Big Day

Today is a big day!!    Two closings (Ya!) and an important football game.   And we wake up to....not just Rain but Cold Rain!!  The closings are good.   Its a strange time in real estate.  There are so many people in desperate need to sell.   Situations that really require knowledgeable people on all sides of the deals.  Its my hope that somehow I can help in a small way turn a bad situation into something salvageable.   So these closings today help to affirm my commitment to real estate.

 So now for football.    Our varsity team is on the path to the State Championship Game.   We've advanced through the playoffs and are on our third game.    (Boy 2, a sophomore,  plays JV and a little varsity)   This is an exciting time for us.   Its inspiring to see the boys so focused and working together, taking it one game at a time.   Our community supports the school and the team so its just a really fun time for all!  Go Purple!!!

So on this cold and rainy Friday, I have lots to be thankful for.   And, I am.  

Love it, Loathe it

Image by qthomasbower via Flickr

This week I've been tracking my activities and assigning a rating of Love It or Loathe It to each one.    I haven't really encountered any surprises but here's a sample:

• Meeting with clients:  Love
• General meeting at office:  Loathe
• Strategy session for 2011 business plan:  Love
• Spending day in class:  Loathe
• Spending evening on couch with husband (Watching TV!):   LOVE!

There's actually a pattern when I look at these.  So far, I can see that I "Love" being involved in things that have direct benefit or immediate satisfaction.   The things I "Loathe" are those that aren't really relevant to me and/or I consider a waste of time, as well as activities that are not handled efficiently (mainly because I don't control them)!!   Further, as I analyze that statement I realize how selfish and self-centered it seems.    (An early post covers my whole theory of "The World According to Teresa" and how I need to work on my frustrations when people don't think or act like me!! )

I do think, however, I'm not really that self-centered; I am all about outstanding results completed in the least amount of time.   I will not sacrifice results for time.  However, when I know there's a more efficient way to same or better results but I can't control the inputs, my frustration level escalates.   Now, the whole point of this exercise is to review your likes and dislikes to come up with a plan to focus on strengths.    If the pattern continues, I think for me I need to determine first the necessity of the activities I loathe (ie, is my attendance necessary?) and if necessary, how can I minimize the time or manage my frustration.   Sounds simple, but I have a feeling its going to be harder than I think.

I'm Here, Are you here?

So I'm reading a book I purchased at the recent Women of Faith conference.   Suddenly, the words of my title pop out at me and my brain thinks, "That's a familiar thought".    These words appear in an essay on how to live life fully and not miss out on the little things happening around you.    These words strike such a chord with me because they are what Wonderful Man should say to me.  

Lately I am falling back into a terrible habit of mine......Not Being Present.    I will be there....but not there.   My mind is a million miles away from the physical location of my body.  Its something that drives my husband crazy, and I completely understand and take all blame.   I thought I was over it but its coming back into my life at an alarming rate.   The author also describes it as "mental boot-scootin' "  which describes the randomness of the brain activity.   I can be at a ballgame, thinking about a deal closing on Thursday, what phone calls need to be made on Monday, to dinner plans for the week, and back to ballgame, only to check out again wondering about the laundry?    Making sense what I'm talking about?

Am I busy with real estate right now?  Yes.    Are there just lots of other things also going on in my life.   Yes.  BUT...It Shouldn't Matter.   I need to be present.   I need to turn off and focus.    I need to remember where behavior like this got me in the first place.    I need to put up boundaries so work is work, friends are friends, but Family and Husband are FIRST and I must be present to win!!!!

I'm really kind of fighting this one so please pray that I will find some strength and strategy to deal with this now while I recognize it.    If not for me, then for Wonderful Man because no one should have to put up with this twice!!!

Still Learning

Had a great time on Friday at a Women of Faith conference!!   There were a couple of great speakers, wonderful music, and just a positive atmosphere all around.   I would've loved to stay for the entire event but it just wasn't going to work this time.

One of the speakers was Marcus Buckingham (an author who has helped developed a philosophy called Strengths Based Management) and his message was that we spend our growth time focusing on our weaknesses and ways to overcome them.  His latest book is  Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently     He believes that while weaknesses can't be ignored, focusing on our strengths is really more productive and positive.    Of course, first you need to know what those strengths are.   He recommends a "test" and its kind of fun - just another version of a personality type test that I'm sure you've all taken.     Go to stronglifetest.com      I've done this and I wasn't really surprised by my "main" type, but my supporting role surprised me and I'm wondering if my age and place in life hasn't contributed some.

The second step (which I will be doing this week!) is to track what I "love" and what I "loathe".    The idea here is to promptly analyze your activities each day for a week, categorizing which column it falls into (and if you can capture it) WHY its in that column.    From there, the idea is to focus on the things you love, see how they fit into your strength type, and then "adjust" your life to use your strengths to their fullest advantage.   This last step is where I kind of get "fuzzy" at what I will actually be able to change.   But for now, I'm just going to see what I love and loathe.   I'd like to predict that grocery shopping will be a loathe, while attending bible study will be a love!    I'll let you know what kinds of patterns emerge and if I have any major "ah-ha" moments!!