Gary Woltal's Blog

In real estate, they say there are something like 192 steps to go from contract to close. There are phrases like time is of the essence to deliver certain funds. In life, much is about time. To use it more efficiently. To make the most of it.

In just the past few days it was illustrated how short and uncertain life is from the deaths of 13 yr old Boy Scouts from a tornado in Iowa to Tim Russert, newscaster, dying at age 58.

Like the Cinderella story, you feel sometimes like

       DON'T LET YOUR HORSE CARRIAGE TURN INTO A PUMPKIN BEFORE ITS TIME.

It may be close to midnight, you never know. You're running to get all the things done in your life, yet you know the sand is ebbing out of the hourglass.

I've heard of living in the present. I've learned to do that one better and live in the moment. Do you do that? Make each contact with all in your life a pleasant one the best you can. There is NO time for negativity. There is NO time for meaness. Time is ALWAYS slipping away and time along with energy from your health is one of life's most precious resources.  DON'T WASTE IT. You learn that as you get older. Be nice to EVERYONE.

Sometimes I think our life experiences the "cramming effect," like studying for a test. When we know it is limited we go in overdrive to work at putting something into it. Plan your year. Sprinkle vacations in there. Tell those you love, that you love them. Be the best YOU each day. Touch lives.

Above all, DO IT NOW!! Send that joke to someone TODAY not later in the week. Hug them TODAY, not when the situation is more appropriate. Support them TODAY not sometime in the future. If you live in the moment, you will be a complete person and never have any regrets.

Hurry up now, you must live in the moment and get on with it. You may lose a glass slipper along the way in your run. But your carriage won't turn into a pumpkin before you're where you need to be.

In talking with a Stager friend about what exquisite talent she had to make a home presentable for sale, we got to talking about the broader scope of our gifts that we have been given. This is more than just skills that we hone and get trained at for making a living. She thought her gift was that of hospitality, of making others feel at home. Have you thought

     WHAT GIFTS DO YOU BRING TO THE WORLD?

Some ideas to help you out. How about teaching, healing, inspiring, speaking, writing, hospitality, comforting, problem solving, entertaining, building, sharing faith, and leading? You may have more than one gift for the world to unwrap and find joy from you.

Let me know what you think your gift or gifts that you bring to the world are.

Mine lean towards faith and inspiring. I know I can read hearts fairly well and can turn pain into an uplifted soul. I am so curious to learn about you though. For me

           MY GIFT IS MY SONG AND THIS ONE'S FOR YOU!!

(A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words)

In communicating in many formats with others, face to face with real estate clients, online with associates, hand written notes through the mail, telephone, email, etc. I have concluded that too often whatever circumstances people find themselves in they want to blame someone or something for it. Where they are at is judged. It must be the fault of someone. Which brings me to my observation and take on what I see that maybe they don't grasp:

               LIFE DOESN'T CARE, BUT PEOPLE DO.

Time and time again I have been struck how life is so NEUTRAL.

You've heard the expression, "The rain falls on the just and the unjust." Life is, what life is. You just don't know what circumstances fall your way, or which cards you will be dealt. But trust me, we are all dealt circumstances. Why do some live to age 5 and then die? Why do others live to a ripe old age of 95? Who knows? But life works just like gravity. There are constants out there that you cannot fight. Laws of physics for example like a speeding car going down the highway. It is more susceptible to getting in an accident with reckless driving. But that is choice, not life. Life doesn't care you might say. But you know what?

        People Care.

While we may all live with life being neutral and not seeming to favor us each day one way or another, if you find the good people in your life they are a tremendous force directing your life. The "caring" ones which I always go around like a detective in my own life trying to find, are what make life ever so sweet. They do things for you when you least expect. They never ask for anything in return. They can turn a dark day into a sunny one with a single smile. You can hear their laughter in your mind.

So while we all slug it out with life that is pretty much sitting on the fence and dishing it out to all of us the same, remember the people who care. They are what makes our own individual experience in life special. They are the caretakers of our soul.

In Real Estate things can go off track right out the front door in the morning and continue downhill throughout the day.

That For Sale By Owner that you were prospecting for went to that El Cheapo discount broker. Good luck to that homeowner, Hmmmph! Then you load up the Suburban for your buyers at the gas station and from just a few days ago the price went up 15 cents a gallon. Boy this sure is a lucrative business I'm in. Then you hop onto Active Rain to do some social networking and real estate blogging along the way and the system fights you non stop with "proxy errors", whatever that is. Is there a glimmer of hope for the day? Well at least there's a nice mid afternoon lunch at your favorite soup and salad buffet bar. Hey, where's the tomatoes? Something about salmonella and a recall. Arrrgh! Just one of those days that turn you into a big crab.

But you know,

             CRABBY PEOPLE CAN STILL HAVE A GOOD DAY.

Counting those little blessings of people that do touch your life with joy and love and caring each day. You know who you are. Some are right here.

And then there's the great tunes to listen to as you go between your crabby events. Great tunes and beautiful people that you wouldn't trade for the world. You don't need much more than that to make it through another one when things aren't always as perfect as you would like them to be.

                          SHE DON'T KNOW SHE'S BEAUTIFUL

In attracting more business to your Real Estate, Staging, Appraisal, or Inspector business these days, you not only need to be creative but you need to go back to the basics. You need some hookers. No not the ladies of the night parading back and forth outside the realty office but a "hook."

Pardon my little twist in the story there, and calming down the excitement for a juicy plot. But did you know that

We remember 33% of what we read. We remember 50% of what people tell us. BUT

        We remember 100% of what we feel.

It is true that we remember what we feel. Think of the aftermath from 9/11. You remember where you were that day.

It's called an "emotional connection" and it is what will assist you in the growth of your business vs. making people read about you or you telling them about your service.

So how do we "connect?" How do we set the "hook"? You make your customer a top priority. You love and care about their needs. You be the connection, the bridge to them, the "hook" between their needs and that home they want to buy or sell or stage for sale.

The payoff? They will like and trust you and reward you with more loyalty, referrals and more business.

So bring a hooker, (ahem) a hook into your strategy to grow your business. That emotional connection that will tie you to your clients' hearts. They will never forget you. Isn't that what you want for the great service you are providing them.

Remember, they may forget what you said, but they WILL NEVER forget how you made them feel.

Stagers do such a wonderful job in working with home sellers and Realtors in preparing a home for a quick sale. Their recommendations as far as decluttering and cleaning and preparation of the home are not only practical but it is a real art form. But

      CLEARING CLUTTER GOES BEYOND COBWEBS.

I am talking about the cobwebs of our minds. Wouldn't we all like to have better "clarity" in our lives? For our decisions. For our path in life. There are so many ways to get off track and lose clarity. With clarity, that clearness of vision, we are more happy and more at peace. Here are a few ideas for better clarity:

Write down what you "value." Your values are the foundation before you can set about heading in any direction. Take time to do this. Re-visit this reflection point on a regular basis to see if you are still aligned with what you value. At mid-life they say many of us shift from success to significance.

Tune into your inner voice. As you get older you will learn it is rarely wrong. But if you have to, find a quiet spot to hear it. Turn off the noise of the world for awhile.

Begin with the end in mind. If you find clarity you get vision. You know what the result will look like. In golf they say if you can see the shot, you can make the shot. Visualize where you are heading and what you want to do.

Know that you will not achieve perfect clarity. You can't see all sides or the unforeseen. This is where you need to trust your gut instinct more.

Foster relationships where you can get others points of view about you. Maybe they say you would be a great teacher. Weigh each thought, but don't treat it as gospel. Mounting similar thoughts might say these other people are on to something about you that you had not found in self-discovery.

Recognize what comes easy to you. These are your natural gifts. Seeing clearly about things "flows" when you are going with what you are good at, and not swimming upstream.

Think about your purpose or purposes for your life. It will make life make more sense to you and allow you to transform yourself more into that person that makes the greatest impact on others lives.

Have an incredible thirst and quest for knowledge from ALL sources. You can NEVER get too much education from formal sources or just people.

The answers to clarity are out there for you. It does take some work. It does take maybe writing things down on paper or in a journal from time to time as you reflect. You may not ever have ALL the answers you seek but with better clarity you will feel more fulfilled than ever before. You will have this deep feeling that you are who you are supposed to be, where you are at is the right place, the people in your life are the right ones chosen just for you, and that you are making a difference.

                 I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW

I cannot tell you how often I see this happen with Realtors, Stagers, small business people, and frankly I am getting tired of it. It is the subject of success. People viewing their own success based on what others are doing. They need to learn to

         SAIL YOUR OWN SHIP !!

If you know what success is to you be fine with that. Quit looking at the other guy or gal over your shoulder. Yes, our competitive juices flow when someone gets a listing in OUR neighborhood or a "friend" forgets us when their house goes on the market. But people, let go of it. There are more fish in the ocean.

If you sell 2 houses, 20 houses or 200 houses a year, know what "success" means to you. Maybe this was the year you were taking care of your elderly mother. In Staging, perhaps a veteran in your town is getting what you think is too much of her share of the business. Quit looking at her. Start working on you. You are standing on the deck of YOUR ship. They are YOUR sails. It is YOUR rudder. See that other ship over there. THAT IS NOT YOU. The quicker we detach our emotions from what others do and start working on ourselves the better. You know, if you knew the GRAND DIVINE plan of how sometimes it all works out you wouldn't work yourself up so hot and bothered. For example Joe Smooth agent that just took that listing in your neighborhood has it overpriced and it will sit for 270 days before it expires. And Susie Stager who took that job down the street from you took it on the cheap and BOY what a pain in the you know what client that will be for her. Don't ask for everything because sometimes you should thank your lucky stars you don't get it.

Just remember, SAIL YOUR OWN SHIP, and you will find a fresh brisk wind, BE MUCH HAPPIER, and find calm seas!!

Working in Real Estate is a real eye opener. Whomever said it was a people business got that as an "understatement." You get to see the best and the worst in folks during an emotional and trying time in their lives. Being the observer in life in the people business it has sharpened my visual and sensing skills in all areas of my life. I used to think life and people would surprise me "some" of the time. I now think people surprise me "ALL" of the time. On the negative side you will have people lie to you. Some will hold a grudge and not forgive you for an innocent mistake. Whom you thought was a friend will abandon you during tough times. Many surprises around you. Healthy people will fall ill and even die. Very sad. Those who you thought were supposed to love you forever fall out of love. People will tell you one thing and then do another. To all the things that surprise you on the negative side of the ledger which I can't control, I just say, "Isn't that interesting?"

But despite all the disappointment I have seen with people I must firmly admit I have seem many more good surprises. People continually amaze me, inspire me, get me jazzed with the goodness I find in their hearts.

One woman I found doing bear repair. What is that you ask? The young daughter of a Mom had the dog nearly chew off the ear of a stuffed bear and the little one was crying. Mom, jumped into action without a single thought, grabbed some thread and started the repair with a patch, all along assuring the child that the bear would be all right. Amazing!

Another instance before the days of cell phones, my car broke down and I was in the middle of traffic just sitting there stalled out.

Car after car passed me for what seemed like an hour and finally some young twenty year old guy in a beat up car with literally hundreds of soda pop cans in his vehicle asked if I needed a lift to the convenience store to get to a phone to get a tow.

He even offered the 25 cents for the pay phone.

Don't ever believe Good Samaritans still don't exist!!

Finally, I used to volunteer after school hours for these underprivileged elementary school kids at their apartment with a church group. Our job was to get them an afternoon meal of franks and beans and help them with their 2nd grade math and reading. It felt real good to give them a good meal and do the tutoring part.

They got to know our group as their little helpers and we brought little smiles to their day. But like a lot of volunteering you are paid back far and away more from them than what you are giving. One day when I was having a hard day in my own life from other things in the adult world before I left the children at the end, one little girl ran up to me and gave me the biggest hug and said, "Thanks, Mr. Gary." It gives you hope in the world that things are still all ok.

So when you see all those negative surprises with people in your life, remember there are many good ones out there as well.

It does seem like we can change the world, one single act of kindness at a time.

I like to say in the world there are two sides. See BOTH SIDES but know the good far outweighs the bad.

Many sellers and buyers in real estate DO NOT remain committed to a goal as their good agent does. This LACK OF FOCUS is a killer. It costs money and time and ends up in frustration.

They need to

                KEEP THEIR EYE ON THE BALL.

I like to illustrate a post with a good photo that makes things obvious. Look at this Wimbledon photo of the groundskeepers pulling the tarp out over the grass courts prior to an oncoming rain shower. Tennis star Anna Kornakova is providing the male workers an OBVIOUS distraction. I'm surprised some didn't trip and have the tarp roll over them. You know, it's that female powers thing! Don't you ladies say you don't know what I am talking about.

But seriously the point is, distractions of many types can be very hard to overcome. Don't deny that they are there. I used to play four hours of tennis in the hot summer Texas sun and believe me I focused on the flight of the ball over the net to win many sets. If I was playing Anna I probably wouldn't have won even any games. Here are a few tips to eliminate or minimize distractions:

* block out time just for what you want to accomplish, and be in that zone, not allowing distractions to enter the zone. Think of doing your taxes. Lock yourself in a room and don't come out till you are done.

* remove distractions as best you can. If in your office there is that cubicle or water cooler talk that sucks up your time, go into the office briefly, but then get out of there.

* plan ahead and have deadlines. Know what you are doing today at 3 pm to 4 pm and you only have to 4 pm to complete it and then you are heading to the gym. Don't deviate from the plan. It can't be done perfectly all the time, but do the best you can within your power, and make it work.

* stay motivated by breaking things into bite size chunks. You can't clean the house or your desk in one day but it can be done in three days with so much time allocated per day. That way you can stay focused on a menial task and not get distracted in a wide four hour window.

* create patterns in your life. Are you a morning person or a night person? Some like jazzercise at 5 a.m. Some don't get out of bed till 7 a.m. and prefer the treadmill at 6 p.m. Stick with your patterns and put those appointments with yourself on the calendar.

* set up filters in your email from whom you want to read from. Delete yourself from dumb lists you earlier subscribed to that now have no value. Check email at various times during the day, NOT ALL DAY long.

* Just say no to unnecessary meetings and events others want you to attend. These can be MAJOR distractions to you.

* Disconnect from the phone by picking up and returing voice mails certain times of the day. Leave a message saying you will return calls from 2 to 4 pm for example.

* Finally, leave your Surfboard at home. Surfing web sites during prime time is a HUGE distraction. Do this during some down time or personal time like for online shopping or bill paying or blog reading/writing.

Keep your eye on the ball and not Anna and something might actually get done!

I believe in communication with friends, clients, and the world in keeping things simple. From my Southern group of friends in my life they passed this funny one on to me to keep things pretty basic. I like that. It helps with people like me who have simple brains.

Redneck Ten Commandments

Some people in Tennessee have trouble with all those 'shall's' and 'shall not's' in the Ten Commandments. Folks just aren't used to talking in those terms. So, some folks in middle Tennessee got together and translated the 'King James' into 'Jackson County' language.... .

No joke, read on...

The Hillbilly's Ten Commandments (posted on the wall at Cross TrailsChurch in Gainesboro, TN )

(1) Just one God
(2) Put nothin' before God
(3) Watch yer mouth
(4) Git yourself to Sunday meetin'
(5) Honor yer Ma & Pa
(6) No killin'
(7) No foolin' around with another fellow's gal
(8) Don't take what ain't yers
(9) No tellin' tales or gossipin'
(10) Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff

Now that's kinda plain an' simple, don't ya think?

Y'all have a nice day