90 Day Pace Challenge - Day 4 - 10 Dollar Per Week

Today I put 10 Dollars in my new 90-Day-Challenge piggy bank - finance is a cornerstone of my life.  I pledged to do that every week. Next year I will donate the money to a local charity I support from all my real estate transactions, DreamPower Horsemanship. It's not about saving huge amounts, it's about learning to put aside continuously.

90 Day Pace Challenge - Day 3 - The Return of the Santa

"Foundation" is also one of the five cornerstones of my life I have to work on during the 90 day pace challenge.

I am required to change one habit, do one basic approach in my life differently to achieve a firmer foundation . Well, I decided to switch from happy go lucky plan everything in my head to daily revise and add my chores and events on a google calendar for 36 months. I entered everything from taking down the Christmas decoration to going to see my grandson in Germany in March and Keller Williams Mega Camp.

For today, I had penciled in lead generation/door knocking in the morning hrs. Following another momentorship recommendation, I scheduled this doorknocking on this rainy Saturday morning after a good nights rest and not as usual in the afternoon on a work day.

What can I say? I got out to the neighbor-town at 10AM. I executed my idea to  I drop off thank you gifts to the neighbors of my last open house. The open house was very busy and all the parking in this sought after community was occupied by our visitors. The neighbors took it very patiently.

I hit the entire neighborhood and most of them told me that I was the first agent who had thanked them for putting up with the extra traffic caused by the open house although there were homes listed all the time.
I felt happy and empowered by the feedback. I also noticed an abundance of energy, very different from an afternoon lead generation. I am sure that future clients will come out of this successful morning. I look forward to doing this again - in the morning!

90 Day Pace Challenge - Day 2

Mo Anderson dared me and I signed up to do the 90-Day-Pace Challenge. One of the five cornerstones of my life I have to work on is my health.

First I thought I enter "lower my glucose level" as commitment but it did not feel concrete enough. I know myself. I find loopholes out of general statements like that. So I decided to make my health goal very detailed: I commit to work out in the gym at my work place every work day before I start my 8AM college job. Working out consistently definitely will help lowering my glucose level and improve my overall health.

This is not new. I did that before but not consistent enough. For example, I did not work out for the past three weeks and this break was filled with pies, turkey, and homemade cookies. Now I want to bring consistency in my work out which starts with running on the treadmill and then continues working out on 3 weight-lifting machines assigned by CJ, my personal trainer and college buddy. This will give me enough time to use the staff shower and get ready for my office job. Below is the proof: I worked out at 6:30 AM in the morning - Yay me!

My 90 Day Pace Challenge - Day 1

"I will put my own pace in place to create the space for me to run my race."

This is the essence of the January keynote in my Momentorship program.

Having worked many years for PowerBar fueling marathoners and triathletes, I fully understand  keynote speaker Keith's analogy between running a marathon wisely and starting the new year right.

When  running a marathon, you don't start with a sprint. You create your own pace during training so that you can finish the race instead of falling flat on your face and puke after the first mile or running out of fuel half way.

Guess what, starting the new year with a sprint is not healthy either because in March, you will have abandoned this radical diet or the rigorous gym plan and  all the ideas you started in January for fast success. Been there, done that, many times.

Instead, in my business plan and in my personal life, I will incorporate the 90 Days Pace Challenge which will train me to gradually improve my life in five key elements or cornerstones within the next 36 months - yes, that long, I know, I needed three days to think about it before I gave my commitment in the onlinementorship forum.

To keep record and be able to reflect on these 90 days later,  I will write daily posts on this blog, a 90 Day Pace Challenge Diary so to say. 

Today is Day 1 and here I am, starting to baby-step run a marathon into a healthier way of life with a career worth having.

I will tell you more tomorrow!

Is Your Home Ready For El Nino?

 Give your home some TLC before rain storms and cold temperatures will surprise you with an unexpected roof leakage or a high energy bill in Fall and Winter. Below are some of my family's checkpoints before I let them carve the Thanksgiving turkey:

Think Gutters: Inspect and clean gutters and downspouts.

Be an Energy Efficient Ambassador: Seal gaps and cracks around windows and doors with weather-stripping and caulk.

Get on Top, Check Your Roof:Inspect your roof for damaged or curled shingles, corroded flashing, or leaky vents.

Walks the Walks: Take steps to repair damaged sidewalks, driveways, and steps.

Chill out. Drain and winterize outdoor faucets and irrigation systems.

Freshen Up: Clean or replace dirty furnace filters.

Give Your Furnace a Physical. Have a professional inspect your heating system.

Gather Round the Hearth. Check fireplaces for soot or creosote build-up. Better yet, schedule a visit from a reputable chimney sweep.

Keep the Humidifier Humming. Clean the plates or pads to ensure efficient operation.

Keep the Fires Burning: Wood stoves are making a comeback. To avoid a deadly situation, be sure to inspect yours before firing it up and check with your city for "No Burn Days". 

Keep your family safe at home. A home safety check should be an annual ritual in every household - I schedule this on the Fall Forward Day when I am not only switching the time on my clock but also test smoke and CO monitors, inspect fire extinguishers, review fire escape plans, have gas appliances checked and rid my home of clutter. 

THE CO$T CONUNDRUM - Homebuyers Beware of Unexpected Costs

If you buy a new home, there is more to budget for than just mortgage and down payment. As stated in the July 2015 edition of The Epoch Times, 75% of homebuyers will face a costly emergency repair within the first 12 months of moving into their new home. Most homebuyers reported that they spend more time and money on remodel projects and unexpected damages than they initially anticipated.

Blocked toilets and pipes, a clogged train, and a broken heating or a/c system belong to the most frequent repairs within the first 12 months.

It is recommended to homebuyers to budget 1% of their home purchase price for repairs so that there is no rude awakening after close of escrow from the dream of owning a home.

Enjoy Cinco De Mayo!