Master your day and you’ll master your life. That’s the simple secret of SuperProducers, says two-time, best-selling author and real estate professional Michael Maher. While SuperProducers might look superhuman to the average salesperson, they’re not. “All that these incredibly successful people have done is learned the ‘lifehacks,’ or shortcuts that make life easier, to be more productive.”
While most agents are selling $1-to-$10 million in properties or products, SuperProducers are moving $50-to-$400 million. “They’re not in the one percent,” Maher says. “They’re in the top one half of one half of the top one percent. These are really, really productive people, and you can be one of them if you do what they do.”
During the most recent Homes.com webinar, “4 Simple Lifehacks of SuperProducers,” Maher shared a detailed outline of four daily rituals that can turn ordinary agents into extraordinary ones. “Success,” he said, “is more about excellent habits than excellent skills.” Skills matter, but without these four rituals it’s going to be a lot harder to succeed.
Rituals for Success
We already have rituals, they just might not be productive ones. Maher said, we just need to focus and redefine them in ways that help us reach our goals. The key is to start slowly and be consistent, adding things and create your ritual over time. If you try to make too many big changes at once, it’s likely you’ll fail and fall back into old habits. Success is a one-degree tweak.
Maher’s four rituals begin with the Sunday Night Ritual:
(1) Sunday Night Ritual (Weekly Preview) SWEET
- Schedule
- Weather
- Exercise
- Eating
- Take Time to Lay Out Your Wardrobe for the week
Set aside time every Sunday night to review your upcoming week. Check your family and personal schedule (sports, recitals, school events, etc.). Check the weather report and plan your week based on it. Will rain on Wednesday derail a scheduled event? Adjust accordingly. Plan your meals and your exercise schedule for the week. Finally, track your days, note what you’ll be doing each day and then take the time to lay out your wardrobe for the week so you know what you’ll be wearing each day. This ritual will save you time throughout the week and relieve the stress of last minute decisions.
Your Sunday night ritual will prepare you for the week, but you also need a nightly ritual to prepare yourself for the upcoming day.
(2) Nightly Ritual (Pre-Sleep Ritual or Bedtime Ritual) DREAMS
- Dim
- Read
- Exercise
- Affirmations
- Meditations
Dim the lights in your bedroom before your sleep time. Turn off technology, including televisions, computers, tablets and (yes, even) your phone. This allows your body to adjust and signal your brain that you’re ready to sleep. Start your bathroom ritual – brush your teeth, put on your pajamas, take off your makeup — whatever you do. Take a few minutes to stretch and do a few tension-relieving exercises for your back, shoulders or neck. Incorporate a de-stressing yoga sequence, a few gentle head rolls, or something light to physically relax your muscles. Adjust your bedroom thermostat to a lower temperature. Sleep studies show we sleep better in a room that’s at 68 or 69 degrees. However, this doesn’t mean you need to turn the temperature all the way down on the first night of your ritual. Gradually reduce the temperature to make a more comfortable transition. Then, review your goals and celebrate your day. Focus on the highlights and not on the things that went wrong. Finally, meditate, reflect or pray to silence your mind. Write down any thoughts or things you’re grateful for in a paper journal, not a tablet.
(3) Morning Ritual (Habit Stacking) SAVERS
- Silence (meditation or prayer)
- Affirmation and Appreciation
- Visualize
- Exercise
- Reading
- Scribing
Begin your morning by centering your mind and heart with silence, prayer or meditation. The goal is to quiet your mind, block out chatter and start the day with calm thoughts. Add an affirmation or two, a reminder of your goals and vision for yourself. Exercise — do something physical to get your blood pumping and oxygen flowing to your brain. Take a few minutes to read something business related or inspirational. Scribing is merely writing — it can be reaffirming your goals for the day, or thoughts you have while exercising or meditating. Writing down your thoughts helps re-enforce them in your mind or to clear out unnecessary mind-clutter.
(4) Pre-Leave Ritual (End Work Ritual)
A pre-leave and end work ritual is important for your mental and physical health as well as your longevity and success at your job.
Start by organizing your desk. This doesn’t mean you have to clean it completely off, but can mean organizing your folders or filing papers you’re not using. Don’t stop there, though. Organize your environment — take out the trash, put your pens and pencils away and clear the surfaces and area for the next day. The goal for the end work ritual is to create an environment that you will walk into the next morning and feel immediately inspired to begin a productive day. Lastly, write your first intent or goal for the next day and put it in the center of your desk. This can be something as simple as making a “thank you for the referral” call. Having something to do first thing when you sit down at your desk will kick start your day. Underneath your intent, list your top three to-do things for the next day. Then, and most importantly, leave the office.
While these are just some of the tips provided in the webinar, there are even more great tips you can get by reviewing the full recording. For more free real estate education including best practices, visit Secrets of Top Selling Agents. Be sure to sign up for the upcoming webinar, “Advanced Lead Conversion: More leads. More appointments. More sales.” featuring Chris Smith on Wednesday, March 16th at 1:00 PM/ET.
