How Do You Filter Your Choices?

 You have to make countless decisions every day, many quickly as you navigate through the different areas of your professional, personal, and family life. How do you filter them to help you to confidently choose your options and move on to the next ones?

 There is a very under utilized tool to help you called a Mission Statement. Yeah I know, we all have them at work and have no idea what they say, they are just a dusty plaque in the lobby in most cases. Those, in my opinion are not mission statements, but vanity plates trying to sound good with zero connection to anyone in the organization. If used properly a mission statement is simply a filtering tool to run your choices through to help you make the decision that is in line with your vision.

At RE/MAX Ability Plus we have ours "To Inspire Agents, Create Opportunities, and Support Their Dreams" is part of our DNA. We do not do anything without first running it through this filter to make sure that there is a fit with our Mission. Recently we had a great example of how this works in our agent's best interest. One of our agents who joined us last year, came to realize that Real Estate wasn't her passion after working with the passionate agents here. She sent me this email, we were able to visit later, but I was moved to tears to know that we were exactly who we promised to be in our Mission Statement for her. We did Inspire, Create, and Support her Dreams! I am so proud of her for chasing her dreams. Here is her letter.

"Dear Jim,

 I assume Jimmy has broken the news:  I am retiring from real estate.  I wished I could have told you in person, but want to at least send you a note thanking you for everything.

 As I told Jimmy today, real estate is just not the right fit for me.  Working at (Brand X), the office being what it was, I just assumed everyone was unhappy.   I got to RE/MAX Ability Plus and found a company full of people that were not only happy in real estate, but truly seem to love what they do, from you and Jimmy, to the agents, to the staff. You practice what you preach, and encourage us all to follow our dreams.  It made me realize something was missing and real estate wasn't going to fulfill it.   I have a great opportunity to get back into law, either outright or through a few more credit hours of school, and I have to take it.  

 I am immensely grateful to you and Jimmy for your encouragement and support.  I could have wasted years of my life at (Brand X), never realizing there was an issue.  The first time I met with you this spring, I felt more excited about work and the future than I had in years. I realize that in the end, the career choice was not real estate, but you both have instilled a sense of optimism and drive that has been lacking the past couple of years.  Your passion for your job and your company is contagious and I know that is why your agents are successful, and why RE/MAX Ability Plus is successful.

 I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.  I know you and Jimmy will go far, and I still believe that you are the best real estate company in the state.  I will gladly refer business to you, knowing that past client and friends will receive the best service around!  I hope you will keep in touch and that our paths will cross again.  Jimmy has encouraged me to come to the Christmas party.  I hope to see you there if I can make it!

 Best wishes,

  Ayn"

How could we be more successful fulfilling our Mission Statement than that?

Mission Statements help you not beat yourself up struggling with decisions, it makes your day go faster and with much less stress. You simply filter the decisions through your values in the statement, it will either fit or not.

 Have a work one, a personal one, another for your marriage and one for your kids, any others that might make your life easier.

 For me, my personal mission statement has long been, "Have Fun, Make Money, and Make a Difference." If I am in a job that fits all three, life is good, if not, it's time to look.

 When I married Jodi, 30 years ago next June, my Mission Statement was "Make Her Always Feel The Slipper Fit." No matter how our finances were it helped me to find ways to truly make her understand how special she is to me.
 
 For my role as Dad, it is "To Raise Healthy, Happy, Successful Adults." That way when I had to make decisions that didn't make for happy children, I never had to doubt my intentions.

 When you make a Mission Statement, be sure that it is short, simple, easily at the tip of your tongue and something that you are truly passionate about. If you do, you won't be so exhausted at the end of the day from fighting and second guessing yourself on they myriad of choices you must make every day.