THE Morning For Real Estate Agents
My morning as a real estate agent sucked… However, I was able to do a 180. One question I ask our real estate agents, in our first business planning session, is how their typical morning is as a real estate agent.
I find that this is one of the most neglected part of real estate agent’s days. This too, was my hectic life until I figured simple ways to change it. Once my morning routine as a real estate agent changed, it carried the momentum for the rest of the day. And my life changed forever.
There are seven main areas to concentrate on your morning as a real estate agent
- Wake up earlier for “me” time
- Bathroom Splash
- Coffee
- Stretch
- Meditate
- Writing
- Visualization
- Affirmations
- Reading
- Excercise
- Breakfast
Wake Up Early To Begin Your Miracle Morning
It felt like a new start! I immediately felt good reading the book and quickly realized what I was missing in my life. To get my morning right. What was even more attractive was that most of these things can all be completed in 10-30 minutes.
I liked this. It spoke to me. I like being efficient with time and if I was able to do these things in 20-30 minutes each morning and see a big difference then I am all in.
The next morning my alarm was set a half hour early. I’m up at 7:30am. I got up and did the following routine below in about 30 minutes.
Bathroom Splash
I immediately went into the bathroom, splashed cold water on my face and brushed my teeth. Seems simple, but just these two things are proven to wake you up fairly fast in the morning.
Miracle Morning For Real Estate Agents Has To Start With Coffee
I love a good coffee in the morning, so I kicked on the Keurig machine and actually had time to enjoy it as opposed to drinking it in my car spilling it half the time.
Morning Stretch
I stretched for 5 minutes. Stretching my legs, back and arms while taking long deep breaths. I was already starting to feel the blood moving through my body.
Keep in mind when you are sleeping, you are in one position for 5-8 hours. Your muscles need to stretch out and move the blood and lactic acid build up throughout.
I also realized how inflexible I really was. If you ever had or seen people doing physical therapy, they stretch into the pain. As you become more flexible you will begin to walk and stand different.
Chill Out, Relax, Meditate
I sat on the carpet in front of my bed. I put some meditation chimes on from an app on my phone and sat there for 5 minutes while taking in deep breathes. I then sat for another 5 minutes in complete silence allowing thoughts to come in and quickly go out without getting hung up on little things that can cause stress.
If anything came to mind like having to prepare for a listing presentation, I would push to pass it along and think of something else. Like something I am grateful for.
Easier said than done. Out of all the morning steps, this is one of the hardest for me. My mind is on go all the time. From new ideas, to what I have to do next, tomorrow and next week. I know many of you are geared this way as well. It takes a lot of practice but it gets easier each day.
Journal / Writing
I then headed into my living room where I have this journal that I bought the day before. I simply wrote down the date and one to two things I am grateful for. ** I think this is one of the most powerful parts of your morning, hands down. If you get anything from this article, try just this for 30 days straight. You will feel better throughout your day.
When you start to think about all the things you are grateful for, you are less likely to take those things for granite. These can be as simple as being grateful for having clean drinking water to as deep as being thankful for spending the time I had with my brother before he passed away.
I also think this attributes to not taking things too serious and becoming less stressful day to day.
Visualize What You Want & You Will Get It
I then moved to visualization where each page had a title, description, maybe monetary value and the date I inputted into the journal. This is where I would print out colored pictures of the goals I had and taped them in this area. Probably my favorite part!
Written language is one thing, but having pictures to accompany is a whole different scenario. It feels and becomes more real.
A couple things I noticed with this exercise. I achieved a good handful of them fairly quickly. Other long term goals that I thought would take a few years took even less than 12 months.
Another thing I realized was the goals, content and pictures made me think more creatively. This lead to changing some of the goals. Visualizing these each day gave me ideas for an alteration of the goal like this picture. It is ok to alter them despite what others say.
Quick Story Example
About a year ago I added this one: “Purchase an investment property walking distance to the beach in SW Florida that had a side apartment to live in. Budget $350,000. Main house rental has to cover the entire overhead.” I added a few pictures to this and went on the hunt.
I usually buy and flip the houses or condo’s I live in and at times I am left homeless staying in hotels because the properties sell. I wanted to have a side apartment I could use anytime I needed a roof over my head. But also I wanted to continue to live my beach lifestyle that I love and didn’t want to detract from that.
I found the perfect property pictured here. However, my goal changed quickly once I had my vacation rental guy pull a profoma (potential income as a vacation rental). This little apartment would pull in gross almost $28,000 a year. So my goal changed. I rushed to get financing in order, locked it in, did a renovation and both sides kick off great cash flow.
In summary, I still remain homeless at times. However, this cash flow allows me the consistent money to rent short term if needed before the next flip or I can block out dates if needed. The goal changed slightly and that is OK. But the bigger lesson is never to quit on your goals.
Visualization is one simple tool to get you whatever you want. I am a product of it going from dead broke, homeless, living in the upstairs of my office and showering at my local gym. And now living directly on the beach with a handful of beach rentals and other rentals with financial freedom. You can do it too!! Just follow this system.
Words of Affirmations
This was a kind of a strange exercise in the beginning as you are saying these out loud. I can tell you they make a big difference. When you are doing the act of saying something out loud it further embeds into your ears and eventually into your subconscious.
So really what ever you are saying out loud on a consistent basis eventually becomes part of you. This is also true with saying your scripts out loud on a regular basis.
So What Am I Actually Saying?
Some items on my list:
- I am grateful for my life, family and where I live
- I am healthy and happy
- I am a great salesperson and truly help others
- I love my family and friends
- I will invest in assets and not liabilities
- Nothing will stop me from getting what I desire
- My business is great
- I feel great
- I am confident and strong
- I am happy and energetic
- I am financially free
- I will explore more beautiful places on earth
- I have amazing human experiences
- I am a multi-millionaire
- I give to others
- I give more to charity
- I invest in income producing real estate
- I am spiritual and the spirit guides me to greatness.
These can all be altered to what your life is like, what you are searching for and want you want. I also encourage you to say certain items that may not be true (yet). The reason is we will begin to believe these things and over time they will come true.
As you say these things like “I am mortgage free and have no financial stress.” You will begin to have a sense of relief and calmness even before it happens. This allows your brain to work more clearly and creatively.
Read & Build Your Mindset
I had a serious comprehension problem when I was younger… So I thought. It turns out so many people have this “issue.” I would be reading a book, flip to the next page and be like “what the hell did I just read?” Has this ever happen to you? News flash, this isn’t a problem. It is the content you are reading that is the problem.
I am sure you can remember a time or many times in grade school or college when you were forced to read content that you despised. I hated reading so much because of this that I would buy Cliff Notes just to pass certain exams. It was these forced books that didn’t speak to us which then became a comprehension problem or attention deficit disorder or whatever else the medical world wants to classify us as.
I think our formal education systems have failed many. If you feel you have a tough time reading, you can start simple… But let’s first check out some stats.
28% of Americans have not read a book in the last year. 21 million Americans can’t read at all, 45 million are marginally illiterate and one-fifth of high school graduates can’t read their diplomas. But you can change this behavior if you are not reading on a daily basis like I have. Some simple tips below.
I usually take at least 15 minutes each morning to read. I probably have hundreds of books on my Kindle now which are mentioned throughout this site. I try to power through and finish one at a time. However, one important thing I learned to keep my reading up and motivated was this:
If it doesn’t speak to me, ditch it.
You can always come back to it at a later time, even years from now. I have purchased books on my Kindle years ago, that I booted back up and realized, wow that was a good book. But at that time when I started it a couple years back, it just wasn’t feeding my mind at the time.
Reading is essential in two main areas for me:
- Inspiration. The book has to keep me engaged and inspired to keep reading on.
- Education. I have to be learning from this book to help build my personal life, health, spirit, business, financial future, etc.
If the book you read is not stimulating you in these areas, drop it and move on to the next. PS – As you read you get better and faster. Also, most great books refer you to other great books.
My 10 Minute Exercise
Ok. I am first to say that I dislike going to the gym. So I essentially stopped. I found that I am happier when I do not have to get ready and drive to the gym as it became a “chore.” It also took an unnecessary amount of time out of my morning.
So I figured alternative ways to get at least a 10-15 minute workout in. Sometimes as long as 30 minutes. I have two sets of dumbells in my condo that I will use for curls, shoulders, squats and chest.
I have my stop watch clock on my phone with a timer of 10-15 minutes so I feel the urgency to rush through these exercises. I do not have time to think about it and be lazy or even rest. I usually will do 2-3 circuits together of separate muscles so there is no time to rest.
You can honestly get a really good work out within this time period if you do this. Example of a 10 minute workout – 3 sets of each with no break:
- 15 curls, 30 push ups, 12 burpees.
- 20 shoulder shrugs, 15 tricep curls, 20 squats
And you’re done. Other days, I will take 15 minutes and go for a light jog with some sprints or even a relaxed day of a long walk on the beach.
If you are out of shape. No worries. Ease into it. Take a brisk walk around your neighborhood. Consider taking headphones and listen to something motivating. After your first week, you should be able to jog one minute on two minutes off. After your first 2 weeks you will start to feel a big difference.
Big Breakfast
I really couldn’t recall having breakfast since I was in high school eating my mothers’ over easy eggs / bacon or cereal. I really didn’t understand the importance either of how essential this meal really is.
I also, do not enjoy cooking. Grilling yes but cooking not so much. I found using my Vitamix was the ultimate way to go. By far the best blender on the market. A huge difference since the old Magic Bullet and traditional blenders on the market. Pricey but the smoothie comes up professional every time within seconds.
A normal breakfast for me is blending up the following: About a cup of water, handful of ice, couple handfuls of kale (or other greens but kale is a super veg), 1 banana, 2-3 carrots, 2 kiwis and sometimes some wheatgrass powder or other fruit.
This usually fills up two large cups and I will drink them both (size of a YETI cup). I get plenty of nutrients and energy. My metabolism also speeds up as well. I can tell you there is no way I could sit for 10-15 minutes trying to eat all of that like a rabbit. I can slam these two cups down in the matter of minutes. To boot – they taste surprisingly incredible. We even give them to my girlfriends kids and they love them.
A Trickle Effect On My Diet
Because I was putting really good nutrients in my body in the morning, over time I was less likely to pick up bullshit food on the fly. I mean, do you think a Big Mac and French Fries give you much energy and nutrients? Just the opposite. So my morning breakfast routine actually began to set the rest of my day up for lunch and dinner.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ll still stop and get something on the fly on occasion but I am a lot more aware of what I am putting into my body. Even worst case if I have to stop at a Wendys, I get a salad and a chicken fillet without bread to get me by. However, I will try to pack a lunch most days.
My Car Ride(s)
There is no longer a car ride, when I am solo, that I am not self improving. Why was I wasting a car ride in the morning headed to the office listening to music? I instead filled it up with YouTube subscribers who I listen to on a regular basis like Tony Robbins, Grant Cardone, Gary V and many others.
By the end of my car ride, I had usually two things: More inspiration and another idea…
My Goals Are Coming To Fruition
Since the start of really controlling my morning, things were “magically” starting to happen. I was closing more deals. I was interacting with people and being way more friendly including toward my sister and staff. I was making more money to start investing for my future. My real estate business was changing. Things we getting easier. I was helping more people. I felt better and happier. I was more energetic. And I began to reach many of my goals pictured in my book and continue to do so this day. I am excited to see where my next venture(s) take me.
I truly believe this morning regimen expedited where I am at today. I do not think I could have reached the financial freedom as quick as I did without my morning routine. It just put everything into perspective and each morning set the momentum for the day.
The Miracle Morning
My life was changing fast. And as I reflect now looking back, as I write these words, I am grateful to have picked up the book The Miracle Morning. By the way, this book became a number one seller. It was so successful among real estate agents, that Hal wrote a second book called The Miracle Morning For Real Estate Agents. Check out the current prices on Amazon with the links.
The Morning For Real Estate Agents – My Challenge To You
This is such a simple, yet hard thing to do. We all have our routines and change is hard sometimes. But ask yourself, is your routine really effective?
I suggest if you got to this point on this article, then stop for a second. Take a piece of paper out and plan your morning for tomorrow. Use the content above as your guide. Feel free to keep the entire routine under 15 minutes. Do all or some of these items. ** Remember you can jog fast in place for 60 seconds. It’s a start.
Once you have this written down exactly what you are going to do tomorrow, do it for the next 30 straight days. Feel free to document it each day afterwards and express how you are feeling. No one else has to see the video or hear the recording. But it will be a great tool to go back listen in, reflect and really understand the power of this plan.
We did one of our office training’s on THE Morning For Real Estate Agents. It was a huge success. A good amount of our agents were inspired and stuck with it. I still get stories that they have lost weight, have more energy, closing more deals, less depressed, more inspired and so on.
I’m Not A Morning Person
One final note on this subject. This was my famous line… I’m not a morning person. I would say it all the time and it truly become my belief pattern. I would say how cranky and tired I am in the morning. This is exactly who and what I became. I was a cranky bastard for the first couple hours of my day.
So what’s your excuse? What’s holding you back from taking control of your life and implementing some or all of these steps above? I have kids. I don’t have time. I am not a morning person. My significant other will distract me. I have to prepare for a meeting…
Your Excuses, Like Mine, Are All Bullshit
Look. You are living on a small planet in the middle of space spinning hundreds of miles per hour. You are a little piece of something in a much much bigger world. So while you are here, make the best life you can. Life is short. Remove the excuses, the BS and take control. You only have one life.
Thank you.
To your success in life!