I'm in the process of studying and completing some continuing education hours, required by Florida for me to renew my broker's license.  I woke up this morning with some thoughts in mind and the phrase 'highest and best' in my mind. 

As a real estate agent,  I make it my business to know when new properties enter the market for sale. Especially vacant land. I have some developers that are currently seaching for projects. So if some vacant land becomes available, I make it my job to find out everything I can about that land. I may go to the zoning department and find out what the land is zoned for, what is not only possible but what they feel is a good use for that land. I can then present this research to my clients. This process is called finding the 'highest and best' use for the vacant land. 

My thoughts concerning that phrase today really has nothing to do with vacant land, developers, or even real estate, but rather more about life and how I spend the days of my life.  Business has been steadily increasing, and I find our days increasingly filled with long lists of  "to-do's" or what I would rather call "ta-da's". But if you've been in business for very long, you have already discovered the tremendous difference between being busy, and being productive. 

Maybe a better way to go about my day and put first things first, is to look at my agenda with the phrase 'highest and best' in my mind. What am I going to do today that is going to be the highest and best use of my time and energy? Then maybe I should organize my list in that fashion. Being a real estate agent, it's very easy to get caught up in mindless and unproductive activity. Has your office become more of a social club instead of a work environment? Are there too many luncheons, social gatherings, or classes on your schedule? Do you set specific hours of the day to call past clients, send cards, or blog? Or has your daily life become one of going, going, going...and never accomplishing much? Do you find yourself exhausted day after day, but your business has not increased? 

As I am thinking about writing this blog, I started thinking of more ways I can use 'highest and best' to make my life better and have more meaning. What about applying this to other areas of my life? Spending time with loved ones, for example. It's not about the quantity of time that you spend with your family, but the quality of time.  Are the 3-4 hours of your evening filled with 'highest and best' memories, or do you spend them scattered about doing different things, or watching mindless hours of television? 

I'm making it a priority to make some changes in my own schedule, business, and personal life.  I've spent some time re-evaluating my days and waking hours and noting several changes that need to be made. I'm going to look over the past few weeks, and the upcoming weeks, and decide what is the 'highest and best' use of my time and energy. I'm going to decide what activities are going to help me earn the most money for my efforts, and what will feed my soul and help others. And I'm not going to be afraid to make some serious changes.  I am challenging myself to make my life better.

Take the challenge with me! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyday is a New Day

As the year draws close to an end and Christmas is almost here, I am taking some time to pause and think about the year in review. It started out much like every other year for the last 5-6 years. It was cold, we had alot of ice & snow. I was working on the west end in Atlanta doing income taxes. I had a plan and a dream to move to paradise. That dream pushed me forward and I kept it alive by reminding myself every day what I was pushing myself towards.
Alot happened this year, break ups, moves, reunions, marriage. Every single thing in my life changed in 2011. My health, my body, my address, my name, and my relationships with family & friends. I moved away from everything and every person I knew to begin in a place I'd never been and knew no one. Now, I feel as if I've been at Beachy Beach Real Estate forever. New friends too, awesome & terrific folks.

I've never been a very 'stable' person as most people classify stability. I like change. I like different things, and experiencing new places and faces. But 2011 has been, by far, the most life changing for me.

I suspect 2012 is going to blow 2011 away...at least that's the plan!

Ready, Shoot, Aim!

No, I didn't write it backwards. It's the way I have had to learn to live my life this year.  Many years ago  when I was first married, I was the organizer and planner of everything. I wanted to BE Martha Stewart. OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) most likely, although I happened by it honestly. I swear my mother has OCD. Ever since I can remember, everything had an EXACT place and had to be in it's EXACT place at all times. And life had to be planned way ahead of time, with a backup plan. And while you're at it, a backup plan for the backup plan. What's for dinner is something you settle first thing in the morning, don't you know. You get the picture. (I love you mom.) 

As I got older the world got busier, the economy tanked, technology bloomed, and now everyone just seems to run in high gear all day every day. Including me. There's no time to be so organized anymore. I've learned to keep things in the same general area, but the days of having labeled files and cute little organizer bins and nothing ever out of place are over for me. I honestly don't see how working people today have the time (unless of course you really are Martha Stewart). I learned not to care if the bread is on the counter and not stashed out of sight or shoes are left by the front door. And sometimes I don't even make my bed. Does it really matter? I'm just going to be back in it in a few hours, right? I read somewhere once that being overly organized stifles creativity. So I am using that as an excuse for having become a very unorganized person. In the grand scheme of life does it really matter if things are neatly stacked and filed or just randomly shoved into a drawer? Who's looking anyway? God bless women today who have a career and a household to run and children to care for. I have no idea how you do it.

I think the point of this blog was to say that sometimes you just have to get ready and shoot. If you stand around too long trying to aim just right, you're gonna miss everything. If you just keep shooting in the right direction, you'll hit something.
 'Fake it till you make it' has always been one of my favorite motto's. Mostly, it's worked for me. And sometimes there's no time to plan everything. You just have to put it in first gear, let out the clutch, hit the gas and go!

My big life change 2011 is still underway... and ya'll ain't seen nothing yet.