If your definition of success is more than the numbers of your business. If you yearn to not only have a productive business, but also enjoy the life and lifestyle it provides you. Then this article is for you.

You've probably found this way of thinking has required you to make some conscious decisions and employ some consistent practices. Agents who are effective, yet who realize their business is only the vehicle to a great life, have some traits in common.

Brian Dyson, CEO Coca Cola Enterprises, captured the essence of this when he said, "Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them -- work, family, health, friends and spirit, and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls -- family, health, friends and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life."

With this thinking in the background, here are five habits I find that highly satisfied real estate agents practice:

• Envisioning Their Future

• Obsessively Planning & Implementing

• Delegating and Partnering

• Knowing Their Niches

• Honoring What's Really Important

Envisioning Their Future

The "Highly Satisfied Real Estate Agent" has a clear vision of what he wants for his business, short and long term. Not only does he have a goal in terms of production for this year, but he also has goals relating to how that production will add to his overall quality of life and how they fit into the big picture. She can tell you where she wants to be in 5 or 10 years.

These agents review and fine tune their goals regularly, so that the vision is a work in progress that can be adjusted or changed as markets shift or change. The salient point is that their vision is compelling and is something that they feel passionate about today. This passion drives the desire to take action and the actions themselves. A raison d'etre! So, when a bad mood shows up or a lack of motivation, revisiting the vision is usually enough to spur action.

This agent has a congruence with their purpose in real estate and core values that are important to him. Kahlil Gibran has captured the essence of what work is for a highly satisfied real estate agent when he says, "When you work, you are a flute through whose heart the whispering of the hours turns to music. To love life through labor is to be intimate with life's innermost secret. All work is empty, save when there is love, for work is love made visible."

Obsessively Planning & Implementing

The highly satisfied real estate agent knows having a vision and a plan only gives him the starting point, and the real effectiveness comes from implementation. The plan is the roadmap and needs to be kept closer to the driver so he can check regularly, making sure this is the right road, that there are no roadblocks and that there is enough gas to get to the destination. The best roadmap made will not get him there -- he must put gas in the car and then drive it!

You must prioritize daily and understand the importance of having clarity and focus about getting the best payoff for investment of time. Put first things first and choose the high leverage activities, like connecting with your sphere of influence, before getting sucked into sitting around working on things like putting labels on newsletters. The highly satisfied real estate agent works like it is the day before vacation every day.

Delegating and Partnering

The highly satisfied read estate agent is good at knowing what she does best and delegating the things others could do better. Remember: Life is too short to perfect your weaknesses! Using a virtual assistant or several people to do what they do best is often a huge savings of your time.

The highly satisfied read estate agent also has developed a team of people to play with -- people that they can count on and that they can refer to their clients to get the job done with ease and few surprises or crisis. They also know, connect with and refer to many others that are not directly real estate related. They share referrals with people they do business with or whose businesses are a good fit for their niche markets. They are obvious as they go about their day so everybody knows they help people with their real estate needs.

Knowing Their Niches

The highly satisfied read estate agent is not trying to be all things to all people. He knows the days of being a generalist are past and the net result from trying to sell anything and everything is usually a very burnt out agent.

Instead, The highly satisfied read estate agent has identified 3 or 4 areas that are a fit for his skills, experience and loves. Perhaps it is a geographical focus or farm, or maybe a type of property, such as historical or homes for the disabled. Niches come in many variations. Focus around your passions for the best results! Become the guru with your scrapbooking group or fellow skydivers. The highly satisfied read estate agent will choose to work with people they like and have interests in common with. The trust level begins high and saves some of the time that would otherwise be spent in the client trying to decide if they can trust you.

There is also a magnetic attraction that happens when an agent is relaxed and happy to share information and expertise. Compare this to the energy that is present in making a cold call and you begin to understand how the most successful people in your company often look like they aren't working as hard as others, yet have great luck at people choosing them to do business with.

Honoring What's Really Important

The highly satisfied real estate agent is a master at having their priorities of family and personal enrichment align with their schedules. She chooses people above things. She includes her spiritual life, in whatever belief system and community fit for her, nurturing herself and believing that there is a greater power we each have the support of when we are willing to let go and trust that everything that happens is part of a bigger picture.

Rate yourself from 1 to 10 in each of these categories and see if there is a way you can make some adjustments or shifts to become more highly satisfied. If there is -- commit to 1 change that would make a difference -- and get into action on it this week! Then make a list of other actions you want to take before the end of the year and decide by when you will take each of those actions. Before long, you will be having more fun and being more effective!

Published: April 10, 2006

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Joeann Fossland GRI, LTG, MCC is a dynamic speaker and business coach. Creator of THE REAL ESTATE GAMETM, she provides coaching solutions enhance your effectiveness and life balance. You can subscribe to her free monthly newsletter, attend free monthly telephone seminars, and find out about classes delivered by email and personal coaching by visiting JoeAnn.com or e-mail her at .