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Chop Wood, Carry Water

Screen Shot 2018-10-10 at 6.20.00 AM“Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.”  – Buddha.

With simply a casual glance at the picture on the left, One could be very confused as to the direction of this article. Yet… with further examination, it’s clear. So, let’s examine further….

The man in the picture (carrying water, by the way), is the greatest marathoner of all time, Eliud Kipchoge. With an extremely lucrative Nike contract as well as a plethora of other endorsements, Kipchoge is more than likely one of the richest people in Kenya. As the Olympic marathon champion, the world record holder, and winner of all but one of his eleven marathons, his status in his homeland is that of an icon. Yet at his training camp, he seeks no special treatment. He considers himself no more important than the next runner. At his training camp, Kipchoge carries water, tends to the garden, cleans his high tech shoes with a scrub brush. Kipchoge works the basics; he works the process.

The process, for a marathoner is mileage. The body must be hardened to a place where one can run 26.2 miles as if it were one (in Kipchoge’s world record he averaged 4:38 per mile). The work is long, deliberate, and often tedious. It must, however be completed. Without the work, there is no success. For the marathoner, as well as a real estate agent, the process is about the WORK.

When we first emerged into the real estate business, there was so much to learn. We read, we listened, we attended classes. We went to the well (so to speak) in an effort to be more knowledgable, more focused, better agents.

Today, through the “wonders” of technology, the changing of markets, and the evolution of the business, we are required to remain just as diligent about our development as when we were rookies. The diligence, the work, are the things that solidify the process. And our business, at its best and at its worst, is constantly about the process. What are you DOING to stay up on the latest tools, methods, and techniques? What are you DOING to better understand today’s crazy markets? What are you DOING to better serve your buyers and sellers? What are you DOING every single day to be the best agent you can be?

The greatest blessing AND biggest curse of real estate is that the target for success is constantly moving. Monetary goals, number of transactions, they can be static sort of objectives. Being the best you can be, providing that GASP-worthy service, however, these are the targets that won’t stand still. They are the ones requiring us to remain diligent, no matter our experience.

The answer? Keep working the process. Stay diligent on the path to excellence. Read, listen, attend.

Chop wood, carry water.