Ask people how their business or career is going, and they’ll often say, “Oh, I’m really busy” or “I’m working on a million things right now.” As I’m sure you’ve learned, “busyness” does not always lead to success. The key is not the quantity of your activities – it’s whether you’re doing productive things that are yielding results.

How you use your time is absolutely critical to your physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Certainly, you don’t need another time management seminar to tell you that everyone has 24 hours in a day or that you should keep a neat desk. (I’ve always understood the first of those concepts – but haven’t yet mastered the second!) However, a few thought-provoking tips should come in handy. With that in mind, here are some suggestions for making the best use of your time:

Fill your “To Do List” with priority tasks. Most people have a list of things to do each day. That’s wonderful ... but it’s not the end of the story. The issue is whether these tasks are really the most effective use of their time. Often, you do activities that are “comfortable,” even if they don’t produce the maximum results. Continually ask yourself, “Is what I’m doing right now the best possible use of my time?” If the answer is “no,” change what you’re doing!

Look for the “leverage points.” Even if you’re doing high-priority tasks, you’re going to find that some efforts have the potential to yield far greater rewards than others. For instance, some salespeople pursue one small sale at a time – while others form strategic alliances with certain organizations that allow them to reach customers they could never find on their own.

Get focused. One of the greatest enemies of success is “scattered energy.” When you try to accomplish three major projects at once, you generally get disappointing results in all three areas. Now, had you concentrated your efforts on ONE of these projects, you would have had a far greater chance of achieving excellent results. This isn’t about “putting all of your eggs in one basket” permanently. After you finish the first project, you can move on to another major assignment.

Delegate or outsource. Whether you own a company or work for someone else, there’s a natural tendency to think that you’re saving money by doing it all on your own. What you’re really doing is losing money! If you’re spending a few hours each day licking stamps and putting information packets together – instead of meeting with prospects and customers – you’re mismanaging your time. And, how about those people who save $40 and spend half a day setting up an order form on their word processor. Is that an example of time well spent?

In any endeavor, business or personal, it’s wise to try to keep costs down. But we often take this to extremes and fail to recognize the cost of spending hours on menial chores.

Find time to exercise. The human body was simply not designed to be sedentary. The silliest statement you can make is, “I don’t have time to exercise.” That’s the same thing as saying, “I don’t have time to be healthy.” You can’t put your work time to maximum use if you aren’t healthy and energized.

Maintain your balance. Each of our lives is made up of many components – health and fitness, relationships, career, spirituality, etc. In today’s fast-paced society, however, there are times when we find ourselves out of balance. Perhaps we’re working on a project that requires us to work many extra hours. For a limited period of time, we can do that. But there comes a point where productivity drops, relationships suffer, and health is jeopardized.

Don’t push yourself past your limit... and seek to restore balance as soon as you can.

Now that you’ve reviewed these suggestions for making the most of your time, what do you plan to do? Are there some changes that you’re ready to make? It’s so easy to nod your head and say that you’ve heard some of these techniques before. However, you’ll get significant results only after you apply these ideas. So, make the time – now’s your chance to reach that next level of success!

Jeff Keller ©1999 Attitude is Everything, Inc.

Jeff Keller is a motivational speaker and delivers his presentations and seminars to businesses, groups and trade associations throughout the United States and abroad. He is the author of the newly released book, Attitude is Everything. For more information on Jeff’s products and services, visit his web site: http://www.attitudeiseverything.com

Congratulations John and Dolores Ciufi Brandi Bates and Brice Hoffman Dorothy Ostermeier William Hanover For successfully completing their transactions with Top Priority twithin the last month. Watch for your name here in a coming month!

How Fortunate Are You?

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness...you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation... you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep...you are richer than 75% of this world .

If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death...you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace...you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful...you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder...you are blessed because you can offer a healing touch.

If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.

If your parents are still alive and still married...you are very rare, even in the United States.

Have a good day, count your blessings, and pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are.

Auction News Home Seller’s Marketing Kit

If you’re thinking of selling now or in the future, get your Home Seller’s Marketing Kit. This special kit has helped hundreds of sellers save tens of thousands of dollars and countless headaches (and lawsuits!) •The kit contains: •Blank purchase contracts • Sample purchase contracts •Title insurance request forms •Termite inspection forms •Sources for signs

To get your kit E-mail: TprtomH@netscape.net

How To Survive A Layoff

The hires and total separations rates edged down, while the job openings rate was essentially unchanged in June, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported August 9. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires and separations for the total non-farm sector by industry and geographic region.

Job Openings

On the last business day of June, 2006 there were 4.0 million job openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.9 percent. The job openings rate was about unchanged over the month and has been essentially unchanged since November 2005. In June, the job openings rate increased in construction and government and declined in professional and business services. The industries with the highest seasonally adjusted job openings rate in June were education and health services (3.7 percent), leisure and hospitality (3.6 percent), and professional and business services (3.4 percent).

Words Of Wisdom

When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute.But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute and its seems longer than an hour. That is relativity. Albert Einstein

Review your severance package. Make sure you understand if or how long your health insurance will continue if you’re laid off. Think about “selling back” any extra vacation or sick days you have to the company in exchange for pay.

Roll over your 401(k) into an IRA. Unless you have no other option, don’t liquidate your retirement account if you’re laid off. You’ll have to pay taxes on whatever you take out plus possibly a 10% withdrawal penalty fee – and that money can never be replaced.

 

Raise your deductibles on your insurance policies. That way, you can lower premiums. However, even if you’re out of work, don’t cancel any policy in an attempt to save money.

 

Spend sensibly to find a new job. Don’t plan to cut off job-hunting expenses, such as your Internet service fee or newspaper subscription. Just remember that you’ll have to spend some money searching for a job, making phone calls and sprucing up your resume.

 

Consider temp work. There is a big market for part-time, temporary and freelance work in almost every job market. These kinds of assignments will put quick cash in your pockets while you look for something more permanent. And you never know, you may wind up in a temporary job you love and get hired on a permanent basis.

Welcome New Clients

We would like to welcome the new clients who became members of our “Real Estate Family” this past month. I’d like to welcome you and wish you all the best!We love giving recognition to our new friends and our wonderful existing clients who are kind enough to refer their friends and relatives to us.

Get A Head Start On The Holidays

Every year I hear people saying, “Next year, I’m not going to wait until the last minute to get ready for the Christmas holidays.” Well, now is the time to get that jump start and I’m going to help you get off to a great start by giving you the following timeline:

In August:

• Set up a Christmas gift idea file.

• Use a separate page or folder for each person on your list.

• Start clipping catalog pages, pictures from magazines, and Sunday newspaper inserts.

•Update your holiday card mailing list.

• Decide what kind of and how many cards you’ll want this year.
•If you include an annual letter with your Christmas cards, start writing it now while most of the things that have happened this year are still fresh in your mind. Then you can simply add to or edit the letter each month until it’s time to mail them.

In September:

• Start ordering gifts, especially ones that require special touches or are going overseas.

•Order your cards if you have them professionally printed. Get pictures taken if you include a family photo with your cards.
•Consider starting your holiday diet.

In October:

•Finish ordering gifts.

• Decide where you will be spending the holidays and make arrangements. If it’s at home, set up your menu and decoration plans.

•Double-check school schedules that may conflict with your travel plans.
•Purchase Christmas stamps for the cards, labels for the computer, holiday pocket cards for cash gifts.
• Either make your holiday labels now or start addressing envelopes. If you do five or seven a week starting now, you’ll be done before you know it.
•Complete any catalog or online holiday ordering now before the November rush.

In November:

•Send all of your overseas gifts before Thanksgiving.
•Start sending all of your U.S. gifts immediately after Thanksgiving.
•Complete the rest of your holiday cards before Thanksgiving.
• Order any special gift certificates you want to give.
• Proof read your holiday letter one last time, print and insert into cards, mail.
•Decorate the house.
• Shop for any food staples or kitchen supplies you need before November 15th.
•Schedule a pre-Christmas massage or something special to de-stress, and pat your self on the back for actually getting ahead this year!

I've never been poor, only broke. Being poor is a frame of mind. Being broke is only a temporary situation. Mike Todd

Plant Some Fresh Air

Plants at work can benefit you by helping to decrease your risk of allergic reactions, asthma and other respiratory problems linked to indoor air pollutants, which come from all kinds of sources including synthetic building materials, furnishings and carpeting.

An office’s electronic devices, such as photocopiers and computer monitors, also can release hundreds of potentially harmful chemicals into the air, including formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, trichloroethylene, ammonia, alcohol and acetone.

That’s why growing plants in an office can do a lot in cleaning up the air. Plants produce oxygen, add moisture and filter dangerous toxins. So place one within your personal breathing zone (and cover the soil with aquarium gravel to reduce the growth of molds and mildew).

The Top 12 Air-Cleaning Plants include:

Do You Want To Find Other Local Businesses That Give Outstanding Customer Service?

Request a free copy of my service directory. All of the businesses listed in it have a proven track record for providing the outstanding customer
service you deserve.

(Note to members: this is an example of how you can market your strategic alliance partners in your client newsletter.)

¨ Areca Palms (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens)

¨ Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa)

¨ Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea Seifrizii)

¨ Rubber Plant (Ficus robusta)

¨ Dracaena Janet Craig (Dracaena deremensis “Janet Craig”)

¨ English Ivy (Hedera Helix)

¨ Dwarf Date Palm (Phoenix Roebelenii)

¨ Ficus Alii (Ficus Macleilandii “Alii”)

¨ Boston Fern (Nephrolepis Exaltata “Bostoniensis”)

¨ Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum sp.)

¨ Corn Plant (Dracaena Fragrans “Massangeana”)

¨ Golden Pothos (Epipremnum Aureum)

– Adapted from the Health eOffice website

Golf Light A bride walked down the aisle, and when she reached the alteeer found the groom standing beside his golf bag and clubs. "Why did you bring your clubs" she asked. To which he replied. "This isn't going to take all day is it?"

Of Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus said: "He is playing a game I'm not familiar with" Then, having the matter more thought, Nicklaus added: "Of course, I'm playing a game I'm not not familiar with."

See An Interesting Home?

No need to wonder about the price. No need to call a high-pressure sales agent who will just make you feel obligated. My computers can send you the information quickly and easily, for any house, listed or sold, anywhere in town. Just ask me! It’s all part of my free, no-obligation HomeFinder Service. Leave the address on my voicemail, anytime, 24 hours a day, and I’ll fax or mail you all the information on that listing within 24 hours.

If you see something you like please call: 720 289 2115

Follow the link in this form to:

Top Priority Information Form Print, fill out the information form and fax or mail the form to:

Top Priority Realty 11744 Melody Drive Northglenn, Co. 80234

TOP
Priority Realty, LLC
and Associates

Tom Hoffman
Broker/Owner
Email: tomhoffman@live.com
Contact:
Office: 720 540 7800
Cell: 720 289 2115
Fax: 720 540 7876

For Auctions Call
Toll Free 1 (800) 211-1481
Extension 262

If you are looking to buy Real Estate in Colorado register with our office: Information Form

*** Visit the "Auction Calendar" to view upcoming auctions.*** 

Tom Hoffman and his associates are the leading professional, residential auction firm in Northern Colorado, providing innovative, effective and efficient sales solutions to his clients, since 1985.

During this time, Tom Hoffman has provided services for leading financial institutions, corporations, local, state and federal governments, estates and private individuals, with consistent success and remains committed to his clients success.