Mike Browning

Tag: Decision Making

  • It’s Not a Vending Machine

    Give, and it will be given back. But not always how you think.

    Luke 6:38 says:

    “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

    That verse is true.

    It’s also one of the most misused verses in the Bible.

    A lot of people read it as a formula.
    Give money.
    Get more money back.
    Preferably a lot more.

    That interpretation sounds appealing.
    It also sounds suspiciously convenient.

    Because if that’s what Jesus meant, the whole thing falls apart under even light scrutiny.

    If giving money reliably produced a guaranteed twenty-fold return, the people preaching it wouldn’t be asking you for money.
    They’d be giving you money.
    They’d be chasing you down to do it.

    The fact that they aren’t tells you something.

    The problem isn’t the verse.
    It’s the assumption that “given back” has to mean “in kind.”

    Jesus doesn’t say you’ll get back the same thing you gave.
    He says it will be given to you.

    Sometimes that’s provision.
    Sometimes it’s peace.
    Sometimes it’s relationships.
    Sometimes it’s freedom from fear, or a loosened grip on money altogether.

    And yes, sometimes it may be financial.
    But that’s not the promise.

    Turning generosity into a transaction misses the point.
    It turns trust into strategy.

    Less scrupulous churches and charities lean on that misunderstanding. Not always maliciously. Sometimes because people want to hear it. But it still takes advantage of the same confusion.

    Giving isn’t a trick to get rich.
    It’s a way of learning who you actually trust.

    If you give expecting a payout, you’re still clinging to control.
    If you give because it’s right, the return takes care of itself.

    Just not always in the way you’d script.

    P.S. If you want to read Scripture regularly, without anyone telling you what to think about it, I also run a separate site called His Word Together. It’s just the readings, posted each week. You can find it here:

    HisWordTogether.com

  • Accurate Thinking Beats Positive Thinking

    Accurate Thinking Beats Positive Thinking

    Mindset matters, but only if it’s grounded in reality

    Your mindset is simply the way you look at things and how you approach them.

    It matters more than most people want to admit.

    If you believe you can learn, adapt, and figure things out, you’ll usually do better than someone who believes they’re stuck or destined to fail. Not because belief is magic, but because it determines how you act, what you try, and what you dismiss before you ever start.

    Most of this runs below the surface.

    We hear things that sound right and let them in without much resistance. Over time, those ideas start running our decision-making on autopilot. We rarely stop to ask where they came from or whether they actually hold up in the real world.

    Television, social media, teachers, friends, coworkers. All of them install things into our operating system. Sometimes intentional, sometimes not. Either way, it doesn’t matter.

    Once something is installed, we stop treating it like a suggestion and start treating it like reality. We act as if it’s true. And when it’s wrong, we often move backward while feeling justified the entire time.

    A simple example.

    Roughly two-thirds of college students say socialism is better than capitalism. Setting politics aside, ask the obvious question: what evidence did they use to reach that conclusion?

    They didn’t test it.
    They didn’t analyze outcomes.
    They didn’t reason their way there.

    It was told to them by someone they trusted. It sounded compassionate. It felt sophisticated. So it went in unchallenged.

    Installed.

    Now it quietly influences how they think about money, work, responsibility, and incentives. Often in ways that run directly against their own long-term interests.

    This happens everywhere.

    Business is full of unexamined beliefs:

    “Everything is a numbers game.”
    “The early bird always wins.”
    “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

    Some of these ideas are partially true in narrow situations.

    Others are sloppy generalizations people repeat because they sound wise.

    Bad experiences don’t automatically make you stronger. Plenty of people are damaged by them. Strength comes from how someone responds afterward, not from trauma by default. Believing otherwise can actually lead people to seek chaos or failure as if it’s a growth strategy.

    That’s not resilience. That’s bad thinking.

    Here’s the core point.

    Your belief system governs your outcomes more than tactics ever will. If your beliefs about yourself, money, work, or success are flawed, you’re operating with a handicap.

    The fix isn’t positive thinking.

    The fix is accurate thinking.

    That means slowing down when you hit resistance in your own beliefs and asking hard questions. Where did this idea come from? What evidence supports it? Where does it break?

    Anything added to your belief system should earn its place.

    If a belief can’t survive contact with reality, it doesn’t deserve to run your life.

    If you value clear thinking and straightforward talk, you can get more like this in your inbox here:

    Sign Up Here!

    PS — If you know someone who might benefit from this kind of thinking or straightforward real estate talk, feel free to forward it.

  • Saying the Time Isn’t Right is a Copout

    Saying the Time Isn’t Right is a Copout

    If there ever really is a perfect time to act, you probably already missed it.

    I see this a lot.

    People waiting for the “right time” to do something they already know they should probably do.

    Start a business.
    Make a change at work.
    Learn a skill.
    Deal with an issue they’ve been stepping around for years.

    They’ll say things like:

    “I just need things to slow down a bit.”
    “After this busy stretch.”
    “Once the kids are older.”
    “When work settles.”
    “After the holidays.”

    All of that sounds reasonable. It even sounds responsible.

    Most of the time it means the same thing.

    “I don’t want to deal with the discomfort yet.”

    I’m not saying that to be harsh. I get it. I do the same thing sometimes, even though I know it’s not ideal.

    Starting something new is uncomfortable.
    You don’t know what you’re doing yet.
    You might waste time or money.
    You might find out the problem is bigger than you hoped.

    That part is real.

    What people miss is that avoiding discomfort doesn’t remove it. It just replaces it with a quieter version.

    The kind where nothing is technically wrong, but nothing really changes either.
    The kind where one unexpected expense puts you on edge.
    The kind where you tell yourself you’re fine, but you know you’re boxed in.

    That kind of discomfort compounds. Slowly at first. Then all at once.

    There is no point where life calms down and hands you perfect conditions. Responsibilities don’t shrink. They stack.

    The people who make progress aren’t braver or smarter. They just decided the discomfort of staying put was worse than the discomfort of starting.

    A lot of people tell me they are never going to sell their real estate.

    That’s fine. I’m not here to talk anyone into anything.

    But things change.
    Health changes.
    Family situations change.
    Tax rules change.
    Priorities change.

    Sometimes selling makes sense to solve a current problem.

    Sometimes it makes sense to head off a future one, like family arguing over something that was never clearly thought through.

    And the best time to prepare for those possibilities is long before you actually need to do anything.

    That’s why I offer a free, no-obligation analysis on any acreage or lots.

    No pressure.
    No listing agreement.
    No sales pitch.

    Just a clear look at what you own, what it’s realistically worth, and what your options are if circumstances change later.

    If you never use it, that’s fine.
    If you’re glad you had it when you needed it, even better.

    Can anything bad happen by just looking into it?

    Click here to get started.

  • It Doesn’t Help Anyone If You Leave It In the Box

    It Doesn’t Help Anyone If You Leave It In the Box

    The greatest tools in the world don’t help anything if you don’t use them.

    I tend to make a big deal about how important it is not to procrastinate. Just get started.

    Do the thing when you think of it instead of putting it off.

    It almost never hurts to do something a little earlier than you absolutely have to, instead of waiting until the last minute.

    So I’m going to tell on myself.

    A while back, for my birthday, my dad bought me a portable car battery booster. One of those little jump-start packs. I didn’t even know I wanted it, but he got it for me, I said thanks, and that was that.

    Fast forward to a few days ago. One of my daughters called and said her battery was dead. And where was that booster?

    Still sitting in the original Amazon box in the back seat of my truck.

    Now, I’ve got jumper cables, so it wasn’t the end of the world. But it would have been easier. And that’s the point.

    Low-risk example. Same lesson.

    Normally I wouldn’t bother mentioning the booster itself because it has nothing to do with real estate. But these things are actually great.

    It fits in a small bag. You carry it in one hand. If your battery is dead, you hook it up and start the car. No second vehicle. No asking strangers for help.

    No waiting around in a parking lot hoping someone stops.

    I’m probably going to buy one for all my kids.

    My daughters especially worry about being stuck somewhere and having to deal with people they don’t know. If they’ve got one of these, they don’t need anyone. It’s just handled.

    You can also charge your phone with it. It charges by USB, so you can plug it in while you’re driving. It’s got a flashlight built in too.

    It’s not much more expensive than a decent set of jumper cables, and it takes up less space than most glove box junk.

    They’re just useful.

    If you’ve got kids, it will give you peace of mind.

    If you have one already, don’t be like me. Take it out of the box. But if not, go buy one and actually use it.

    You can get the same one I have from Amazon at the link below.

    Or buy a nicer one. I don’t care. Just don’t leave it sitting in the box like I did.

    Get it Here

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you buy something—anything—after clicking that link, I may receive a small commission. It doesn’t change your price.

  • Like You’re Not Even Playing the Same Game

    Like You’re Not Even Playing the Same Game

    Buy this and read it before your motivation fades. You’ll be glad you did.

    Continuing from yesterday’s note about New Year’s resolutions.

    One thing a lot of people say they’re going to do every year is read a certain number of books. And most of them don’t. I usually don’t either.

    I tend to aim pretty high, and even when I miss, I probably still read more than most people. But that’s not the point.

    If you’re one of those people who says you’re going to read more this year, and the iron is still hot while you’re still motivated, here’s a suggestion: Start With No by Jim Camp.

    It’s a book about negotiation, but not in the way most people think about negotiation.

    It’s not about bullying people.

    It’s not about tricks or pressure or “winning” by force.

    It’s a system. A counterintuitive one. And if you actually use it the way it’s meant to be used, it removes a lot of the stress and friction from deals.

    Once you really understand it, it can feel like you’re playing a completely different game than the person across the table.

    Unless they’ve read it too. In that case, things get even easier. You either make a deal that works for both sides or you don’t. No drama. No wasted time.

    I read it at least once a year. At this point I’ve almost got it memorized, and I still re-read it. That’s how useful it is.

    And it’s not just for business.

    Everything is negotiation.

    Getting your kid to go to bed on time.
    Deciding where you’re going to eat.
    Whether a police officer gives you a ticket.

    All of it.

    When you get better at negotiation, your entire life improves, not just your income or your career.

    So if you’re going to read one book while the motivation is still there, start there.

    Click below to go to my Recommended Reading page. You can order it through Amazon there.

    Buy it Here!

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This does not change the price you pay. It simply helps support the site.

  • A Small Shift That Changes Everything

    A Small Shift That Changes Everything

    Adjust the frame in your mind, and your life looks different.

    The way you look at things makes a big difference in how your life looks.

    When one of my daughters was little, there were nights after a long day where it was my turn to feed her and I really didn’t want to do it. I wasn’t angry. I was just tired and being pulled away from something I wanted to keep doing.

    One night it hit me that this wasn’t going to last very long. There would come a time when she wouldn’t need me to feed her at all. And more than that, I’d probably wish I could.

    And that’s exactly what happened.

    But before it happened, once I had that thought my attitude towards the whole thing changed.

    Afterwards I never got irritated about stopping what I was doing to feed the baby.

    If anything, I went too far the other direction. I didn’t want anyone else to do it because I didn’t want to miss one. That caused its own problems.

    Turns out other people like feeding babies too.

    Nothing about the situation changed. The only thing that changed was how I framed it.

    That happens all the time in life. The way you think about something can completely change your attitude toward it, even when the facts stay the same.

    It happens in real estate constantly.

    A deal falls apart. A buyer changes their mind. Someone won’t agree to terms you need them to agree to. It doesn’t work. That can be frustrating, especially when you’ve invested time and effort into it.

    What I’ve found, though, is that when you stay on your principles, something better usually comes along fairly quickly. The same thing happens with clients.

    When the bad ones move on, good ones tend to replace them.

    It’s not magic. It’s not a guarantee. Sometimes things just are what they are.

    But you still get a choice. You can get upset and stew over it, or you can choose to look at it as something that’s likely working out for the best, even if you don’t see how yet.

    That mindset alone improves your attitude and your demeanor, and that tends to improve everything else that follows.

    Get More Like This Here!

    PS- You’re probably not ready to buy or sell land today. You might even be thinking the plan is to never sell. But things change.

    Would it be a bad idea to prepare for it like it’s something that could happen, even if it probably won’t?

    Kind of like having a gun for self defense. Everyone plans and hopes to never use it for that. But it’s better to have it and not need it than vice versa.

    I offer a free, no obligation analysis on any non-residential property. It includes actual comps (with real prices) near your tract, along with other things like planned development, utility info, market trends etc.

    I also listen to people, and offer straight talk and integrity. And I’m the sort of guy who tries to look at things in a positive light.

    Could it ever be a bad idea to just check it out?

    Click Below:

    Got a lot you might want to sell?
    Get a FREE, no obligation report on what it could sell for today.
    Get Your Lot Valuation

    Own land instead?
    Get a report for that here:
    Get Your Land Value

    Just a glutton for punishment?
    Sign up now to get more articles like this in your email.
    Sign Up Now

  • A Fast “No” Is Better Than a Slow “Maybe”

    A Fast “No” Is Better Than a Slow “Maybe”

    Being clear isn’t impolite — it’s the opposite.

    Most people hate saying the word no. Even when they already know the answer, they’ll stall.

    They’ll say things like:

    “Let me think about it.”
    “Maybe.”
    or the classic— “Yes… but sometime later.”

    Which really just means: no, but they don’t want to be the one to say it out loud.

    It’s funny, because everyone gets irritated being on the receiving end of that behavior, but somehow it doesn’t translate when they’re the one avoiding the decision.

    Why do people drag it out?

    Part of it is simple: a lot of people don’t want conflict, even small conflict.

    And telling someone no feels confrontational.

    The other part is that most people don’t feel safe saying no.

    Because the second they do, someone tries to talk them out of it.

    Salespeople do it.
    Friends do it.
    Family definitely does it.

    Give a reason, and they’ll try to negotiate with the reason instead of accepting the answer.

    (If you want help with that, check this out)

    Personally, I love a clear no. It’s honest. It’s clean.

    And it gives both sides direction.

    It doesn’t stop the conversation — it just puts it on real footing.

    And here’s the part most people miss:

    A no today doesn’t mean no forever.

    People change their minds. Circumstances shift. Timing improves.

    But when you finally hear a yes from someone who wasn’t afraid to say no earlier, it’s a real yes.

    So whether you’re negotiating, selling, buying, planning, or just trying to get through everyday life without wasting time — a fast no is almost always better than a slow maybe.

    It’s cleaner.
    It’s kinder.
    And it’s honest.

    Subscribe for more here.

    PS — If this topic interests you, Jim Camp is the gold standard.
    He taught that the fastest way to find the truth in any negotiation is to give the other person permission to say no.

    Not hint at it.
    Not tolerate it.
    Invite it.

    Most negotiation books focus on getting to yes.

    Camp’s approach is the opposite — and far more effective.

    I read the book at least once a year, it helps me that much.

    There’s a link to buy it on my recommended reading page.

    Would it be a terrible idea to spend five minutes there?

    Recommended Reading

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy something—anything—after clicking that link, I may receive a small commission. It doesn’t change your price.

  • This One Easy Rule Will Get Rid of (Almost All) of Your Stress

    This One Easy Rule Will Get Rid of (Almost All) of Your Stress

    Make the Decision, Then Stop Thinking About It

    Much of the stress people carry around isn’t caused by big problems.

    It’s caused by small decisions that never get closed.

    You’ve probably experienced it: You make a plan, put something on the calendar, set an appointment, but as it gets closer, you start thinking about moving it.

    Not because anything serious changed. Just because the idea of dealing with it feels inconvenient. Or you don’t want to disappoint someone else who asked for something.

    From my observations, a high percentage of people live this way.

    They “keep their options open” right up until the moment something can’t be avoided anymore. Then they scramble, apologize, reschedule, and wonder why everything feels disorganized.

    And wonder why they seem to have a harder time of things.

    There’s a simple rule that will clean up your life faster than almost anything else:

    Once you make a commitment, keep it — unless reality forces you to change.

    Not feelings. Not inconvenience. Not “I’m just not feeling it today.”

    Reality.

    There’s a huge difference.

    You don’t have to be rigid, Life happens.

    Kids get sick.

    A flat tire is a legitimate reason to adjust. (real flat tires, not ‘flat tires.’)

    A genuine emergency deserves a real change of plans.

    But most of the time, people don’t reschedule because of emergencies. They reschedule because the idea of sticking to the plan creates a little bit of friction. And they want to avoid that momentary discomfort.

    Here’s the problem:

    Every time you revisit a decision, you multiply the mental load.

    The appointment still exists.

    The work still needs to be done.

    The responsibility is still waiting.

    But now you’ve added a layer of:

    • indecision
    • guilt
    • clutter
    • extra logistics
    • and more future inconvenience

    You didn’t save yourself trouble. You just kicked it down the road and made it heavier.

    There’s real power in closing a decision once and leaving it closed.

    It builds confidence. It sharpens your thinking. It simplifies your schedule.

    It reduces the noise in your head.

    And it quietly teaches everyone around you that your word means something.

    People with chaotic lives almost always have one thing in common: Their decisions don’t stay decided.

    People with cleaner, calmer, more productive lives do something different:

    They make a choice, commit, and execute — even when they don’t feel like it in the moment.

    It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being consistent.

    If you can build the habit of sticking to what you said you’d do, your life gets dramatically easier — not because the world changes, but because you stop reopening the door every time something tugs at your attention.

    Decide once.

    Follow through.

    Everything else starts falling into place.

    Like? Sign up to get these in your inbox!

    PS- This one doesn’t tie directly to real estate.

    If I had to shoehorn it in, I’d ask the following:

    Is it a crazy idea to want to work with someone who understands the value of doing what they say?

    But aside from that, this is a small change a person can make that will result in huge positive changes down the road.

    Success really isn’t the result of one great action, it comes from lots of small actions repeated daily (or often). This is the main principle offered in Jeff Olson’s book The Slight Edge.

    If you’re looking for a personal development book that’s realistic and doesn’t veer into a bunch of “woo-woo” manifestation type stuff, I can’t think of a better one.

    You can buy it here.

    (Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Clicking that link may earn me a small commission, at no extra cost to you.)

  • The Easy Way Is The Hard Way

    The Easy Way Is The Hard Way

    Most shortcuts just push pain into the future.

    Most of the time when something seems easy, you can count on one of two things.

    Either you did the hard work first and are moving downhill now,

    or you put the hard work off to be paid back later (with interest).

    You can see it everywhere once you start noticing.

    Skipping the gym is easy. Explaining your health later isn’t.

    Putting off a hard conversation is easy. Living with the tension that follows isn’t.

    Pricing your property high “just to see what happens” is easy.

    Watching it sit for six months while the serious buyers move on — that’s the hard part.

    We all tell ourselves we’re just buying time.

    But time has a way of collecting interest.

    There’s a reason discipline, planning, and patience sound boring — they front-load the difficulty.

    They make you face discomfort early, when it’s small.

    And that’s what keeps it from growing into something unmanageable later.

    As the saying goes, Hard Now, Easy Later.

    Most of the people who get in real trouble — financially, relationally, professionally — didn’t simply make one big mistake. Or just get “unlucky once.”

    They just chose the easy path a few too many times in a row.

    Then they looked up and they weren’t where they wanted to be.

    (Probably blamed everyone but themselves too).

    In business, it looks like:

    • Avoiding tough calls because you don’t want confrontation.
    • Hiring the cheaper person because you didn’t want to dig deeper.
    • Waiting until the deadline because it “won’t take long.”

    Those decisions all feel harmless in the moment.

    But the easy way almost always turns into the expensive way.

    When I see sellers overprice their property, I already know what’s going to happen.

    They’ll get a few showings, no offers, and start to wonder why.

    Then six months later, after multiple price cuts, the listing is stale and buyers assume something’s wrong.

    The easy road — my allowing you to chase a fantasy number — turns into the hard reality of lost momentum.

    It works the other direction too.

    Doing things the right way up front — marketing elbow grease, honest pricing, and full disclosure — feels like work.

    But it makes everything that comes after easier.

    You don’t have to explain. You don’t have to backtrack. You don’t have to rebuild trust.

    That’s the hidden truth about the “easy” route: it just changes when you pay the cost.

    And the longer you delay it, the more expensive it gets.

    So the next time something looks like a shortcut, ask yourself a simple question:
    “Am I making this easier now, or easier later?”

    If the answer’s “now,” you probably already know how that story ends.

    Still haven’t subscribed? (it helps me and doesn’t cost you anything)

    PS- You’re probably not looking to buy or sell right now. But by starting before you’re ready you make things that much easier when its time.

    If you’d like a free (no obligation) opinion of value for any property, all you need to do is ask. You’ll get the truth now, which is always easier to hear when you’re not under pressure.

    Although you may even hear something you like.

    Is it a crazy idea to do things now that make it easier for you in the future?

    Click Below:

    Got a lot you might want to sell?
    Get a FREE, no obligation report on what it could sell for today.
    Get Your Lot Valuation

    Own land instead?
    Get a report for that here:
    Get Your Land Value

    Just a glutton for punishment?
    Sign up now to get more articles like this in your email.
    Sign Up Now

  • Don’t Put on a Show

    Don’t Put on a Show

    You save everyone time when you just tell people what you’re going to do.

    I’ve written before about how people make decisions emotionally, then come up with “reasons” afterward.

    Most of us understand this—about “other people.”

    But it’s all of us. We just do it so fast we pretend it didn’t happen.

    When the stakes feel big, we drag out the charade. Take buying a car.

    Most buyers know pretty early which one they want.

    But they’ll still go test-drive three other models, as if the choice is still up in the air. It makes them feel rational and thorough, even though the decision was made in the first hour.

    But it wastes the time of those salesmen, which isn’t right. Not to mention most people don’t like dealing with car salesmen, so why subject yourself to more of that than you need to?

    Hiring is the same.

    My daughter had a second interview lined up this week. A few hours before, the company called to say they’d decided to hire someone else.

    Not fun to hear, but it saved her a trip and a pointless conversation.

    A lot of companies would have gone ahead with the meeting just to look like they were “following procedure.” This company didn’t, and I respect them for it.

    As it turned out, it worked out better for her anyway. Another company called a few minutes later and offered her a better job.

    Real estate is no different.

    A seller will line up three or four brokers, invite us out, and have us give our pitch. But most of the time, the seller already knows who they’re going to hire.

    The presentations just make them feel like they’re being diligent.

    Sometimes the choice is made for them: cousin Karen sells houses, and it would cause family drama not to use her.

    That’s understandable, although selling land isn’t the same as selling a house.

    The rules of the game are different — from pricing and access, to how you market it, to how you negotiate.

    You want someone who plays that game every day, not just someone who’s good at selling houses. Although you may just have to use her anyway. So just do it.

    I try to get to the truth early.

    By asking the right questions, I can usually tell if I’m the Favorite—the one they really want to hire—or the Fool—the one they’re just talking to because they think they should.

    If I’m the Fool, I stop chasing.

    That saves me time and spares them the awkward “we went another direction” call later.

    Sounds callous, but it helps everyone.

    It cuts down on the wasted meetings and long sales pitches.

    It takes some of the stress out of the process for the seller too. They don’t have to pretend to be undecided just to feel like they’ve done their homework.

    Is it perfect? No. Can you ever “win” a listing if they were set on someone else? Sometimes.

    But the time saved, the reduced angst on both sides—that’s worth a lot.

    The truth is, most of us decide faster than we admit.

    There’s no shame in that.

    The trick is to recognize it and move forward, instead of staging a show for appearances.

    More like this? Register Here!