Master the Art of Progress



Master the Art of Progress:
Harnessing the Power of the 1% Rule

What if you improved just one percent every day? Of what if you improved one percent each week? It could be improving your knowledge of the housing market, mortgage lending, reverse mortgage regulations, or a better understanding of the basic tenets that most financial advisors adhere to.

If you dedicated yourself to daily improvement you would be 37 times better in one year. Or so says the math. It’s an intriguing concept and one that certainly warrants our attention. However, we’re not money-earning compound interest- we’re people who sometimes have big leaps in our professional and personal development, and other days it seems like for every step we move forward we take two back.

But what if we committed ourselves to the mission of incremental and continuous improvement? If we did we would see remarkable growth which at a minimum would help soften the blow of the periodic big mistake or failure. At least when that happens we’re further ahead than we would have had we accepted the status quo.

So where do we begin? A piece of paper is a good place to start. Write down what you want to improve, what areas you want to see even more growth in, and lastly those areas where you just plain stink. It’s okay. I have plenty in the last category too.

Next, break it down. How would you pursue improvement? Is it reading, enrolling in online classes, or working with a mentor or trainer? Write it down.

Now it’s time to set some checkpoints. Write down which dates you’ll check on your progress. Add this to your calendar as well as the time blocks of the activities that come before. Note- that we’re not establishing goals, but activities in the areas we want to enhance.

Tiny gains become bigger gains. Small daily decisions lead to big outcomes. Remember what seems insignificant today may have big repercussions or outcomes in the future.

Sure, at some point you’ll realize this is the best I can do in this area. But that certainly beats a lack of growth or stagnation or even worse digression.

So what if you improved just one percent each week? Who knows- but you’ll find out if you try.

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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4 Ways to Build on Your Strengths



How to create your own ‘culture’ anywhere

Last season the Denver Broncos’ new highly-touted quarterback Russell Wilson was sacked 55 times! Not surprisingly their record was a dismal 5 and 12. The Bronco’s new coach, Sean Payton was asked about the players’ performance last year and what his plans were. “No 1 job for us coaches in evaluating players is what are the things they do well and let’s try to put them in those positions…Highlight their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.” The same can be said about us as reverse mortgage professionals. Perhaps we feel like we’ve been sacked as reverse mortgage pros this last season.

Basically, we have two skill sets- soft skills and hard skills.

Soft skills are those intangible qualities and talents you have that make you effective when interacting with others.

Hard skills are those skills and abilities that can be taught and practiced.

For example, being a great people person is a soft skill. However, you can learn some hard skills to improve your personal interaction skills. Resiliency is another soft skill.

Then there are hard skills such as organization, time management, basic sales techniques, and an understanding of human psychology.

So where do we begin?

The first step is to identify what our core strengths and capabilities are. Where do you shine the most? What seems to come naturally? What activities bring you compliments from your professional peers and even borrowers? This will require a certain level of self-awareness. Your strengths not only make you feel strong but they produce positive results.

The second step is to examine where you could use your strengths more consistently in your business. For example, if you’re a great public speaker perhaps you should add more speaking engagements in front of homeowners and area professionals. If you’re a great face-to-face salesperson then getting to the kitchen table or on a Zoom meeting should be your top priority.

The third is to know your patterns. What kind of tendencies do you have when the phone and email are quiet? Do you wait or take action somewhere else to produce future sales? Do you love starting projects but find it difficult to complete them? The Swiss-born British philosopher Alain de Botton said, “the best cure for one’s bad tendencies is to see them fully developed in someone else.” How true.!

And the fourth step to playing to your strengths is to get honest feedback. Ask your spouse, a trusted friend, or a colleague for their unvarnished feedback. The good, the bad, and the ugly. The ego is our enemy in this process- so put it aside to learn how to improve.

When we focus on our strengths we don’t fixate on our weaknesses and become increasingly effective, confident, and optimistic. Let’s take some time this week and assess where we can flex our best strengths more consistently in our business.

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Do you wanna tell a secret?


How do you maintain mental resiliency and focus in today’s market? Share your inputs in the comment section below.