I am sitting here writing this at 3:30 a.m. in the morning because I am so excited about what I have accomplished this week (trust me, I see a nap in my future today).  I have some very exciting listings coming up and have some cool things coming up with our program, the Top Producer Collective.

In the “Collective,” we discuss not only different ways to get new listings but also, what I consider to be just as important, brain hacks. 

As many of you know, I love quoting Anthony Robbins, who said, “Your mindset is 80% of success, the remaining 20% is just strategy”.

And with regard to brain hacks, one of my favorite brain researchers is Dr. Daniel Amen with the Amen Clinics.  Dr. Amen is a renowned brain researcher who I have had the pleasure to meet and hear speak.

One of the things Dr. Amen refers to are “Automatic Negative Thoughts” or ANTs.  These negative thoughts preoccupy the mind as the brain constantly checks in with this negative self-talk, which takes time and energy which you could be using for other things (like getting super cool listings).

The most prominent ANTs which we need to work to cut out or replace with more positive ones are, according to Dr. Amen:

• Fortune telling: This is when you try to psych yourself out and assume the worst.

• Mind reading: This is often what we do when we worry about what others think of us. We don’t actually know, we’re just assuming what they’re thinking about us– and it’s often negative.

• Guilt beatings: The way we talk to ourselves can either bring us up or beat us down. Amen’s example is great, “Telling yourself ‘I should go see my grandmother’ rather than ‘I want to spend time with my grandmother’ only serves to make you feel negative.”

• Blame: Self-explanatory– thoughts about blaming others for our problems, making ourselves out to be the victim.

• And labeling: Any time we call ourselves or another a derogatory name. This often skews our perception of a situation in a negative light.

I believe the key to “killing our ANTs” is self-awareness.  Know that we ALL do this and we have to be conscious of this.

This is particularly important when we are prospecting for new listings and going on listing presentations.

You can imagine that Epic listing agents are all over this topic.  They don’t let their ANTs get them down or mess up their performance.

And you don’t have to let your ANTs affect your performance as well.

Because you are an Epic listing agent.