Want to Get More Done?

by Terri Murphy

Are we ever really going to catch up? 

Does this sound familiar? Way too often you find yourself wildly running around putting out fires, demonstrating ninja-like reactions to every inquiry, and then are exhausted and wonder what happened to your day. More than likely, as you collapse into bed, dead-tired, but unable to sleep with a list of what’s on the next day’s agenda running through your head, you mentally beat yourself up for not getting more done on that endless list of yours. 

Have you ever thought:  “I’m tired of being sick and tired!  I’m working way too much at the cost of my health, family, friends, and life.” 

Here’s the scoop: You are not alone. The truth is that real estate is a SHOCK COLLAR kind of business.  There are so many components to the buying and selling of real estate, that your workday is often unpredictable, and feels out of control. While you can’t make real estate a consistent and predictable business, you can take steps to rein in and harness the daily chaos. The key to your sanity lies in operational excellence. 

Operational excellence means you have systems in place that will ensure that no detail gets dropped between the cracks, which reduces the stress of distractions and last-minute hiccups.  Your systems will allow you to focus on productive, profit-generating initiatives that increase your bottom line, instead of constantly putting out fires and dealing with emergencies. 

If you are like most salespeople, you default to a daily shotgun approach based on reactions and running to appointments, and you are not in control! The truth is, most entrepreneurs attempt to multi-task in multiple roles with multiple responsibilities and the endless loop never allows for reset time or working ON their business. This causes burn-out, and chances are your business is at risk of failing because of it.  

If this sounds familiar, then it is time to set up your business AS a business and implement processes and systems to create operational excellence.

When you have multiple systems that are well-organized and consistently executed, the outcomes are more easily monitored and measured, and the daily chaos is tamed. When you schedule regular income-producing activities, instead of trying to fit that in when you can, your business will stabilize and you will avoid the roller coaster effect on your income stream.   

Operational excellence starts with a plan and incorporates the details that allow you to work ON your business as well as IN your business to attain your desired results and enjoy balance in your life. 

• You have to know where you want to go.  If you have a strategic plan focused on specific outcomes, and they are top of mind every day, you are more likely to prioritize dollar-productive activities first. Start with a do-able vision of the next 90 days with a measurement of  6 months to track your progress. 
  
  
• Your next step is to create a non-negotiable time blocking schedule in your week and month to plug in the actions that make your strategic plan possible. It starts with you. The excuse that you can’t time block your schedule is bunk. If you don’t create the prioritization blocks to complete those income-producing initiatives, you will forever be reactionary, and eventually, likely to burn out. 
  
  
• Create detailed action plans. Don’t confuse a “wish list” with an action plan. We’ve all written out plans to “get this or that done” only to find it months later undone.  
  Action plans are the steps you need to follow to get to your destination. Done correctly they can be the fastest connection to more income and less stress. Automation, delegation, and consistent measurement are the keys to materializing your end result. The most important step is to set up the action plans for each project or initiative with deadlines and milestones to make it happen.  
  
  
• Plan your days and week in advance, not on the fly! One of the most successful tools to advance your goals is blocking out the dollar productive action items each day, and make those set in stone in the weekly team plan to ensure consistency, accountability, and measurement for each team member’s commitments to their goals.  

The real key here is in your mindset.  When you control your focus, you control your behaviors,  your choices, the actions that follow, and the outcomes you intend.  When you incorporate even one simple system that is plugged into your day, you are on your way to create habits that compounded over time build for success and allow you to reach your goals with energy to spare. Establish your operational excellence through systems and team initiatives that create a win-win for you, the team, and your clients!

About the Contributor

Terri Murphy, Communication engagement specialist, author, TedTalk® speaker, consultant, and Master Coach with Workman Success. She is the author of 5 books and founder of WomensWisdomNetwork on RealtyTimes.com. Contact: TerriMurphy.com or Email: Terri@TerriMurphy.com