"Ah Ha!" Moments and Being Lucky

My friend Toby Davis in Charleston, SC, sent me a story that really hit home - gave me one of those "Ah Ha!" moments. At the same time, it reminded me about what it means to be lucky in real estate or in anything you do in life.

A teacher told his class of pottery students that he would grade half of them on the quantity of pots they produced, and the other half on the quality. In the "Quantity" group, it didn't matter how good or bad their results, only the total weight of pots they created would count. For the "Quality" group, all they had to have at the end of the semester was one perfect pot to get that "A" in the course.

They set to work. The wheels whirled and the "Quantity" students turned out pot after pot, improving with each creation. On the other side of the room the "Quality" students thought and planned, and agonized every nuance of their creation. The strain of trying for perfection paralyzed many of them so that they ended up with nothing but unused lumps of clay.

The moral? Good work is not perfect work. Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times, but he kept picking up that bat and standing at the plate. Not everyone you meet will be a client, and you won't sell every house you list. But if you keep meeting people and talking to prospects, you will find clients and even new friends.

Those of you who know my background can understand why this got to me. I was that ceramic artist and I made lots and lots of pots, tried new techniques, and learned a lot. Boy, did I learn and develop my talent! Some pots were not so good and some were really, really good. Some I even tossed before they got to the kiln. But many are in my home, and many more are decorating other homes and being enjoyed by clients who purchased those pots.

Now I use this same talent in my real estate career.

• The more people I meet, the luckier I get.
• The more risk I take the luckier I get.
• The harder I work the luckier I get.

I have been very “lucky” in this wonderful world of real estate!