

Impress Clients by Seizing the Moment

Once she told me that she wanted a copy of the floor plan I took action. While she was in one part of the house, I was in another. I got out my phone and called my office. I asked my assistant to grab the floor plan that sat on my desk make a copy of it. She then sent it to my client’s house. The floor plan was waiting for her at her home, and we hadn’t even left the appointment yet.

It was late afternoon when she and I met. At that point, I could have told myself, “It’s a quarter to 5:00, why not just wait till tomorrow?”

There’d be nothing wrong with waiting until the next day. But why delay something when you could do it right away?

My client was amazed and thankful for my take-charge approach.

“I wanted you to have the floor plan while the house is still fresh in my mind,” I told my client. And I meant it.

Always think of what you can do to provide the best service to your clients as possible…then do more.

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Mom, You’re Not Getting Out of the Chair!

My kids know me too well. When we’re sharing a meal together they know what I’m thinking: Has everybody eaten enough? Does anyone need anything else? Is there something else I could do?

My son will see me preparing to get up--hands flattening on the tabletop ready to make my move. “Mom, stay put, we’re all OK,” he'll say.

A jumping jellybean they called me as a child. Active, energetic, and always ready to take on the world.

It's a quality that has lead to success...and exhaustion. Today, my workday will end at 8:15 p.m. I have a 6:00 p.m. meeting in downtown LA with a client. I have another at 7:30 p.m.

After work yesterday, I attended a charity event in Beverly Hills. I returned home pretty tired, three hours later, but I had to be at the fundraiser to show support for my community, give back, and touch base with those I haven’t seen in awhile—It’s all part of staying at the top. Get too comfortable, and be prepared to lose business.

A clairvoyant recently told me, "Myra you know that you're never going to stop working."

"Really?" I said. "Sometimes I think that it's just too much and feel like slowing down."

"You can't hold back because you love what you do. You may complain once in awhile, but it's your passion--you'll never slow down."

I'm reminded of the story of the tortoise and the hare. In my version the tortoise continues to push the envelope--slow and steady.

Meanwhile, the rabbit takes it easy. She says, "I can relax. I know how to do this. No one else can do what I do." And as soon as she knows it, she's fallen behind everyone else.

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Taking Care of Yourself Means Planning Ahead

On Monday, I shared the importance of taking care of yourself, no matter how busy you get. Trust me, I know how hard it is to make money, meet my family's needs, get my nails and hair done, and take my car to get fixed when the service notification appears.

Speaking of service notifications, you’ve got to know when your own “mind, body or soul needs service” message will show up. Otherwise, taking care of yourself just won’t happen.

Alternate Your Activities

Determine what your most important activities are. Then write them down. Now divide them into separate weeks. These are tasks that you’ll take care of outside of your everyday job.

For instance, week one, you’ll get your haircut, your nails done, and meet the dentist (part of being fabulous is looking fabulous).

Week two you’ll take your car in for service and begin planning an anniversary party.

Now, week three will be all about business: how you’ll drum up more of it with specific steps and clear goals.

Planning ahead is key to getting tasks accomplished. When you prepare beforehand, you get things done. This frees up time for activities like reading your favorite book, watching a movie, going shopping and buying yourself something exquisite, or any number of ventures that will bring you pleasure.

But when you say to yourself, “I’ll do it when I have moment,” you end up failing to fulfill your obligations and wasting lots of time.

Learn to listen to your inner voice, ignore it and your body will suffer. Scheduling ahead will give you the time to invest in your career and more time to participate in endeavors that provide fulfillment. All of which will lead to high achievement and a healthy body, mind, and soul.

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Your Car’s “Service Check” Light is on

I had an intensely busy day: listings to sell, clients to take care of, and more. In fact, my schedule was so full that it began spilling into the next day. The next thing you know, the following day's schedule was bursting at the seams, and I hadn’t even called it a day yet.

I hopped into my car and started the engine. Then the “service check” notification appeared on my screen. The last thing I wanted to do was to take my car to the dealer and leave it there for a few hours. But what was the alternative? Forget it for now, which would probably lead to even more headaches later. As a result, it became another task to squeeze into the next day.

When Does Your Service Light Turn on?

Just like your car needs an oil change, brake pads, windshield wipers, and new tires, you’ve got to stick to your own maintenance schedule as well. If you neglect to listen to your service light (your inner voice) the result is that your body will start to show it. And what good is your body if it only brings you pain?

You’ve Got to Service Your Mind, Body, and Soul

“Myra, I’m so busy, the last thing I have time to do is think about my own needs!” Whether it’s your kids, your spouse, your pet, or your work, you’re being pulled in many directions everyday. Often the last thing on your mind is doing an activity that’s strictly good for you.

I’m the first person to say how difficult it is to find balance. Take exercise, for example. It’s something that I wish I did more often. In the past, my workout schedule was much more consistent. At the same time, I had less business.

As far as work is concerned, I just keep going. I’ll sit at my desk on the phone, and I’ll notice that the pillows on the love seat are flattened. The next thing you know, I’m talking on the phone while plumping the pillows. It’s not easy to always be so driven. And sometimes it’s a challenge to know when to stop. Next time, I'll tell you I'll provide some suggestions.

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