Mike Browning

Tag: Decision Making

  • 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!