03 Magazine: March 01, 2023

Mornings
can be Magic
I’ve noticed that with changing times
and a vastly different marketplace, it’s
become increasingly important for real
estate professionals to plan not only
how to get the most out of their day,
but out of themselves. It’s also more
evident when there’s been an absence
of preparation, because time in the
industry has taught me that without
that momentum, you can struggle to
achieve anything – let alone a sense of
accomplishment.
For many individuals, momentum relates
back to their body clock and there are two
‘types’ commonly referred to.
You’ll know the categories and, almost
instinctively, most of us also know which
one we belong to. Deep in the powerhouse
of your DNA there’s a collection of genes
which exerts influence over whether you
are one or the other.
Simply put there’s the ‘morning’ or the
‘evening’ person, and some of the research
I’ve seen states that the morning person
has definitely got some advantages. You
will soon see I do have a bias where this is
concerned!
Psychologist Roy Baumeister in Willpower:
Rediscovering the Greatest Human
Strength suggests one of the reasons
someone who is better suited to mornings
can achieve more is that willpower itself is
greater in the morning, diminishing as the
day progresses.
I sit firmly in the ‘morning person’ camp
and have existed there almost all my life.
I start my day before 5 am and I’ve
incorporated several positive morning
rituals which allow me to optimize the day,
every day.
Here’s how others do it (if a 4:45 am
wake-up is out the question, which it
understandably is for most).
Enjoy peacefully the perfect cup of coffee,
or tea if that’s your preference. It can set
you up beautifully for the day ahead and
provide the catalyst needed to move
forward.
Spend time focusing on your priorities,
remembering it’s easier if you’ve already
decided these. I use Sundays to plan these
and I find this allows me to feel more
confident and connected to what I want to
achieve in the week ahead. It can take me
anything from two to five hours, depending
on what I’m working on, and it’s probably
one of the business disciplines that’s
supported considerable success.
Exercise. We all know the benefits of
regular exercise. Being physically active
improves brain health, reduces the risk
of disease and – best of all – provides for
the production of ‘feel good’ hormones.
I’m noticing more individuals are utilizing
monitoring devices like Garmins and
Fitbits, which offer movement reminders
whilst also measuring the daily steps taken
and having recently purchased one I can
attest to their usefulness.
Set and review goals. Sounds simple but
I’m still surprised at the number of people
who don’t have any tangible goals, let
alone written ones to guide them on their
path. I like to think at their simplest they
help your thinking and activity, and at their
most significant they galvanize your desire
for momentum and success.
All in all, it’s a busy list of items to try and
form into a plan of how to enter the day,
week or month feeling more prepared, but
the best thing is, it works.
Jeff Sanders, in The 5 am Miracle, said:
“Being productive is an endless journey
that requires you to wake up each morning
and decide to make the day count.” And he
was right.
After nearly three decades in business,
I’ve got a strong set of encoded principles
which assist me. This includes reading on
waking and not checking my phone, then
reading my goals, walking and listening
to music that’s so bad no one at home
would put up with it but I can’t help singing
along, followed by resistance exercise and
weights, then a cold shower.
Not lukewarm, fully freezing (I’ve got no
idea how that will go in winter, but for the
last five months it’s got surprisingly easier).
Then I make my lunch. That’s my start and
it gives me the energy and stamina to keep
trying to work with the people I value and
respect.
Maybe it’s time to set your day up to deliver
not only results, but a quiet sense of
purpose.
Good luck.
Lynette McFadden
Harcourts gold Business Owner
027 432 0447
lynette.mcfadden@harcourtsgold.co.nz
PAPANUI 352 6166 | INTERNATIONAL DIVISION (+64) 3 662 9811 | REDWOOD 352 0352 |
PARKLANDS 383 0406 | SPITFIRE SQUARE 662 9222 | GOLD PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 352 6454
GOLD REAL ESTATE GROUP LTD LICENSED AGENT REAA 2008 A MEMBER OF THE HARCOURTS GROUP
www.harcourtsgold.co.nz