Mortgage technology and beyond: The last quarter and what are you going to do about itJohn D. Svirskynew year's resolution, year 2000,motivation
September 1999, one quarter, 90 days left until the end of the
year, the decade, and the century, What are you planning to do
about that? We all have the opportunity to complete this year
by consciously putting our attention to those areas that need
completion. Are you going to be like the millions of faceless
masses that aimlessly go through their lives handling the crisis of
the moment, or will you be one of the few who choose to live their
lives by design? I hope you are the latter.
I want to share you with you something I have just done for
myself that has produced phenomenal results. The results both
shocked me and redirected my energies. The irony is that it does
not involve a product you can buy. I am not reviewing someone
else's work this month. It is something you can do for
yourself.
I blocked out several hours of time where I was not to be
disturbed-absolutely no interruptions-and I wrote the following
down on a clean page (computer or pad, makes no difference):
Looking back over the past year and decade, what
specifically would I like to accomplish and finish before December
31, 1999?
Sounds easy; wrong! Not if you are honest with yourself. There
is so much more that came to my mind than the amount of money I was
going to make or the number of deals I would close. Issues like the
development of my soul-am I willing to not only forgive those who
have harmed or hurt me, but also let go of the hurt and resentment?
Am I willing to start afresh, not be hindered by my past and the
myriad of mistakes that I have made. Can I let go of all those
things that others had done to me to start the millennium anew?
We achieve different results by taking new actions, not by
repeating the same behavior and expecting different results (some
people's definition of insanity). So I became really clear with
myself and wanted to start the year 2000 by closing the book and
not looking back. To do this, I had to be willing to take a serious
look at myself and my previous behavior (a personal inventory), and
then be willing to acknowledge it rather than justify it (it helps
to share it with someone else) and finally, let go of it.
In doing this exercise, I was shocked and surprised by how many
of my actions were based on proving myself to others or trying to
win (fill in the blank's) approval. I have made the conscious
decision to listen deeper within myself and to allow my actions to
be motivated by what I want for myself, rather than what others
expect of me. You might be surprised at what comes up from doing
this exercise, I sure was. And if you are like me, you might find
that you need to do it more than once. I thought it would be a one
time thing, but I have gone back and reworked it several times. Now
when I finish 1999, I will be able to say, "John, job well done." I
have looked at how much I have grown since 1990, where I was in my
personal life and development, and what was important to me then
versus what is important now. I compared the caliber of my life and
lifestyle then and now, and the irony is that as I grew in inner
consciousness, so did my business, quality of life and material
possessions. I think a lot has to do with setting the boundaries. I
wished to be a well-rounded, balanced individual placing my
spiritual values first, then my family, and then my business. It
was a very hard transition which did not occur overnight. But, over
the last decade, I can see the transformation that I have made. I
like it. I made more money in 1999 than I did in 1990, I have
gotten to fulfill many of my dreams, such as writing this monthly
column, traveling around the world, and well you get the idea. I
just want to give you ideas on how to do it for yourself.
You may remember my January article in which I talked about wish
lists and making plans for the year. I shared how every new year
(and I update it frequently), I create what I call a "wish list."
This is different than a five-year plan, or just goals done for the
boss, this is done for the big boss, myself. On a clean sheet of
paper I create four categories: Spiritual, Physical and Mental, Job
Related and Material. Then, I write down all that I want to
accomplish under each category. Each of us is very different, and
that is why I encourage you to find your own "right way," use what
I share only as suggestions.
I found it beneficial to start with the spiritual, i.e. what I
am going to give back for all that I have been blessed with? How
can I give of myself to others? Is there someone new to the
industry that I can mentor? Do I make at least one free mortgage a
year to someone who cannot afford my brokerage fees? This is a
double-edged sword because I have never given to get, yet I have
also learned the more freely I give to others, the more I benefit.
This monthly column is a perfect example. I derive no financial
benefit from doing this, I have no product to sell you, nor do I
represent a company that wants to sell you something. Each month, I
speak to or receive E-mail from many of you, and have learned
much.
The mental and physical wish list involves things such as, how
much I want to weigh, how many books a month I want to read, how
many books on tape I will listen to, what I wish to do for mental
stimulation, like going to a concert or just this weekend, my wife
and I drove to Boston (4.5 hour drive) to see the John Singer
Sargent exhibition. I write down how many times a week I will
exercise, the type of food plan I wish to follow, etc. I hope you
get the idea.
The job-related category is relatively simple. It gets down to
the number of deals I wish to close, the amount I want to make for
the month and year, and those actions I am willing to do to get
there, (i.e. the number of calls to previous clients or referral
sources I will do each day or week). How many letters will I send
out to prospective clients and referral sources each week? What
commitment am I willing to make to technology? Have I create a Web
page (or hired someone to do it for me)? If you work for a large
corporation you can still create your own page and have it linked
and the personal touch is vital for success. Are you committed to
buying your own software, laptop, and promotional materials, if
your company will not reimburse you? In doing this category, I go a
step further and allow myself to daydream and see what it would be
like if I reached the pinnacle of success (by my definition) what
my life would look like, which leads me to the last category-the
material.
What kind of car, house, boat, motor home, etc. do you want? Be
specific: the color of the car, the color and the scent of the
leather interior, and the sound system. Picture yourself driving to
your office in the vehicle of your choice, and feeling good that
you have earned it. Picture the type of clothing you might want,
and perhaps you want a different house or a second or third
house.
I wanted to review the concept of wish list to get to my main
point, which is we have one quarter left until the end of this
year. Now is the time to take stock of all that you have
accomplished during the course of the year and what needs to be
done to bring it to a close. We are all superstars playing in the
World Series or Superbowl, and there is 15 minutes (90 days) left
on the clock. The coach tells us that in order to win our personal
game of success, we not only have to give it our all, but we must
focus on the goal. What is our goal? That is where the wish list
comes in, and by being able to checkoff the items accomplished, it
becomes clear what needs to be done.
Professional football players practice between 40-50 hours each
week to prepare for a two-hour game, played once a week.
Professional speakers will prepare 10 hours or more to give that
half-hour speech that appears to be impromptu and casual. The
winners take time in preparation, analysis and follow through. Most
people just try to wing it and hope to get by. Which path is right
for you?
John D. Svirsky is a former Director and Technology
Chairperson of the NYAMB, a volunteer firefighter, gardener, avid
cigar enthusiast, and has been in business for himself for 18
years. John can be reached at (914) 424-3388 or
[email protected].
It's worth a try. Who knows? You might even make more money while
helping others at the same time.
