Joeann's
Tuesday Tips - December 30,
2008
IN
THIS ISSUE:
Goodbye
2008! Hello 2009!!!
Growing and
Learning Tips
Think Taxes
or How To Pay Less!
Do You Deserve
a Vacation???
Almost Last
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Goodbye
2008! Hello 2009!!!
I hope you have been having
wonderfully fun holidays, filled
with love. I am one of those
people who LOVE this time of
the year. I love giving. I love
receiving. I love my family
and friends and I love my life.
While all those opportunities
are present all year round,
it seems that most people get
into it a little more over the
holidays. The holiday spirit,
I guess it is called. If this
is not a fun time of year for
you- I can only say I am sorry
and hopefully birthdays or Spring
or some other great time of
the year brings a world filled
with happiness for you to indulge
in. I want to take one more
opportunity to thank you (and
I mean you
personally) for reading and
being part of my life. May 2009
be your very best year ever!
As
I’ve gotten older and
wiser, I’ve given myself
permission to take a lot of
time off in December. I quit
doing Christmas cards and all
manner of tasks that seemed
stress inducing several years
ago. This has served me well
as I notice more peace and less
franticness during December.
In closing the chapter to the
year ending and beginning the
next chapter I start with a
clean slate, fresh and full
of intentions and possibilities.
One
of my yearly practices and one
I ask my coaching clients to
indulge in is to look back over
this year to see what has been
accomplished. It seems to me
that the living of each day
and month does not always lead
to the feeling of accomplishment,
but the process of taking in
the whole 12 months reveals
that where I (or you, I bet)
stood this time last year and
how who I was has grown and
expanded. Often, in curious
ways-ones that weren’t
foreseen or intended! The universe
has a strange plan or, even,
it seems, sense of humor! I
have found the more gracefully
I can include it all and make
all events and results learning
opportunities, the more interesting
and sometimes, even, blissful
I am. I resonate with the saying
that we cannot choose our
circumstances, but we can choose
our reaction to them.
I am transitioning from building
my business life to trying to
defining for myself what retirement
means. For Bub, it has meant
the opportunity to travel any
‘ole time (and so I’ve
been taking him with me more
often) as well as lots of time
for projects and reading. He
delights and excels in the art
of relaxation. I am not so good
at this distinction and am formulating
what it is that I would consider
the perfect retirement. I took
a summer vacation last year:
both literally in travelling
to Florida, New York, San Francisco
and Winslow and spiritually
in letting go of most of my
“shoulds” for a
3 month period. It made for
some interesting insights and
let me do some testing of this
state called retirement. In
talking with some girlfriends
the other day, it got redefined
as Inspirement.
I LOVE that! Thanks Sue &
Kate!
So my 2009 will be a bridge
to this Inspirement
state and I am really excited
about including lots of travel
(that’s a hot button for
me if you hadn’t figured
that out!), much more reading,
playing with the grandkids and
what I refer to with my clients
as “white space”-
that unscheduled time. I noticed
this morning that I have been
waking up feeling calm and centered
instead of worried at the huge
to-do list in front of me. This
decompression has taken, it
seems, at least 6 months to
get to here and there is still
much progress that could be
made. Sort of reminds me of
our 3 month trip to South America
in 1978 when Bub said it took
me a month to quit worrying
about the business I had left
behind. But, progress was made
in 2008. These days, it makes
me chuckle that the definition
of progress for me is to do
less and BE more instead of
doing more! I am looking forward
to an amazing year in 2009.
How about you?
Growing and Learning
Tips
I’ve mentioned I love
to read. It’s been fun
this past week to have the time
to read 2 novels and "Eat,
Pray & Love”
I’m not sure what category
that last book fits in but it
was wonderful for expanding
the notion of just doing what
feeds the heart and soul.
Here
are a couple of other resources
for ideas:
What’s on your bookstand?
Think
Taxes or How To Pay Less!
As the year draws to a close,
give some thought to your tax
situation. If you’ve had
a good year and I know many
of my clients are in this spot..you’ll
want to purchase any big items
that you will be needing so
they can be used as 2008 deductions.
If there are classes you are
going to take or coaching you
want to avail yourself of, now
is the time to prepay to reduce
taxes for this year!
Here
is one opportunity to learn
and position yourself for profits
in 2009….
Whether you use it as 2008 deduction
or wait until next week to register,
this will be an investment that
will pay you back:
The
SRS - Seller Representative
Specialist Designation awarded
by the SRS
Council, LLP has been delivered
nationwide and has received
rave reviews.
Is it time to get really good
at your seller skills? Have
you lost listings because of
the competition or not gotten
paid on listings that didn’t
sell? Here's your chance to
get this designation on this
side of the country! Or maybe
just come to Tucson and get
warm, get smart and network.
Are you ready to quit spending
time and money on listings that
don't sell and doing things
the "old" way.
Topics
include:
This 2-day designation course
is being given in Tucson on
January 21-22. When offered
last fall in Phoenix, it sold
out. Reserve
your spot today. Note:
The course is being sponsored
by Realty Executives Southern
Arizona as part of their commitment
to quality education, but is
open to all agents.
Do
You Deserve a Vacation???
I’ll bet you do! Why don’t
you put the vacation time in
first on your schedule for 2009?
I’m going on a DreamTrip
next week with the whole family
to the beach in Los Cabos (I’ll
send you a postcard next Tuesday!)
at a fraction of what the normal
cost would be. Check out the
tab that says DreamTrips to
see all that are available to
members. And, if
you want to save time, money
and travel more in 2009, please
use my website to book your
travel!
Make
this week ExtraOrdinary! It
is up to YOU!!!!!
